Help me oh (Trek) wheel experts

[John & Jen]

I am replacing both wheels on my Trek 5900 due to damage (don't ask). The stock wheels are Bontrager
Race x-lite's. The dealer offered to replace them with some last year's Rolf Sestrieres that he had
taken off a new bike for the same price. He said that they were better wheels and hubs and they were
plenty strong for me (115 lbs.). Is this a good deal or is he just trying to get rid of some old
wheels? No, due to exchange, I only can choose between these. TIA J

 

[Garry N]

Do the Bontragers, newer tech rims, offset rear for stronger wheel. Garry

"John & Jen" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:hQ76a.212241$tq4.4970@sccrnsc01...
> I am replacing both wheels on my Trek 5900 due to damage (don't ask). The stock wheels are
> Bontrager Race x-lite's. The dealer offered to replace them with some last year's Rolf Sestrieres
> that he had taken off a new bike for the same price. He said that they
were
> better wheels and hubs and they were plenty strong for me (115 lbs.). Is this a good deal or is
> he just trying to get rid of some old wheels? No, due to exchange, I only can choose between
> these. TIA J

 

[Garry N]

BTW, Your trashed X-Lites can be rebuilt, so long as the hubs are not dameged. G-

"John & Jen" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:hQ76a.212241$tq4.4970@sccrnsc01...
> I am replacing both wheels on my Trek 5900 due to damage (don't ask). The stock wheels are
> Bontrager Race x-lite's. The dealer offered to replace them with some last year's Rolf Sestrieres
> that he had taken off a new bike for the same price. He said that they
were
> better wheels and hubs and they were plenty strong for me (115 lbs.). Is this a good deal or is
> he just trying to get rid of some old wheels? No, due to exchange, I only can choose between
> these. TIA J

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

As Garry mentioned in an earlier post, the Bontrager Race X-Lites can easily be rebuilt. Regarding
the Sestriere, it's nowhere near as strong a wheel but, at 115lbs, you'd be an ideal candidate. The
advantages to the Sestriere are entirely in its lighter weight (about an 40 grams/wheel if I recall
correctly) while the disadvantages are in a rear wheel that doesn't have the offset spoke holes like
the new Bontragers, and lighter (less strong) spokes. There's no advantage to the hub in the
Sestriere over the Bontrager; both are high-end Hugi hubs, with the Sestriere having the
different-sized flanges to attemp to more equalize spoke tension on the rear wheel under load (but
doesn't accomplish this nearly as nicely as the offset spoke holes in the newer Bontrager rim).

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"John & Jen" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:hQ76a.212241$tq4.4970@sccrnsc01...
> I am replacing both wheels on my Trek 5900 due to damage (don't ask). The stock wheels are
> Bontrager Race x-lite's. The dealer offered to replace them with some last year's Rolf Sestrieres
> that he had taken off a new bike for the same price. He said that they
were
> better wheels and hubs and they were plenty strong for me (115 lbs.). Is this a good deal or is
> he just trying to get rid of some old wheels? No, due to exchange, I only can choose between
> these. TIA J

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

John-<< The dealer offered to replace them with some last year's Rolf Sestrieres that he had taken
off a new bike for the same price. He said that they were better wheels and hubs and they were
plenty strong for me (115 lbs.). Is this a good deal or is he just trying to get rid of some old
wheels? No, due to exchange, I only can choose between these.

Only problem is finding a replacement rim in the future since TREK and Rolf have parted ways. Think
they would work fine for you and your 'about .5 of my weight' weight(hate skinney riders)...

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

> Only problem is finding a replacement rim in the future since TREK and
Rolf
> have parted ways. Think they would work fine for you and your 'about .5 of
my
> weight' weight(hate skinney riders)...

The rim can be replaced with a current Bontrager, although they still keep some of the original rims
in stock. TREKs pretty good about taking care of "legacy" products.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> John-<< The dealer offered to replace them with some last year's Rolf Sestrieres that he had taken
> off a new bike for the same price. He said that they
were
> better wheels and hubs and they were plenty strong for me (115 lbs.). Is this a good deal or is he
> just trying to get rid of some old wheels? No, due to exchange, I only can choose between these.
>
>
> Only problem is finding a replacement rim in the future since TREK and
Rolf
> have parted ways. Think they would work fine for you and your 'about .5 of
my
> weight' weight(hate skinney riders)...
>
>
>
> Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
> (303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Mike Jacoubowsk]

> I've only had "conventional" wheels before. After searching some of the newsgroups, I have a
> couple more questions: If a spoke breaks on either of these wheels, will it still be rideable to
> get home?

Shouldn't be any different from a conventional wheel, based on past experience. You'll have to open
up the brake a bit, but it shouldn't hit the frame.

> If I'm riding somewhere that doesn't have the special replacement spokes, will I be able to use a
> "normal" one? TIA

You can use just about anything that's the right length. Straight, double-butted, aero, whatever. It
uses conventional nipples and a normal spoke head.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

 

[John & Jen]

I've only had "conventional" wheels before. After searching some of the newsgroups, I have a couple
more questions: If a spoke breaks on either of these wheels, will it still be rideable to get home?
If I'm riding somewhere that doesn't have the special replacement spokes, will I be able to use a
"normal" one? TIA

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> John-<< The dealer offered to replace them with some last year's Rolf Sestrieres that he had taken
> off a new bike for the same price. He said that they
were
> better wheels and hubs and they were plenty strong for me (115 lbs.). Is this a good deal or is he
> just trying to get rid of some old wheels? No, due to exchange, I only can choose between these.
>
>
> Only problem is finding a replacement rim in the future since TREK and
Rolf
> have parted ways. Think they would work fine for you and your 'about .5 of
my
> weight' weight(hate skinney riders)...
>
>
>
> Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
> (303)440-3535 http://www.vecchios.com "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Rman]

"John & Jen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've only had "conventional" wheels before. After searching some of the newsgroups, I have a
> couple more questions: If a spoke breaks on either of these wheels, will it still be rideable to
> get home?

If the wheel does buckles beyond on the spot turing, fixing, no, but this is the same even for
convnetional wheels.

> If I'm riding somewhere that doesn't have the special replacement spokes, will I be able to use a
> "normal" one? TIA
>

These wheels, IMO are race wheels. They bust, it's race over, the sag wagon comes and picks you up.
Why anyone would train/commute/ social ride on such wheels is beyond me.