Dura-Ace 7850 wheels - first impressions
I posted this on my blog too, but thought it might be helpful to share the same comments on here 
So without further adieu:
Dura-Ace WH-7850-CL First Impressions…and to some extent I suppose the Michelin Pro3 Race tyres also!
A day-but-one ago, I went out for a quick spin on the new Dura-Ace wheels, as mentioned in my previous posts. It was still quite windy but dry and sunny, so I wanted to give them a test.
I did two short rides of around 8-10 miles (no speedo so couldn’t be accurate on speeds or distance or even time), on a usual little loop that I use for training. Its got a bit of everything in it, a hard first section with a slight incline into a strong headwind, followed by a crosswind, then a fast tailwind down hill followed by rolling terrain and a 11% climb to finish on.
Anyway, I went round the first time using my original FSA RD-220 wheels kitted out with Pro2 Race tyres. Must say that the few weeks without riding meant the loop was a shock to the system, particularly the ride into the wind! I decided I had to ride the wheels first just to remind myself of how they felt. I paid particular attention to how they span up to speed and also the amount of road vibration I could feel across the rough patches.
Now I know I don’t have any stats on speed or time to judge on, but after changing to the Dura-Ace wheels, I must say they felt faster, quite noticably. Perhaps it was psychological but it felt easier. Not so much into the headwind, as the rim depth is similar to the FSAs and I’m not fit enough to notice any aerodynamic changes to be honest.
Spinning up to speed seemed a lot quicker, the wheels felt very, very responsive. I was actually quite impressed by the rapid response to shifts in power, and I’m looking forward to testing this further. I already thought my bike was quite responsive and had a big kick in sprints and accelerating up hills, so I was pleased to see another improvement to this.
The wheels also seemed better in the cross-wind section of the ride somehow. Whether this was with the better power distribution through the hub or a slightly better aero profile I’m not sure, but it felt a little faster.
Finally, the wheels were definitely more comfortable. The carbon layer of the wheels seems to soak up some of the road vibration in the roughest sections. Not a huge improvement over the FSAs, but a welcome one all the same. Slight improvements definitely make huge ones over long distances.
All in all, I must say I am very impressed with the wheels after just a short 10 mile stint. I’ll post any other comments I have after I’ve broken them in a bit more and properly tested them. I’m not a professional reviewer but I know there aren’t many reviews of these wheels out there, so any comments help when making a purchase decision!
Now I just hope my new chain arrives tomorrow. I ermm, broke mine while trying to clean it. Long story…
So without further adieu:Dura-Ace WH-7850-CL First Impressions…and to some extent I suppose the Michelin Pro3 Race tyres also!
A day-but-one ago, I went out for a quick spin on the new Dura-Ace wheels, as mentioned in my previous posts. It was still quite windy but dry and sunny, so I wanted to give them a test.
I did two short rides of around 8-10 miles (no speedo so couldn’t be accurate on speeds or distance or even time), on a usual little loop that I use for training. Its got a bit of everything in it, a hard first section with a slight incline into a strong headwind, followed by a crosswind, then a fast tailwind down hill followed by rolling terrain and a 11% climb to finish on.
Anyway, I went round the first time using my original FSA RD-220 wheels kitted out with Pro2 Race tyres. Must say that the few weeks without riding meant the loop was a shock to the system, particularly the ride into the wind! I decided I had to ride the wheels first just to remind myself of how they felt. I paid particular attention to how they span up to speed and also the amount of road vibration I could feel across the rough patches.
Now I know I don’t have any stats on speed or time to judge on, but after changing to the Dura-Ace wheels, I must say they felt faster, quite noticably. Perhaps it was psychological but it felt easier. Not so much into the headwind, as the rim depth is similar to the FSAs and I’m not fit enough to notice any aerodynamic changes to be honest.
Spinning up to speed seemed a lot quicker, the wheels felt very, very responsive. I was actually quite impressed by the rapid response to shifts in power, and I’m looking forward to testing this further. I already thought my bike was quite responsive and had a big kick in sprints and accelerating up hills, so I was pleased to see another improvement to this.
The wheels also seemed better in the cross-wind section of the ride somehow. Whether this was with the better power distribution through the hub or a slightly better aero profile I’m not sure, but it felt a little faster.
