upgrade wheelset

[jechilt]

Greetings,

I have a basic shimano wheelset on my roadbike.

I plan to upgrade and have been told that the Mavic Ksyrium ES is the set to consider. However, Mavic also has the R-Sys wheelsets.

What is the best way to determine what is the best set to get?

I am not a road racer but do like to go fast. I recently rode Vail Pass in the Colorado mountains. So, I want to go fast, have good cornering, and be able to climb big hills.
I appreciate components that provide high effieciency at a competative cost.

I ride 20 to 40 miles on an average ride and will be going to a lot more longer rides later this year and next year.

 

[jechilt]

if anyone has any other kind of wheel to suggest and why, I am open to hearing about them.

thanks for any feedback.

 

[ScienceIsCool]

I guess my first question would be what would you like your new set of wheels to do that your old set can't? Is it a matter of durability? Performance? And performance can be broken down into several areas such as aerodynamics, weight (including moment of inertia), and bearing friction.

I've measured and analyzed several sets of wheels, and I can say with some confidence that the performance gains are greatest by improving first aerodynamics, second bearing friction, and lastly weight (with moment of inertia being least important).

Once you've determined what's important to you, I'm pretty sure you can find lots of data such as the Tour tests or my testing to find out how your wheels compare to whatever you are looking at buying.

As a nice surprise, you might find that your "basic" Shimano wheels are pretty darn good. Shimano obviously employs a bazillion brilliant engineers and it shows. I hope that helps.

John Swanson
www.bikephysics.com

 

[jechilt]

Hi John,

I will do my best to answer your questions.

what would you like your new set of wheels to do that your old set can't

Roll smoother, farther, faster, while maintaining an acceptable level of comfort, turning and crosswind stability.
Ohhh, as 'cheesy' as it sounds, I would like a set of wheels that make a statement of performance or nice looks, not just transportation. I guess I have to admit that while image is not everything, it is a bit of something...

And performance can be broken down into several areas such as aerodynamics, weight (including moment of inertia), and bearing friction

All these are important to me. I have been told that taller rim and wide spoke blades can be factors in crosswinds. I definitely like to ride fast and I like to see how well I can go downhill. Aerodynamics is going to be important, as well as bearing friction. I don't think weight is the biggest factor here. I would rather have strength than shave off 2 or 3 grams of weight.

I really don't have much complaint about the shimano wheels I have. However, whenever I visit different bike shops or talk to other cyclist, the first thing they comment on is upgrading the wheels. The last bike shop said these wheels are really a basic entry level set.
When I spin these while holding the spindle, I can feel the bearings inside, very unlike the upper end mavic wheels I have looked at. There is a guy selling a mavic es set on ebay that has ceramic bearings. I think that would handle the smooth aspect of the bearings?

On the forum, there seems to be a lot of agreement about custom building wheels but I have no idea where to start. I feel like I am almost over my head just answering this post but love the learning of it all.

thanks for your feedback!
John

 

[Crankyfeet]

I recently upgraded wheels from the base level ones that came with my bike. I was interested in the Reynolds Attack wheels that had recently come out ($1100). Full carbon wheelset with Taiwanese hubs instead of the DT Swiss hubs on their other wheelsets for twice the price. My LBS service guy was recommending the Mavic Kyserum SL's ($850). I'd practically made up my mind based on a magazine review to go with the Reynolds Attacks. Anyway, Reynolds had provided a demo set, so I took the opportunity. I'm glad I did. I think the aero of these wheels is probably very good (though its hard to tell on your own). What I didn't like were two factors:

1. The coasting ratchet sounded like the wheel of fortune. No need for a bell on your bike. Just start coasting from 100 yards away and people will hear you. It may be something others don't care about but it certainly irritated me.

2. The carbon brake pads that come with the wheelset really screech especially on downhill stops. I mean REALLY loud, piercing, testicle tickling, abrasive sound/feel. Unfortunately for some reason Reynolds state that if you use a different brake pad such as cork, you void the warranty. Can't work out the reasoning there, but it must have something to do with damage to the rims.

Anyway, the brake nuance wouldn't be a major concern if I was using them for racing, but using them as a general purpose wheel, with all the stopping for traffic lights and stop signs etc - it was a pain.

I ended up with the Mavic Kyserum SL's. Not the best wheel for Aero, lightness, or lateral stiffness, but they feel really good to me. Silky smooth, strong (I'm 190 lbs), and they don't look too bad either if you're into aesthetics. Definitely made my riding more enjoyable (and faster esp. on descents).

Hi John,

I will do my best to answer your questions.

Roll smoother, farther, faster, while maintaining an acceptable level of comfort, turning and crosswind stability.
Ohhh, as 'cheesy' as it sounds, I would like a set of wheels that make a statement of performance or nice looks, not just transportation. I guess I have to admit that while image is not everything, it is a bit of something...

All these are important to me. I have been told that taller rim and wide spoke blades can be factors in crosswinds. I definitely like to ride fast and I like to see how well I can go downhill. Aerodynamics is going to be important, as well as bearing friction. I don't think weight is the biggest factor here. I would rather have strength than shave off 2 or 3 grams of weight.

I really don't have much complaint about the shimano wheels I have. However, whenever I visit different bike shops or talk to other cyclist, the first thing they comment on is upgrading the wheels. The last bike shop said these wheels are really a basic entry level set.
When I spin these while holding the spindle, I can feel the bearings inside, very unlike the upper end mavic wheels I have looked at. There is a guy selling a mavic es set on ebay that has ceramic bearings. I think that would handle the smooth aspect of the bearings?

On the forum, there seems to be a lot of agreement about custom building wheels but I have no idea where to start. I feel like I am almost over my head just answering this post but love the learning of it all.

thanks for your feedback!
John

 

[WIGGUM1]

I had a similar question as to wheelsets and was turned on to ROL wheels. You metioned vail pass which makes me think you are in Colorado. ROL wheels are built in Denver. I just ordered a set of D'huez's. They wont be ready till next week so I cant tell you the results. However, Sean, the CEO/owner, is a great guy who will not disappoint you. This sounds like an advertisement, but I believe that customer service is an invaluable aspect of business and this guy's got it. Check them out before you buy anything. rolwhees.com.

BTW, were you on I70's vail pass? You're crazy.

 

[jechilt]

I had a similar question as to wheelsets and was turned on to ROL wheels. You metioned vail pass which makes me think you are in Colorado. ROL wheels are built in Denver. I just ordered a set of D'huez's. They wont be ready till next week so I cant tell you the results. However, Sean, the CEO/owner, is a great guy who will not disappoint you. This sounds like an advertisement, but I believe that customer service is an invaluable aspect of business and this guy's got it. Check them out before you buy anything. rolwhees.com.

BTW, were you on I70's vail pass? You're crazy.

yes, colorado. live just east of denver.
I love riding around the Dillon/Frisco area.
I did ride the I-70 Vail pass. The hardest part was the last 2 miles of the climb, which got really steep in some places.
I really wanted to go on the coppertriangle ride which also includes Vail Pass http://coppertriangle.com/course.html

I will definitely check out the ROL wheels. They are in Denver so I will check them out. The bike club I will be joining appears to be using their wheels. Cool!