My wheels reviewed

[Bassett]

Thought I would post on the wheels I have been using over the last few years.

Shimano RS10s I have found these to be a good winter/bad weather training wheel two years of use no issues cheap as chips and can't see any point in spending more for this type of usage.
Im only 70odd kg so don't no how they would stand up to heavier riders with the low spoke count but fine so far for me.

Shimano ultegra used in the summer on the above 2nd(soon to be 3rd)bike not done as many miles as the RS10s.
Cant say they are loads better than the rs10s given they have summer tyres on them,rear hub take up sometimes a tad slow no other issues with them,you don't need rim tape and they are tubeless ready not that I have tried.
Again two years use .

Campagnolo Shamal two way fit used for one season had a initial pawl spring issue/breakage which was sorted by ribble in less than a week adjusted the hubs once after the first couple of rides. Light and fast would make a good short circuit race wheel.
Bit of a bugger in the wind as have thick flate bladed spokes . Think they are the same as a fulcrum racing zero as near as dam it.
Bugger to get tyres on and off don't get the two way fit unless you are going tubless coz if you get a puncture its going to take some time to fix it .
Again no rim tape needed.
Very strong stiff wheel but not aero which is why I sold them(and a kidney)to get..


Zipp 303s used the hole of last year full carbon firecrest version .
Rear hub has needed adjusting a number of times which I think is not great given the price.
They are faster than the Shamals but not lots ,over a long event they do make a slight difference.
The breaking is just as good as with a alloy rim wet or dry and no wear to talk of after 10 or so events last year.
The best thing about the wheels is they are the best wheels I have ever used in windy conditions I really don't think they are worth the money for the slight performance advantage over my previous wheels but they feel so so much better when the winds up.
Moving these wheels over to the new bike I built for this year and bought some prolights to keep on the old one after the good reviews on the forum (and they were cheap)will comment on those after some summer use... That could be some time then
..

[Mostyn]

Good Wheel review. You have a few pairs of wheels. What you getting next? Would be a good idea to let us know how you think the performance of your wheels are doing; you know, Flat rolling speed,or climbing stiffness, etc..

[Bassett]

Had brain fade have also had a set of Mavic open pro rims handbuilt onto Campy record hubs 3 years of use about on par with the ultegra wheels.
Only Problem is if you ride through heavy rain<which we tend to have a bit of> the wheels get water between the inner and outer rim as there are no drain holes ,got to get it out via the valve hole i like the rebuildable bit but im not so sure the economics add up against Factory wheels these days.Anyway they went recently on a bike i sold.

The Shamals were super stiff no flex good alround wheelset the Zipps are not as stiff but im only 70 odd kg so no prob to me they are the only aero wheel i have owned so cant compare other than to say they are good wheels BUT expensive faster downhill and on the flat than the shamals.
The other wheels i only use now for training i ride quite hard and no the benifit of decent wheels for race big ride day.

Built up a new Time frame i got off Price drop on wiggle for this year so thats it now for sometime

[Mostyn]

You have some nice wheels. In the early 1980's everyone wanted a time frame; they were the bees-knees back then.

[buzz]

Following on, my wheel reviews of the sets I've used over the past few years -
Kysiruims - Good, bombproof, although the qr's started to rattle in their later years
Spinergy xaero carbons - rolled well, really comfy, pretty bad in crosswinds though!
Bontrager race x-lites - rolled nicely, flexed a lot with brake rub out of the saddle
Easton E50 - Excellent stiff training or winter wheel, broke a rear spoke non-drive side which put me off a bit
Novatec Jetfly - Said plenty about them before..... Now relegated to training wheels, will buy a new set of wheels sometime this year
Zipp 404's with alloy braking surface - Superb. Best wheels I've ever ridden. Stable, stiff, roll well, great in crosswinds and blooming rapid. Worth every penny if you ask me!

[Mostyn]

Wheels? it's a mine-field. Is there any advantage in having Aero Wheels? or Carbon Wheels? seems to me, that Aero wheels don't climb that well? and can be heavier .. especially the carbon deep V. wheels. I think; that for someone like me (old and under 11, stone) who cannot climb for toffee! The best type of wheel would be one with a flattish rim or with a minimum (ever so slight) V rim. Yes?? BTW, Skewers? Thinking of getting some nice ones (lightweight) for my new Ksyrium Elite S wheels. Any Recommendations?

[bfergie]

It all depends on the rider and the riding. The ideal is light and aero but there is more gain in having aero over lightweight IF you ride 20mph plus...the faster you go the bigger the gain. But it's a fine line, I have 30mm rims on the Novatecs and hey weigh in less than the Ksyrium Elite so trump them on both accounts, the American Classic 420 Aero have 34mm rim and equal the Ksyrium Elite so again a faster wheel. The one I like is the American Classic Ardent with 30mm rim, wide rim and under 1370g so a big winner there but costly.
If you're wanting fast and light, deep rims and on a budge plus they are for racing or TTs then Tubs are still the way forard, I spotted some Pro-lite Bracciano 50mm carbon wheels for £500 that weigh 1270g per pair and was very tempted! Even Planet X tubs are 1400g with full carbon rims. Ok so if you puncture it's a new tubular tyre needing fitted but so what, your race is over anyway!
Since you are light and say you can't climb for toffee then maye the American Classic Road Tubeless wheels are the best option. 1200g per pair, shallow rim, wide and just lovely wheels!
There are tons of titanium QR skewers on the market all for under £30..Planet X or One23 are good, actually One23 even make a hollow titanium!

[Mostyn]

Cheers Fergie,

I quite like the Planet X skewers and at £17.50 on offer; they're not a bad price

[allezhopper]

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/..._carbon_levers

Sounds like the same ones I got, in black.

[Bassett]

The one thing that (especially if your light) also matters in a wheel is how it handles on a windy day , I once saw someone descending Holme moss on some deep section carbon wheels he had the biggest moment when a gust hit him .
Saw him at the finish of the event(puffin on a cig)and he said he was selling the wheels fast but rubbish in the wind.
On the skewers front I have a pair of lightweight titanium ones but have found the front one allows the wheel/fork to flex and make a noise when climbing I still use the rear one . Anyone had problems like this with the above mentioned ones as I'm quite tempted..