Finally, the wheels were definitely more comfortable. The carbon layer of the wheels seems to soak up some of the road vibration in the roughest sections. Not a huge improvement over the FSAs, but a welcome one all the same. Slight improvements definitely make huge ones over long distances.
All in all, I must say I am very impressed with the wheels after just a short 10 mile stint. I’ll post any other comments I have after I’ve broken them in a bit more and properly tested them. I’m not a professional reviewer but I know there aren’t many reviews of these wheels out there, so any comments help when making a purchase decision!
Now I just hope my new chain arrives tomorrow. I ermm, broke mine while trying to clean it. Long story…
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Comments
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Is there a rider weight limit on these wheels? They got a good review in Cycling Plus - but it didn't mention this compared to comments on some of the other wheels.0
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I fitted a pair of these - also with Pro 3 Race tyres - last week, and have put 250km on them since. My impressions are as follows:
1. To pick up and handle they really are surprisingly light. Noticeably lighter than my Spesh Roubaix shod Ksyrium ES's.
2. Out of curiousity I weighed my bike - it's about 400g lighter.
3. Fitting the cassette previously used with my Ksyriums required me to hunt for a spacer - which I eventually found on the back of an old cassette I hadn't got round to throwing out.
4. The bearings seem really smooth, quiet and free running.
5. With the P3R's, my bike makes a cool low 'thrumming' sound when freewheeling at speeds on descents.
6. The ride is definitely comfortable, with a smooth and silky feel even over poor road surfaces. This was a surprise moving down in volume from the 25/23c Roubaix's.
First impressions positive then. More riding required before I decide whether to use these or my trusty K's for the Etape....
There are some pictures here: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12556554&start=2970 -
Nice wheels, these are on my shortlist with the Ksyrium SL's. The Dura ace's seem to be getting excellent reviews, Hmmm decisions decisions :?
Simon.0 -
sibx wrote:Now I know I don’t have any stats on speed or time to judge on, but after changing to the Dura-Ace wheels, I must say they felt faster, quite noticably. Perhaps it was psychological but it felt easier. Not so much into the headwind, as the rim depth is similar to the FSAs and I’m not fit enough to notice any aerodynamic changes to be honest.
Spinning up to speed seemed a lot quicker, the wheels felt very, very responsive. I was actually quite impressed by the rapid response to shifts in power, and I’m looking forward to testing this further. I already thought my bike was quite responsive and had a big kick in sprints and accelerating up hills, so I was pleased to see another improvement to this.
I'll apologise in advance, but this post sent my scepticism meter up to 11. If those DA wheels are 100g lighter on each rim compared to the RD-220s (seems unlikely there's any more difference than this - likely to be less) then that will make 0.5% difference to how fast you accelerate. You reckon you can feel 0.5% difference? To put it in context, that's about the difference a half full bottle of water makes.0 -
I know a lot of riders who say the same. It just 'feels' faster at engaging to begin with. Do hubs make any difference in this? I mean, can better designed hubs 'engage' faster? If so its probably that.
I'm not very technically minded so I can't offer any explainations. I'm just going on feel when first pressing down on the pedals. Can't remember if I said it in the original post, but maybe its just a psychological thing with the wheels being new.
It probably is partly psychological I suppose. Its the same with any new equipment or when racing, you're bound to go faster and put more effort in sub-consciously because you want to be better.
Aside from the speed though, the wheels do feel much better than my FSAs.
Oh and I think the wheels are around 300g lighter in total for the pair. The FSAs are rated around 1.7kg, the Dura-Ace just under 1.4.
Apologies if my post caused any problems to those with the technical knowledge :oops:0 -
aracer wrote:I'll apologise in advance, but this post sent my scepticism meter up to 11. If those DA wheels are 100g lighter on each rim compared to the RD-220s (seems unlikely there's any more difference than this - likely to be less) then that will make 0.5% difference to how fast you accelerate. You reckon you can feel 0.5% difference? To put it in context, that's about the difference a half full bottle of water makes.
I totally understand your scepticism but you should be able to feel 100g a rim difference even though this may not materially improve your overall performance. At the rim (which as I understand it is where much of the weight is saved on these wheels) 100g would materially impact the inertia of the wheels.
Actual weights seem to be around 1400g for the DA wheels, so assuming generously that the FSA RD-220s actually weigh the 1780g listed on their site, 100g difference a rim is feasible.
