Best Value racing Wheels

[bobbyOCR]

I am eventually planning to upgrade from bombproof training wheels to racing wheels for racing. I am looking for a set of aluminium clincher wheels (any cross-section) which weigh under 1600gs and cost under $800. So far the best bet seems to be FSA rd-600s. Opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Phill P]

Eurus,

yes you can get shimano cassettes

 

[Eastway82]

I am eventually planning to upgrade from bombproof training wheels to racing wheels for racing. I am looking for a set of aluminium clincher wheels (any cross-section) which weigh under 1600gs and cost under $800. So far the best bet seems to be FSA rd-600s. Opinions are greatly appreciated.

Haven't tried the 600s, but I've got a set of RD400s and I've been impressed. They roll supersmooth, and they've stayed true over 5,000 miles so far. They're stiff enough not to flex too much while climbing, even in the Alps. The rear hub got noisy a few weeks back. I emailed FSA and they offered to replace the whole axle and bearings free of charge if I sent the wheel to them - I've heard before that they have a good repuation for after sales service. In the event I realised it was just a bearing cap had come loose, allowing the freehub body to rub on the axle under load, so I just tightened the cap and it cured it. It's obviously a known problem because I later found it detailed on their website. The only real gripe is the freehub is VERY noisy. And I have heard of problems with pawl spring breakage, which I can believe as it's a very flimsy article. I've had no problems though.

 

[JohnO]

A very cost effective aero wheelset that I have owned is the Rolf Vector Pro. Pretty much the equivalent of Ksyriums, a bit more aero, and typically they sell for $200-300 a set on ebay. If a spoke breaks, you have a problem due to the very low spoke count, but I rode mine a lot and never had a problem.

The only downside to the very stiff aero wheels is a rough ride. My Rolfs gave me numb hands. Eventually replaced them with a set of used Zipp 404's in tubie, that definitely cured the numb hands problem. The CF rim does an admirable job of damping road vibration. It's not uncommon to find used 404's on ebay for $800.

 

[lks]

I am eventually planning to upgrade from bombproof training wheels to racing wheels for racing. I am looking for a set of aluminium clincher wheels (any cross-section) which weigh under 1600gs and cost under $800. So far the best bet seems to be FSA rd-600s. Opinions are greatly appreciated.

Very tough choice, but I cast my very biased vote for Ksyriums. I have 50k miles, combined, on the top Ksyriums, always buying the latest version when it comes out. Never a problem or even having to true one, but I weigh under 140lbs. Ditto,for Michelin's Pro series tires. I currently ride both Ksyrium TDFs and ESs, with Michelin's 220g Pro2 Race tires, the last 1/2 dozen weighed 215g, and Continental's 50g Supersonic Race 28 butyl tubes. I pay too much money for light weight rims, to use a 75g, 50% heavier tube. I don't race, but if I did, I would use Michelin's 190g Pro2 Race Lite tire. Glad to answere any questions, but please don't tell me about any Ksyrium problems, I have already read and seen plenty. Don't know why this is, but I suspect it's partially because there are so many out there and more people post when they have a problem, than when they don't.

 

[oneradtec]

I am eventually planning to upgrade from bombproof training wheels to racing wheels for racing. I am looking for a set of aluminium clincher wheels (any cross-section) which weigh under 1600gs and cost under $800. So far the best bet seems to be FSA rd-600s. Opinions are greatly appreciated.

Best racing wheels I've ever ridden were Ksyrium SL's

 

[ScienceIsCool]

I just finished measuring a set of Ksyrium ES's yesterday. Basically, they perform about the same as a regular 32-hole wheel. The problem is that the big aluminum spokes aren't very aerodynamic even if they are bladed. For 100 grams more weight, the Ksyrium Elites far outperformed the ES. The big surprise is that a set of Shimano WH-540s outperformed them all. They even have really low moment of inertia even though they are a bit heavy at 1820 grams (measured). I guess the hubs are a bit clunky. That's had me looking for a set of WH-7701s which have the same design.

John Swanson
www.bikephysics.com

Best racing wheels I've ever ridden were Ksyrium SL's

 

[rudycyclist]

I just bought Bontrager Race X Lites and I like them a lot. Total they weigh in at 1490 g. They're running a big sale on them right now and I got them for only $600. Probably under $400 on ebay for a set.