The perfect wheelset under 1K

[FL_Brian]

Guys looking for your knowledgeable input… I am looking to upgrade my stock Shimano R550 wheels on a 05 Cannondale R700. Here are the constraints:

• Less than $1000, preferably around $800.
• Road racing, groups rides, etc are important to a lesser extent an occasional TT
• I live in FL so climbing is a rare thing.
• Prefer a clincher
• I am 170 pounds

Mavic Inc. Ksyrium SSC SL is my front runner at the moment. The have been reputed to be stiff, durable, and somewhat aero. In addition they are reasonably light. They seem pretty popular and most people who have them like them.



Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I know you have some good wheel opinions!

 

[JohnO]

Keep in mind that wheels of this genre (super tight laced low spoke wheels such as the SSC SL or RolfPrima Vigor) are pretty stiff riding. If you're looking to do distance in groups, your hands can take a beating, even with gel gloves on. Mine did when I was riding distance on a Rolf Vector Pro wheelset. I eventually moved to Campy Zondas, as they had the Rolf's aero rim but the spoking was milder, so the ride was smoother. Campy Eurus goes for around $600 online, a highly respected aero wheel.

With careful shopping, $800 should score you a clean set of Zipp 404's - the non dimpled ones made before 2005. I lucked into a set of my2002 404's in tubular last fall on ebay for a (relatively) modest price, and just can't take them off. Fast on the downhills, fast on the flats, reasonably stiff, but an amazingly smooth ride. Only downside is they are a bit fragile, so you don't want to make a habit of flying over railroad tracks with them on. But that hasn't crimped my style as much as the blazing speed and smooth ride has helped.

 

[Doctor Morbius]

A good group ride or training wheelset isn't necessarily something that is optimum for Time Trials. Same is true of road racing. I'd suggest a couple of different wheelsets, each with a specific purpose. i.e. 1 set for training & group rides and 1 set for racing and occasional time trial.

Do a search on the wheels you are interested in. Chances are you'll find some good info that's already been posted. Wheelsets are a frequent topic of discussion.

 

[badkarma]

I agree with Morbius. For TT's, you're going to want a pair of deep-sectioned aero wheels (Zipp404 for example), but I wouldn't recommend using those for training. Maybe you could check out the Velocity Aeroheads? They have a larger section than say the Mavic Open Pros, but they're heavier. Seeing how you won't be doing really any climbing, wheels that are more aero are more important than those that are super light. For training wheels, talk to Mike Garcia (www.oddsandendos.com) and see what he can build you. From what I've heard, he does excellent builds, and his prices are very reasonable.

 

[FL_Brian]

JohnO, The Campy Eurus certainly look nice. They seem to get good reviews on roadbikereview.com. Some people do mention noisy hubs however.



I need to downplay the TTs I will do them but this will not be my primary use.



I do like the idea that the Ksyrium are very durable.



For a lot of my training rides I will still use the R550s. I like to keep specialized armadillos on them to reduce flats. I plan to ride faster tires on the new wheels.

 

[litespeedguy]

Go with the Ksyrium SSC SLs - I have a lot of respect for my bike mechanic and he said the hubs on those are the best - that was enough for me to get a pair.