On Feb 10, 6:22 am, "Qui si parla Campagnolo" <
[email protected]>
wrote:
> On Feb 9, 1:02 pm, Francisco Sanchez
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Hi,
>
> > annyone has experience with these wheels? I weight 167 lbs and want them
> > for climbing high passes.
>
> > --
> > Regards,
> > Francisco Sanchez
> > [email protected]
>
> Lessee...Record/Chorus type hub, steel spokes, aluminum rim..all for
> $850....unless on sale for $650 at someplaces..1635
> grams...lessee..Record hubs, Velocity rims, DT spokes, 1550 grams and
> the same price or lower than the Fulcrum sale price. PLUS break a
> spoke(like the broken Eurus spoke we just sourced for almost TWENTY
> BUCKS!!!@!) and see who has them...very unique to this wheel.
I think there are lots of good reasons for building your own, or
buying wheels like the Fulcrum Racing3 or Campagnolo Zonda (the main
difference is the spoke grouping on the rear wheels, the gaps in
between the spokes of the Fulcrum wheels are equal whereas the
Campagnolo wheels have distinct groups of 3 and larger gaps in between
each set of 2 drive and 1 non-drive spokes). The current models are
the second generation G3 (the G3 mark indicates a 2 to 1 ratio of
spokes for the rear wheels) and both brands (owned by Campagnolo)
added 2 lighter models at the top end. In this generation, the third
model from the top (excluding wheels with carbon fiber components and
different rims) is now almost identical to the top model of the first
generation. The Racing3 is very similar to the first generation Eurus,
and the racing3 is a very slightly revised version of the Zonda. The
features that distinguish the 2 top models are aluminum spokes on the
2nd gen. Eurus and Racing1, and the Racing Zero and Shamal
additionally have carbon fiber hub parts and IIRC more material
removed from the rims (each model has at least some machining
operations to remove material for weight reduction). The aluminum
spoke option appears to me to be a way to compete with the top
Ksyriums because the rim also now do not have holes for top access to
the spoke nipples which allows the innertubes to be installed without
any liners. I think this is also close to if not fully ready for the
new tires that do not require innertubes. The front rims of all these
models are shallower and lighter, with the weight per pair about the
same as the lightest Ksyrium rims, but with deeper rear and close to
identical front rim depths.
At this point, the Campagnolo wheels are among the best available and
IMO, many of them are great values (some are over-priced though, stay
away from Carbon Fiber, which for Campagnolo apparently means "carbon-
fiber = deep profit margins". In comparing all of the specs, the
Carbon Fiber hub parts are often hundreds of dollars more with no
other difference relative to the wheels next to it.
If you have Shimano and want to avoid a fashion faux-pas, go for the
Fulcrum wheels. Otherwise, they are both excellent value wheels (Campy
Zonda or Fulcrum Raciing3) that really are built to last. The 2 to 1
spoke ratio in the rear is all I need to justify any price difference
between the hand built alternatives. The 2002 Eurus wheels I have are
"bomb-proof" and I wore out the bearings (lots of miles throughout the
seasons) during the same time the wheels are dead-on straight (true)
with a spoke wrench never anywhere near them.
If you are a master builder or have a master builder available, you
might be able to save a little money by choosing a hand built front
wheel. Either way, you will never have problems at 165 lbs and one of
those 21 spoke bomb-proof wheels on the back.
