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I've got some wheels here with the 28mm wide/36mm deep rims (the RR36CO2) which I think are the same as the ARC36 rims they use on the Falcon wheels. They fit really nicely with 25mm 5000TL tyres, and generally speaking the wider the rim the lower the pressure you can run the tyre at as you'll get less sidewall squirm. All other things being equal, I'd go for the 28mm rim.
DT Swiss hubs are a lot more durable than the Bitex RAF10/RAR9 set in my experience. There's nothing wrong with the Bitex hubs, but the bearings are tiny and will need to be replaced regularly, especially if you're a large or powerful rider. Then again, the bearings are cheap and easy to replace. Whether they're worth the extra £200 is debatable - depends how often you'll be using them, what mileages you'll be doing, and what weather you'll be riding in.
As for spokes, I'd definitely got for the CX-Rays. I've never had any problems with Pillar spokes myself, although I've only had a few wheels with them, but I know a lot of other people who've had issues with wheels made with Pillar spokes. Of course, it might not be the fault of the spokes, but I've never had any problems at all with CX-Rays, so I'd be tempted to splash the extra for them.
If you're going rim brake, have you thought about the Novatec option? It's cheaper than the Bitex, a teeny bit heavier, but the bearings in the hubs are a bit chunkier than the RAF10/RAR9 option. If you're not going rim brake then the Bitex option isn't an option anyway.
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If you're not actually planning on riding with 28mm wide tyres, then getting 28mm wide rims doesn't make that much sense in my opinion.
Take into account though that 25mm tyres will balloon up to probably about 27mm when mounted on a 25mm LB rim. I'm running 23mm tyres that come up to just about 25mm on my own LB rims, and that fits very nicely.
Another factor is that this rim width generally refers to the outer width at the brake track. However, the rims
(at least the 25mm variant that I have) have a maximum width of just under 28mm. Presumably, the 28mm wide ones will have a maximum width of 30mm or higher? In any case, make sure you have the clearance for it. Edit: Having looked up the specific rims, it appears these are what they call 'v-shape', the maximum width is at the brake track, so this last point is not applicable here. -
Is there any significant difference/advantage in a 28mm wide rim over a 25mm wide rim? I'm going to be running clinchers, no more than 25/27mm wide eg. gp4000
There will be a significant difference in how wide a 25C GP4000 actually ends up when you go from 18mm internal to 21mm internal rim width. Make sure you have clearance for a 30mm wide tyre (between the chainstays is usually the tight spot) if you choose the 28mm wide rims.
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Brommers
SwissChap
gbj_tester
@ghostface
I've been looking at wheels from lightbicycle thanks to @amey's post and various other previous experiences up thread. I just have a few questions which I'd appreciate advice on. I'm looking at the Falcon set, either in 25 or 36mm depth. Is there any significant difference/advantage in a 28mm wide rim over a 25mm wide rim? I'm going to be running clinchers, no more than 25/27mm wide eg. gp4000, vittoria corsa etc and only riding road, no gravel etc.
The only hub options that work for Campagnolo are either the DT Swiss 240 or the Bitex RAF10. But there is a £200 difference in picking the DT Swiss hubs. Are they really that much better than the Bitex in terms of quality? Equally are the Sapim CX Ray spokes worth an extra £100 over the standard Pillar spokes?
Bit of a minefield of choices... Any help appreciated. Cheers!