Campagnolo Euros wheels....opinions?

Hi,

I'm looking for some better race wheels.
Currently I have Veloce hubs on 32h Open Pros, which ,I believe, weigh in at about 2000g (not sure on this though).

I've been looking to spend some cash and on Roadbike Review, it seems that in my price range, Campag Euros are well reviewed.

Has any one any opinions on these wheels or can offer an alternative at about the same price?

thanks

 

It's Eurus.

 

I just tested a pair of 2006 Eurus wheels this weekend. The performance is not great - about the same as a pair of Ksyrium ES's and for the same reason. Large aluminum spokes have poor aerodynamics, no matter how bladed they are. I also tested a set of 2005 Eurus carbons (carbon hubs) that were much better because of the thin stainless steel spokes. It was odd though, that the Eurus wheels have much larger moment of inertia than I expected. Campagnolo does have a reputation for beefy rims, so maybe that's what it is.

In comparison, Shimano's entire range of wheels performs well. A set of WH-540's is one of the best deals out there. If you drop by my site to look at the results, please be kind. The site is a bit messy right now because of some changes that were made yesterday. I've added a database (Yay!), but the forums got messed up. And for some reason, I can't host pdf files right now... Weird.

John Swanson
www.bikephysics.com

 

Up against some of the "best" (most expensive) wheels available, the Eurus tested reasonably well here, especially considering they're not deep dish: http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-4934445.html

The intertia results weren't as good, but the stiffness ranked in the top third

Personally, I think they're way overpriced (especially down here) for something that doesn't offer much more than my "custom" 28-spoke wheels

Aero results:

They say the "normal" wheel (a 36 spoke box rim) creates 47w of drag at 50kph.



...............................watts absorbed at 50kph

Zipp 808...................................18.1
Ritchey WCS Carbon...................19.3
HED Hed 3.................................19.7
Vuelta Carbon Pro WR..................20.8
Easton Tempest II Carbon............21.6
CKT Splendor.............................21.7
Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL.............21.9
Shimano WH-7801 Carbon 50........22.9
Campagnolo Bora G3...................23.0
Rose Aerospoke.........................23.0
Corima Turbospoke ....................23.1
Bntrga Race X Lite Crbn aero........23.4
Fulcrum Racing Speed.................23.7
Gipiemme Carbon 5-5..................24.1
Tune Olympic Gold 2005..............24.1
Shimano WH-7801 Carbon...........24.4
FRM FL-R 23 SD Aerolight............24.6
Corima Aero..............................24.7
Lightweight Obermayer...............24.8
Xentis Mark 1............................25.0
Citec 3000S Aero.......................25.5
Shimano WH-R560......................26.1
Lightweight Ventoux/Standard......27.3
Campagnolo Eurus......................27.8
Tune Skyline 2006......................28.1
FSA RD-600..............................28.7
Mavic Aksium Race.....................30.0
Citec 3000S..............................30.6
Ambrosio X-Carbo.......................31.5
Campagnolo Hyperon...................32.1
Mavic Ksyrium ES........................33.2

 

Also, they get better-than-average reviews on Road Bike Review; an average score of 4.65 out of 5 form 49 reviews is good for wheels on this site.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/wheelsets/campagnolo/PRD_139503_2490crx.aspx

On the other hand, the Shimano R550s average 3.47 out of 5

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/wheelsets/shimano/PRD_366354_2490crx.aspx


As the saying goes, the pissed-off minority make more noise that the content majority

 

thanks for the insights, guys.
So, if you had around about £350-400 to spend on wheels (that's how much the Eurus are in the UK), what would you buy for general road racing?

thanks
Ives

 

I like mine. They are the model that have steel spokes, though. Normally I don't go for boutique wheels unless they are truly aero, but the eurus look good--this is really important --and they have a really good rep for durability, which is something that a lot of prebuilt stuff does not have.

 

crikey! That's about $1000 Aus! Not bad.

I agree with Bro Deal, in that there's not a lot of point spending big bucks on something that isn't truely aero (and that some of the lighter prebuilts have durabilty problems), unless you buy a very light wheels purely for climbing big hills, not because it reduces the mythical "external rotating mass", but becasue a (for eg) 1400g wheelset takes a good chunk of weight off a bike.

The problem I see with a lot of the mid-range aluminium wheels is that, because they're not deep enough to be really aero, the manufacturers drop the spoke-count to increase aerodynamics (and to reduce weight), and lighten the hubs. I figure this greatly affects reliability and stiffness, especially for heavier riders, which is reflected many of the bad reviews on Road Bike Review. The great thing about my old "normal" wheels is that they're pretty much 100% reliable and stiff as bricks!

So, unless you get 'real' aero wheels, or super-light wheesl for climbing, I'd just stick with 28 or 32-spoke, 20 to 30mm rims. I think 24 spokes is a joke (how much aero diference could 4 spokes possible make?), and 20 or less can present stiffness and strength issues on rims less than ~40mm deep.

