Mavic Open pro with Ultegra Hubs?

[Jaguar27]

Hello everyone....
I want/need to upgrade the wheelset on my Felt Road Bike...

I've been doing some investigating and from what I've learned so far, the Mavic open pro rims laced to Ultegra Hubs seem like a pretty good bet...they're available for a little under $200.00

Does anyone have any better alternatives before I actually go out and buy them?

Also, I may buy a new 8 spd cassette to go with them, any suggestions on which one to go for?

My bike has 8-spd Tiagra on the rear...

Any help will be greatly appreciated as usual...I'm learning as fast as I can so I hope you don't mind the rudimentary questions...

Thank You in anticipation!

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Jaguar27


I've been doing some investigating and from what I've learned so far, the Mavic open pro rims laced to Ultegra Hubs seem like a pretty good bet...they're available for a little under $200.00

Does anyone have any better alternatives before I actually go out and buy them?

Also, I may buy a new 8 spd cassette to go with them, any suggestions on which one to go for?

My bike has 8-spd Tiagra on the rear...

Better alternatives: OPs and DA hubs if you have a few extra coin,but nothing wrong with ultegra.Who builds them, and how well is more imortant. Tiagra is 9 speed.105 or ultegra casettes work.

 

[Jaguar27]

Originally posted by boudreaux
Better alternatives: OPs and DA hubs if you have a few extra coin,but nothing wrong with ultegra.Who builds them, and how well is more imortant. Tiagra is 9 speed.105 or ultegra casettes work.

Thanks a million boudreaux...

A couple of quick questions...

What are OPs??

Also, I have tiagra Duraliers on the rear, and quite plainly, they have "9 speed" marked on them, but I only have 8 Cogs on my Cassette?

clearly, the more I learn, the less I know...

I realize now I should have saved a little longer for the Bike I really wanted rather than the one I could afford at the time....

I really appreciate your help btw.....

 

[ALAN OBRIEN]

Originally posted by Jaguar27
Thanks a million boudreaux...

A couple of quick questions...

What are OPs??

Also, I have tiagra Duraliers on the rear, and quite plainly, they have "9 speed" marked on them, but I only have 8 Cogs on my Cassette?

clearly, the more I learn, the less I know...

I realize now I should have saved a little longer for the Bike I really wanted rather than the one I could afford at the time....

I really appreciate your help btw.....

OP's are open pro's.

 

[GuyStevens]

Originally posted by Jaguar27
Also, I have tiagra Duraliers on the rear, and quite plainly, they have "9 speed" marked on them, but I only have 8 Cogs on my Cassette?

Do you have STI shifters (gear change and braking function in one lever located on the handlebars) or down-tube shifters? If STI, are they 8 or 9 speed?

If money is tight, 105 hubs and cassette are fine. The quality jump from Tiagra to 105 is greater than from 105 to Ultegra.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by GuyStevens
Do you have STI shifters (gear change and braking function in one lever located on the handlebars) or down-tube shifters? If STI, are they 8 or 9 speed?

If he/she has 8 cogs in the rear,the shifters are 8 speed.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Jaguar27


Also, I have tiagra Duraliers on the rear, and quite plainly, they have "9 speed" marked on them, but I only have 8 Cogs on my Cassette?

clearly, the more I learn, the less I know...

Apparently the Tiagra RD was an upgrade over the Sora 8 speed. A rear derailer 'upgrade' is a common tactic on new bikes, since it's so visible.

 

[meehs]

FWIW there are a lot of really good rims out there besides Mavics too. There's a local wheel builder in my area (very well respected older guy) who swears that Mavics really aren't the best rims and that the fact that they pay the pros to ride them is what gives all of us the idea that they're the best. That being said, in my own opinion, the pros wouldn't ride them if they weren't good rims. This guy swears by FIR rims. Just something to think about. You don't have to buy Mavics just because everyone else does. Usually Mavics are more expensive too.

 

[Jaguar27]

Originally posted by GuyStevens
Do you have STI shifters (gear change and braking function in one lever located on the handlebars) or down-tube shifters? If STI, are they 8 or 9 speed?

If money is tight, 105 hubs and cassette are fine. The quality jump from Tiagra to 105 is greater than from 105 to Ultegra.

Hi guy,
Yes, I have STI, Flightdeck shifters, not the fancy ones you can change in the drops though, there's a little plastic lever for changing "up"

Thanks for the reply...

 

[Jaguar27]

Originally posted by meehs
FWIW there are a lot of really good rims out there besides Mavics too. There's a local wheel builder in my area (very well respected older guy) who swears that Mavics really aren't the best rims and that the fact that they pay the pros to ride them is what gives all of us the idea that they're the best. That being said, in my own opinion, the pros wouldn't ride them if they weren't good rims. This guy swears by FIR rims. Just something to think about. You don't have to buy Mavics just because everyone else does. Usually Mavics are more expensive too.

thanks meehs.......I'm really not attached to a particular brand name, it's just that the open pro's are within my budget and I've heard good things about them...I just want a wheel that I don't have to worry about as I do some long 30 mile rides, I broke a spoke on my Alex R450's last week...I don't wanna walk if it happens again....

 

[KingB]

Originally posted by Jaguar27
Hi guy,
Yes, I have STI, Flightdeck shifters, not the fancy ones you can change in the drops though, there's a little plastic lever for changing "up"

Thanks for the reply...

Sounds like 8 speed sora shifters to me.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Jaguar27
..I just want a wheel that I don't have to worry about as I do some long 30 mile rides, I broke a spoke on my Alex R450's last week...I don't wanna walk if it happens again....

Broken spokes happen even with 'quality' components in the wheels. Not having it happen requires the wheel be built right.The OPs could even be worse. MY worst wheels are Bianchi OEM wheels with OPs , chourus hubs and no name generic spokes. The rear has to be rubuilt due to bad build or no good spokes and breaking spokes. Your wheels could be alright if trued and retensioned by someone that knows what they are doing.

 

[meehs]

Originally posted by boudreaux
Broken spokes happen even with 'quality' components in the wheels. Not having it happen requires the wheel be built right.The OPs could even be worse. MY worst wheels are Bianchi OEM wheels with OPs , chourus hubs and no name generic spokes. The rear has to be rubuilt due to bad build or no good spokes and breaking spokes. Your wheels could be alright if trued and retensioned by someone that knows what they are doing.

Yes, very true. Build quality is just as important (or maybe more important) as the quality of the parts. I occasionally try to do my own wheel truing (which I suck at) and the wheel almost always ends-up self-destructing, which leads to me having to disconnect the brake in order to ride home.

 

[Jaguar27]

Originally posted by meehs
Yes, very true. Build quality is just as important (or maybe more important) as the quality of the parts. I occasionally try to do my own wheel truing (which I suck at) and the wheel almost always ends-up self-destructing, which leads to me having to disconnect the brake in order to ride home.

Yes, that's what happened to me last week...a broken rear spoke on the drive side...

But how does one find a good wheel builder? I'm sure there must be several here in Southern CA??

 

[Jaguar27]

Originally posted by KingB
Sounds like 8 speed sora shifters to me.

Yes, you're right...I also have sora front durailleurs...I'm not happy with them...

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Jaguar27
Yes, you're right...I also have sora front durailleurs...I'm not happy with them...

Maybe needs adjusting.