Campag Shamal Ultra's Vs Mavic Kysirium SLs ??

poucher
poucher Posts: 102
edited January 2008 in Workshop
Hi all,

Thinking of purchasing one of the two wheelsets mentioned above, I think the Campags are marginally lighter ( 1395 grms v 1535 grms ) does anyone have either wheelset and have any opinions on which would be the better?

I'm favoring the Campags at the moment, in the Titanium finish, partly because they look a bit more "trick" :shock:

Cheers,

"Poucher"

Comments

  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    I've got an older set of the SLs, which have been fine for the 6 years i've had them i.e. no maintenance performed, still running true.
    That said, I think the general consensus is that the Shamals are superior in terms of performance, but I'm only going on other people's reviews.
  • BillR1
    BillR1 Posts: 271
    Parkers are doing these for £539 at the moment just in case you decide to go for them. I am on the swither also at the moment as well !!!

    BillR1
  • mercsport
    mercsport Posts: 664
    If I remember correctly , a few months ago , didn't Cycling Weekly do a test of all the high end wheels that are currently available ? Furthermore , I think it was the Campag Neutron Ultra's that spun out as ' The Fastest ' around , closely followed by the Shamals .
    That's not a bad price at Parkers . They're coming down in price all the time . I can't fault the Shamal Ultra's except that the hubs look a trifle industrial compared to the svelte Record hubs of yore . But then the Ksyrium's are not great looking either .
    Here's a link to a pic. of my wheelset here : http://picasaweb.google.com/f.bruce.mills/LitespeedBuildUp/photo#5154630664531320402
    I hope it takes you straight to the pic. without opening the whole album . If not : apologies .
    "Lick My Decals Off, Baby"
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    if you can lower yourself one step - the campag Eurus are available for £369 at the moment from ribble - similar design to the shamals but not quite as light.
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    I have had both. Shamal wins hands down. Try ribble. They are sometimes available for £480 with the 10% discount

    only negative of shamals is that they are not especially aero, though not disastrous and better than the ksyriums.

    other than that, they are VERY strong wheels (incredibly so for 1395g), with fast well-sealed hubs and they look nice IMO
  • poucher
    poucher Posts: 102
    Right,

    Shamal's it is then! :P

    Anyone know any details on the ceramic bearings upgrade??
    I presume this makes them turn easier / last longer, is the extra cost ( over £100! ) actually worth it???

    Thanks again,

    Poucher :wink:
  • BillR1
    BillR1 Posts: 271
    David Hinde doing them for £499.95 in cycling weekly

    Rgds

    Bill R1
  • aracer
    aracer Posts: 1,649
    Any suggestions for a cheap source who isn't a rip-off merchant, Bill?
  • wildmoustache
    wildmoustache Posts: 4,010
    Poucher wrote:
    Right,

    Shamal's it is then! :P

    Anyone know any details on the ceramic bearings upgrade??
    I presume this makes them turn easier / last longer, is the extra cost ( over £100! ) actually worth it???

    Thanks again,

    Poucher :wink:

    I haven't heard of a ceramic upgrade for the Shamals, or any campag wheels for that matter. I would leave record hubs alone in all honesty as they generally work very well and seem to have low resistance ... based on the good old freewheeling tests. The last longer thing is a red herring as you'll want a new pair of hoops long before your hubs pack up.

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