Which wheel to get?

[wardie2000]

Hi,

I have decided to buy a new set of wheels, the trouble is i don't know which ones to buy.
I have shortlisted 6 and am hoping for your opinions on them.
The 6 shortlisted are:
Thorius Duke wheelset- 1620g (never heard of this make!!)
Mavic Ksyrium Elite- 1745g
Mavic Cosmic Elite- 1975g
Spinergy Xaero-X- 1640g
Campag Zonda
Campag Proton

Any info on the above would be most useful.

Thanks

 

[lokstah]

The short answer from me would be that the only wheel on your list I've heard negative things about would be the Spinergy XaeroX; I've read about bad experiences with truing, spoke breakage, the fidelity of the hubs... standard alarmist talk. Take it with a grain of salt. It may mean nothing, but if you can find good deals on your other options, it may be worth passing the Spinergys over.

Campy wheels from top to bottom have hugely loyal followings; the Ksyrium Elites and the Cosmics are a touch heavy but generally regarded as rock solid. I'd also suggest you look into Velomax -- their Circuit Comp set is in the same price range and has garnered a lot of fans. The Shimano 540 wheelset is probably worth a look as well, along with the Ritchey Pro Z.

Lastly, don't forget to investigate built wheels. For as much or less cash, you can pair Mavic OpenPro, Velocity, or Ritchey rims with the quality hub of your choice (Chris King, American Classic, Shimano and Campy make some particularly popular and reliable choices).

The bottom line? Your choices are many. The differences can be quite subtle. Go with your gut, your sense of style, and follow the deals. Good luck!

 

[Randybaker99]

Can you find an LBS where you can test ride a few of them on the same bike? I did that to decide between the Mavic Ksyrium Elite vs the Ksyrium SL. I ended up going with the Elites, as I couldn't really detect much difference, even when climbing hills. Now I really feel good about the choice and I am not revisiting the decision.

 

[lokstah]

Originally posted by Randybaker99
Can you find an LBS where you can test ride a few of them on the same bike? I did that to decide between the Mavic Ksyrium Elite vs the Ksyrium SL. I ended up going with the Elites, as I couldn't really detect much difference, even when climbing hills. Now I really feel good about the choice and I am not revisiting the decision.

That's great that you found a shop that permitted that; I've never encountered that kind of service. Congrats on snagging a wheelset that feels good for you, not to mention at a $400 savings.

 

[crystal_tears_]

Heard very good reports about the Campag Zondas. I've a pair of Eurus's but sometimes wish i'd bought the Zondas instead as you can find them 100 quid cheaper and they only weigh 115 grams more. Good, solid, dependable wheels in my opinion. Another one to throw in the pot, Mavic Ksyrium Equipe. Don't know how reliable they are but they look very similar to the Elites and are almost indentical in weight. Another good thing is they're cheaper too !

 

[JohnO]

I have had a set of Zondas since last summer. Good wheels - fairly aero, but not terribly harsh riding. Handsome wheels, black anodized rims with silver lettering.

Only fault I could find with the Zondas is that the skewers weigh a ton, but that can be easily solved. I added a set of Rolf ti skewers that came from ebay - $20.

Have ridden Ksyrium Elites - nice wheels. I can't say that I found them to be noticably better than the Zondas. Which one has the best price?

 

[wardie2000]

thanks everyone for the input so far.

the zondas and Ksyrium Elites are almost identical in price.

agonising over which ones to get!

i have cut it down to deciding over the zondas or the Ksyrium Elites.

anymore opinions would be greatly appreciated