Wheel Recommendations?



Yojimbo_

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2005
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Hello All

I've read all the threads, and can't filter out the wheat from the chaff. I'm looking for a decent sets of wheels in the ~$800 ish range. I weigh 170 lbs, and have an 8 speed cassette.

Any thoughts would be most welcome.
 
What is your intended use for the wheels:

training/racing on varying terrain?
TTs?
climbing?
something else?

If you're just looking for a good all-around wheelset, check out the campy zondas. I'm pretty sure you can get them for a shimano 8-9-10 compatible freehub, but someone else can chime in on that.
 
Yojimbo_ said:
Hello All

I've read all the threads, and can't filter out the wheat from the chaff. I'm looking for a decent sets of wheels in the ~$800 ish range. I weigh 170 lbs, and have an 8 speed cassette.

Any thoughts would be most welcome.

I'd get a custom builts set of wheels. For less than you want to spend you could get a set of wheels that easily trumps any boutique wheels for sale.
 
At 170lbs, you have many choices. Unless you have a specific application, customs won't be any better or worse than handmade wheels from Campy or Mavic.
What is your priority? Weight? Strength? Aerodynamics?
 
The Evil Twin said:
At 170lbs, you have many choices. Unless you have a specific application, customs won't be any better or worse than handmade wheels from Campy or Mavic.
What is your priority? Weight? Strength? Aerodynamics?

They will, in almost all cases, be cheaper, though. In fact, there are few cases, when a set of boutique wheels have the performance that can't be found in a set of handbuilt wheels.

Handbuilt wheels may not have the same cache or "look" that boutique wheels have.
 
Thanks for the responses.

I don't race - I just ride for general fitness.

If I can get my FTP up to a decent level, I might do some time trials and who knows, I may enter a learn to race program (for old farts - I'm not a spring chicken anymore).
 
For handbuilt wheels, check out www.oddsandendos.com - I've heard of plenty of people riding Mike's wheels and I have yet to hear a complaint. You can get his Niobium 30s for ~$450/set and I think they come in around 1500g. That will give you a 30mm deep rim section, so it'll give you increased aerodynamics (to a degree) over a box-sectioned rim (a la open pro).
 
BadKarma has the right idea. It all depends on the type of riding you intend to do. If you are racing, then weight becomes more important. If you are doing brevets or touring, you are better off with a standard spoke type wheel because these types of wheels are easier to repair and find replacement parts for (spokes mainly) out in the hinterlands. If you break a standard type spoke, you can do a field repair more easily. For example, I broke a standard spoke halfway through a 300km brevet--this was a qualifier for PBP and I had to hit the time limit. In order not to lose time, I avoided doing the repair for 40 long, painful miles until I reached the next Controle point. The broken spoke caused the wheel to go out of true and rub against a seat stay and riding it was like riding a spin bike with heavy resistance. After 40 f'g miles, it was repaired by loosening the adjacent spokes (which were pulling on the other side of the rim) to bring the wheel back away from the seat stay. It got me home. Some oldtimers tape replacement spokes to their frame to replace standard spokes (I won't go into the drive side problem). I have seen riders who cannot complete tours because they are riding on specialty type wheels which break--even on Cycle Oregon, with all the support, there is no way you can replace a spoke on a Campagnolo Eurus wheelset because replacement spokes just cannot be found. Also handbuilt wheels with standard spokes from really good wheel builders tend to stay true. OTOH, if you are staying close to home then a specialty set is great and fun to ride.

As for me, I have both a Campy Eurus wheelset and handbuilt wheels with standard spokes.

I hope this helps.

Yojimbo_ said:
Hello All

I've read all the threads, and can't filter out the wheat from the chaff. I'm looking for a decent sets of wheels in the ~$800 ish range. I weigh 170 lbs, and have an 8 speed cassette.

Any thoughts would be most welcome.
 
If you don't race ... I got my HED 3's for $800 on ebay. Use them everywhere... training and commuting.
 
Yojimbo_ said:
Hello All

I've read all the threads, and can't filter out the wheat from the chaff. I'm looking for a decent sets of wheels in the ~$800 ish range. I weigh 170 lbs, and have an 8 speed cassette.

Any thoughts would be most welcome.
Well, you can get a "decent set of wheels" for under $300US (~350CD) ...

Go to Peter White's site and read his blurb:


If you don't want to lace your own OR can't find a local wheelbuilder (not necessarily the same as having your wheels built at your local bike shop) then Peter White will ship to any location.

COLORADO CYCLIST, amongst others, can lace a set of wheels for you ... components limited to what they sell AND they (again, and others) have ready to ship wheels (e.g., MAVIC Open Pro rims laced onto Ultegra/DA/Campagnolo hubsets).
 
I also use Campy Zondas for longer rides. Found them at cbike.com for $350. They're a good compromise between stiffness and comfort. Used to ride Rolf Vector Pro's - very stiff wheels, a bit too stiff for me as they transmit every road imperfection to your hands and butt. I was getting numb hands very quickly. The Zondas have the same 30mm aero rim as the Rolfs, but milder spoking so the ride isn't nearly as harsh.

In a fit of sheer extravagance, I also picked up a used set of Zipp 404's in tubie on ebay for $750. God, they're nice. So utterly smooth, you can ride without padded gloves. A real adventure in crosswinds with the fat 58mm rim, but very quick on the downhills. However, patching tubies is a pain, and the carbon rim can be expensive if you hit something major, ($400 for a new rim) so I don't ride them nearly as often as I'd like to.
 
A second to the recommendation for having Mike Garcia - oddsandendos.com - build you a set of wheels. That's where I'll have mine built.

If cross winds are a problem where you ride, as they are in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd tend to go with something other than the 30mm rims. Mike builds with three other rims, too. His Niobiums are light and eyletted.

If hills or rough roads are part of where you ride, you may want to request that he use brass nipples on the rear drive side.

PS, love your handle and remember the film.
 
FogVilleLad said:
A second to the recommendation for having Mike Garcia - oddsandendos.com - build you a set of wheels. That's where I'll have mine built.

If cross winds are a problem where you ride, as they are in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd tend to go with something other than the 30mm rims. Mike builds with three other rims, too. His Niobiums are light and eyletted.

If hills or rough roads are part of where you ride, you may want to request that he use brass nipples on the rear drive side.

PS, love your handle and remember the film.
Cool..thanks. Not many people know the film I think. One of my favourites - obviously.

Re the wheels, I think I'm going with oddsandendos. I sent them a couple of emails, but no response yet. I'm going to have to telephone next, and if that doesn't work, I'll find someone else.
 
Mike G. is notorious for not responding to e-mails, but if you phone, he'll talk your ear off about spoke nipples;-)
 

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