Road Wheels & Road Wheel Recommendations?

These get great reviews. They are prett much the same design as the Planet-x's. Easton wheels are hand trueds too.
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-and-road-bike-wheels/mavic-fulcrum-and-campagnolo-wheels/easton-vista-sl-wheels-pair.html

You could try the wheelroom as they make hand built wheels. Uses cadence rims which come in light - got to have light hubs too obviously, give them a ring.
Where you going?
I just received a set of Halo mercury/spinmaster wheels from those guys. No complaints.

"Where did you find F&R Record hubs for £160 though?"

ribblecycles.co.uk

I'm currently considering a Shimano 6700 wheelset to replace some Aksiums, seem to get decent reviews but don't know anyone who's riding them, so a bit of a shot in the dark...

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain-and-road-bike-wheels/mavic-fulcrum-and-campagnolo-wheels/shimano-6700-ultegra-wheels-pair.html

I rate Hope Road hubs and Mavic ceramic rims on DT Swiss Comp spokes.

Handbuilt ftw.

+1

just got a set from lifecycles.co.uk

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/120640.html

Hope Pro 3 on mavic open pros, pretty cheap as well

BUMP

Hey - not really that up on road wheels so some advice sort pls.

My friend is looking to upgrade the average stock bontrager wheels that came with his road bike.

He's about 12st. Riding is just going to be a general mix of 50-100km rides, poss some longer ones from time to time.

Fast/low rolling resistance rather than 'bullet-proof'.

9/10 speed Shimano compatible.

The catch is the budget prolly £100-£200 - but I'm sure if there's something thats sig better for a bit extra he'd go for it.

I've got a set of 32h DA hubs (maybe 7700) that need a service that I'd be happy to build him a set with. I was thinking Open Pros/equivalent which would = £120-£150 depending on spokes and the cups/cones for the hubs. This is basically what I have and are happy with them.

The thing is bc he's not that heavy would it be better to go for a more modern set with a lower spoke count?

Something like these planet X @ £125

Or the other option is 2nd, in which case any good recommendations? Or will they prob just be a bit knackered and just be a false economy?

Cheers.

What's wrong with the stock Bontrager wheels? It's not sounding like much of an 'upgrade'.

He could get away with a lower spoke count but if he's just cruising around you don't gain that much.

The lower spoke count wheels like Ksyrium and Fulcrum tend to be machine-built with odd spoke styles and are fuggin expensive to repair. Standard spoke wheels can be easily repaired and spokes are cheap. Brass nipples also don't 'weld' themselves together like alu nipples on alu spokes do.
Saying that, my cheap Mavic Cosmos wheels are still going - they were straight-pull spokes which were a bitch to replace when I pulled a derr through the rear wheel but the front is still in use (in fact just did P-R on it). The front is radial, maybe 24 spokes? Not sure of their RRP though. I still prefer the more solid feel of 32h handbuilt wheels though. 90-95kg here though so I notice the wheel flex when trackstanding, etc.

Doesn't sound like anything worth 100/200 would be much of a benefit over the wheels he has right now tbh.

Re. post #1 if you want road wheels for £350 look no further than...Hope Hoops Aero wheelset

I ended up getting the Easton EA70 wheelset

Cheers for the replies.

Hippy - lots of good points on the longevity that I'd forgotten about.

What's wrong with the stock Bontrager wheels? It's not sounding like much of an 'upgrade'.

Actually I think I was being a spaz this am and they're Alex rims on some random hubs - he was looking at those Bontrager ones on here.

Basically they're a bit heavy and... not sure how to put it... when the two of us a rolling down hill I'll always go faster - rolling resistance maybe? He used to have a Genesis which came wt a fairly good shimano w/s and is looking for at least a similar quality again.

Doesn't sound like anything worth 100/200 would be much of a benefit over the wheels he has right now tbh...]

Cheers - I guess I was also trying to gauge where the price point starts for a wheel upgrade.

I ended up getting the Easton EA70 wheelset

How have you found them so far?

Anyone got any experience with the Planet X ones? - the weight seems good and if the hub quality's on par with the on-one track hubs they should be decent.

Would switching the nips from brass to alu be worth it in the long run? Even tho they've been tensioned as they wouldn't have been ridden I wouldn't have thought there would be any issues with keeping the spokes?

I still prefer the more solid feel of 32h handbuilt wheels though.

1+

It's probably more to do with aerodynamics. Perhaps he should try pedalling down the hills? :P

^

Good point - my aerodynamic qualities are often commented on.

In Italy when not pedalling and going down hill I would gain on James- as we are roughly the same size and weight I put that down to rolling resistance.

Or he should buy a Phil Wood hubs, it make you pedal harder.

^

obviously I'd never advocate actually doing this, but when I was younger and skated we'd take the grease out of our bearings and just lube with wd40 and I swear you went faster... altho so did the bearings :O

ergo - phil grease = massively overrated

If you are doing any rolling tests to check how hubs or spoke count or rim shape etc, then you need to be using exactly the same tyres and tubes as identical tyre pressures otherwise the test is pointless and proves nothing as the various tyre factors have a way bigger effect.

Go spendy on tubes and tyres for lower RR. Michelin latex and Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX are an amazing combo. About £72 all in = instant speed.

Or you could just pedal downhill, as I said before. It's free and makes you faster.

How are the open corsa evo's when skidding?

BUMP
I've got a set of 32h DA hubs (maybe 7700) that need a service that I'd be happy to build him a set with. I was thinking Open Pros/equivalent which would = £120-£150 depending on spokes and the cups/cones for the hubs. This is basically what I have and are happy with them.
.

I'd buy some lighter rims and use your DA hubs, and some lightish spokes. I'd also get some light latex inners and quality lightweight high TPI tyres. This will make the wheels a least feel a lot faster, and the rolling quality of a good tube -tyre combo is pretty noticable too.

Something like IRD Cadence + Cadence VSR.
http://www.interlocracing.com/rims.html

I cant see many 'OTP' wheels being nicer/faster to ride than DA 32 3x to a 390g rim. Not at £200.

Or you could just pedal downhill, as I said before. It's free and makes you faster.

....or...

Get Hippy to use his 'special relationship with gravity' to pedal the bike down hill, and one of the hipsters to walk it up again.

Theres pooling the forum resources for you.

Cheers for all the info... IRD's sound good... hummm maybe I could justify a new whe... ;)

Anyone know of UK stores selling IRD rims? - their distro page only seems to have US ones and i guess shipping from IRDs online store will bump the price.

Other wise both The WheelRoom and Wheelsmith seem vague about buying just rims.