If I had the money, right now I'd get something like Cosmic Carbones, which, while not exactly featherweight, are aero, and seem to be (by most accounts) strong, stiff and reliable. Also, they don't break break the bank like full-carbon rims, such as Zipps, etc

I've only had 2 pairs of low-spoke wheels (2 pairs of old Mavic Cosmis Pros: 38mm deep, and 16 spokes), and I CANNOT keep the rears straight, and I've busted a few spokes. There could be many reasons for this (uneven tension, age and condition of the rims and spokes), but it's somewhat soured my desire for boutique wheels. I can't remember the last time I broke a spoke on my regular wheels, and I've been mashing, thrashing, crashing and curb-hopping them for years!

 

I have a pair of the steel spoked Eurus (not sure of year, maybe three years old?). I've ridden and raced them exclusively the year I moved to 10s, then trained on them till now. I lent them to a few people in races (including last Sunday) and have never needed to true them.

I did hit a pothole at some insane speed while drafting a big truck. I double flatted full pressure tires but the wheels were fine. I even had to ride the rims back to my start point.

Although I'd choose different wheels for racing (in fact, I race primarily on Reynolds DV's, with some races on Specialized TriSpokes), I think the Eurus are excellent all-round wheels.

The only drawback I can see is the hidden spoke nipples. Although I bought a wrench to turn them, I never used it. When I go on trips for training (i.e. a week or two trip in different parts of the country), I bring regular box section wheels. I figure a black spoke key and standard spokes means I can service the wheels myself and buy a spoke if I must at virtually any bike shop.

I am reluctant to admit this but my max weight on the wheels was over 190 lbs. I've yo-yo'ed down to the low 160's and am now about 170. So although not a "huge" guy, I'm not a 125 lbs climber either.

hope this helps
cdr

 

This is just a guess, but after looking at/testing some Campy wheels I think that their durability comes from slightly beefier rims. That would explain why they rarely go out of true, even after impacts. It would also explain why the moment of inertia is a bit higher than the average wheel I've tested.

Durability vs. a small change in moment of inertia... I think Campy made the right choice.

John Swanson
www.bikephysics.com

 

It looks like Tinkoff (Tyler Hamilton's new team) were racing on Zondas a few weeks ago!
There'd be C-grade riders here who wouldn't race on such a cheap wheel

Does this say "Zonda"?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=/photos/2007/feb07/gpmarseillaise07/image010

 

I have been looking at new wheels and was considering the Eurus as I found some good deals. After a lot of research I ended up ordering a pair of Velocity Aerohead/Aerohead OC rims with White Industries H1 hubs and Sapin CX-Ray spokes from Spin Lite Cycling (http://www.spinlitecycling.com). They'll be lighter than the Eurus with lighter rims, slightly cheaper, and built following consultation with the wheel builder. I'm a big fan of Campy equipment, and the Eurus have a definite bling factor, but I prefer dealing directly with the wheel builder who values my business.

 

I've been weighing my wheels and they come in at 1773g
(Veloce on Open Pro with ordinary spokes)
Just wondering if it's really worth paying £400 to save under 400g, with the Eurus coming in at about 1500g.

Any opinions on this?

 

Manufacturer's weights are typically without skewer as is in the case Eurus. So just make sure your 1773g is without skewers also.

 

Saving 400 gms in your wheels is a lot of performance bang for the buck. I also have been riding Open Pros, DT Competition spokes, and Chorus hubs for 5 years. They are great wheels, zero problems, but decided I would like something a bit quicker, and wheels are cheaper than a new bike!

 

My 2005 Eurus rear went untrue after 1824.3 miles. True enough to ride without brake rub but still untrue. I weigh 145 lbs.

 

Unless you are at a perfectly lean weight yourself, paying $$$ for 400g is just silly - going to the loo for the cost of the toilet paper may make more difference. Paying for deep profile rims is another matter - I like the idea of 18W drag rather than 47W. When I'm rich, I'll get myself those Shimano Carbon 50s for commuting!!

 

Actually, I got the weights of the hub and rim from Campag and mavic's web site and weighed a spoke and nipple myself (8g) and just added the lot together.
So presumably, the weight I came up with will include skewers.
That means I'l lbe saving even less weight than I thought If I buy the Eurus.
hmmmmm....

 

I've also got the Eurus '05 and can't complain about them - still dead true and I've ridden them a few places they weren't designed to go.

Remember its not just the weight saving but also the aero benefit you're after. And the aero benefit counts for more than the weight saving in most situations. The Eurus seems to be a good compromise between the two aspects. If weight is less of an issue then the Zondas are a good option, and at a substantial cost saving.

 

good point, although aero is less important for me since I'm a road racer not a TT-er.