Faster engagement is marketed as a feature of the DA hubs ("New titanium freehub body w/quick engagement") and may also be a factor as the OP suggests.0 -
Expensive equipment is always faster because you are carrying less weight in your wallet.
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Smokin Joe wrote:Expensive equipment is always faster because you are carrying less weight in your wallet.
One of the problems with credit cards! :-)
The more cards you collect, the more you spend, the heavier your wallet gets.0 -
I have also tried these, albeit on a friends bike.
Impressions were very favourable and subjectively about on a par with my Campag Neutrons.0 -
aracer wrote:sibx wrote:Now I know I don’t have any stats on speed or time to judge on, but after changing to the Dura-Ace wheels, I must say they felt faster, quite noticably. Perhaps it was psychological but it felt easier. Not so much into the headwind, as the rim depth is similar to the FSAs and I’m not fit enough to notice any aerodynamic changes to be honest.
Spinning up to speed seemed a lot quicker, the wheels felt very, very responsive. I was actually quite impressed by the rapid response to shifts in power, and I’m looking forward to testing this further. I already thought my bike was quite responsive and had a big kick in sprints and accelerating up hills, so I was pleased to see another improvement to this.
I'll apologise in advance, but this post sent my scepticism meter up to 11. If those DA wheels are 100g lighter on each rim compared to the RD-220s (seems unlikely there's any more difference than this - likely to be less) then that will make 0.5% difference to how fast you accelerate. You reckon you can feel 0.5% difference? To put it in context, that's about the difference a half full bottle of water makes.
I have to agree with all the claims of how they feel to people when they ride different wheels.
The only difference I notice is with deep section as they are uncomfortable and bumpy
I am a shimano fan and have these wheels and am impressed with the smoothness of the bearings and also the freehub.
However I was less than impressed with quality of build as mine were quite a bit out of true and I had to adjust them quite a bit, not very good for £510 :oops:
Cannot say they makd me go any faster racing as I still struggled to stay with leaders on a climb in a race and my av speed on a couple of sportives was no better than previously.
They are stiffer for climbing though as even I notice they do not rub on the brakes when out of saddle climbing.
Not sure about the claims about riding faster and faster acceleration though. As you say, how can you tell?0 -
Well as I said in my last reply, its probably a psychological factor that made me ride faster.
I went out for a second ride on them earlier today and I was as slow as ever so perhaps they aren't any faster as suggested. However, I stand by my opinion that they seem faster at engaging/spinning up initially compared to my FSA wheels.
Rip into that all you like :P
Pity that your wheels were out of true though. Mine were perfect out of the box and remain that way so far. Hopefully they will continue to ride so well! 0 -
Only put about 100 miles on mine so far but they're pretty true and the bearings are impressively smooth, but very tight - they don't roll nearly as freely as my DT hubs, especially the rear.
Not sure if this is tight cones, lack of grease or just a function of the "newness" but I'll be dropping them back to Condor for a look if they don't loosen up in the next couple of weeks.
Just put my Pro Race 3's on which seem to be de rigour and looking forward to trying them at the weekend.
954g with tyre, tube and skewer for the front seems pretty light to me.0 -
venusi, I asked about the tight hubs and its down to the newness. Same with most new wheels/hubs and should loosen up after a few hundred miles. I noticed mine are already looser than when they were brand new and unused.0
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sibx wrote:venusi, I asked about the tight hubs and its down to the newness. Same with most new wheels/hubs and should loosen up after a few hundred miles. I noticed mine are already looser than when they were brand new and unused.
Excellent. How much faster should I expect to go when they've loosened up....? 0 -
No faster, just you might not slow as down as quickly when coasting I suppose! The difference isn't probably noticable while riding, I just testing by spinning the back wheel for half a turn of the cranks and timing the length before the wheel comes to a stop. Not scientific I know, but oh well...0
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Thanks Sibx, I was hoping that would happen and will keep an eye on it.
I should add that the bearing tightness is also noticable (though strangely to a lesser extent) on my dad's new R561s, but I'd heard mention of the Shimano factory tightening the cones too much so wondered if this might be the problem.0 -
Yeah thats what I was told. Its to err on the side of caution what whatever reason. Hopefully someone will be able to fill us in on why they overtighten to begin with.
The same was true on a set of Reynolds' wheels I had once.0
