Uawadall said:
I don't know very much about components (other than a little research), but will look to upgrade my wheels for next season. I currently have a Shimano WH-501 wheel set. The seem to be priced at 150-200 as a set online. I have no intention of throwing money out the window, what is your take on wheels contribution to maximizing speed? Also, is the difference between $200 wheels and $1000 ones really that different?
At most, I would want to spend 400-500 on one of these online sales they have at this time of year. $0 if i'm convinced its not worth it.
Uawadall said:
BTW, you guys give very good advice. I'll pass on the wheels for now and shore up my other weaknesses for now. Maybe think about a new set in a year or so.
I started a new job 2 months ago thats less than a mile away from a mountain with bike trails, I'll spend that money on a Mountain Bike instead
FWIW
/IMO. ONE big difference (
beyond high-zoot carbon rims) between
this wheel or
that wheel is the hubs ...
I think that you may want to take advantage of the fact that you have SHIMANO wheels ...
AND SO, ONE thing that you may want to consider doing (
learning to do) is to learn how to service your hubs & spokes ...
Learn to re-pack the bearings ...
Consider using a WHITE LITHIUM grease which you can buy at an automotive supply store, WalMart,
etc. ...
And, ensure that the spoke tension is as close to equal as possible on all the front spokes
And also, the driveside spokes are appropriately tensioned ...
BTW. Although FEWER spokes have been the vogue for
more than a dozen years, I have a configured a 40x4
/"tandem" wheel (
an economy Shimano Tandem rear hub with a plebeian, low profile alloy rim) for one of my rear wheels because I want
/(
have deluded myself into wanting!!) as
close-to-zero lateral movement when climbing (
that may-or-may-not be a concern for you) ... it may not be one of my better uses of resources AND I'm NOT sure if it actually helps more than a 36-spoke wheel does ... or, if a 36-spoke wheel is beneficial beyond knowing (
okay, everything is debatable) that a low spoke count wheel can have some disadvantages.
The tires on your bike will make some difference, too ...
You shouldn't be surprised if some of the faster riders are using more expensive tires & tubes ...
"Racing" tires weigh less ...
They last for about 1500 +/- miles (
depending on the rider's weight + how thin they are willing to wear the tread) ...
Latex tubes weigh a lot less than butyl rubber tubes.
BTW. There may be hidden friction in places people often don't consider ...
BB bearings (
even "sealed, cartridge bearings" can be maintained) ...
Gummed up pulley wheels & pulley wheel bushings/bearings ...
A dirty chain ...
Heck, dirty chainrings ...
So, consider getting a pair of CONE WRENCHES, some WHITE LITHIUM GREASE, a PARK-or-equivalent SPOKE WRENCH ...
And, if you feel like you really want to spend some extra "holiday" money, buy a PARK Tensiometer ...