Daft wheel question

secretsam

I'm a returning cyclist, and have noticed in the ads that bikes' wheels are not referred to as a 'hub/rim' combo as in my old cycling days (late 80s) when it would be (eg) "Mavic MA40 on Campag Tipo, 32h F&R d/b spokes", but are now just "Ambrosio" wheels, etc.

How do you know what the hubs/spoke combos are? Or am I missing something (highly likely)???? :?

PhilofCas

concerning 'ads', i would have though they'd tell you if they think they're worth telling you about, in the Ambrosio example, they do both rims and hubs, so maybe it's a full Ambrosio wheel ? or, perhaps you could check-out their website for a more comprehsive breakdown of the components, if not, send them an email or ask a shop to tell you, or visit one ?

Bronzie

Because probably the majority of wheels sold now are factory built wheelsets, rather than wheels built by your local bike shop from components to your spec. Not that there's anything wrong with a decent pair of wheels hand-built by someone who knows what they are doing, far from it!

Monty Dog

Most bikes these days are supplied with 'factory' wheels where the rim, hub and spokes are designed and built as a system to provide optimal performance. Generally, for higher range models this means a consistent level of quality rarely achieved by all that the best wheelbuilders. Higher manufacturing and assembly tolerances also means that wheels can be made lighter but stiffer than most handmade equivalents. The premium players in this market are probably Mavic, Campagnolo and Fulcrum.