Which Top quality wheels for commuting

simonaspinall

Hi all

I currently have shimano 25mm RS20s on my road bike for commuting.

Can anyone recommend a lighter weight set of wheels suitable for the daily rigours of commuting to help me go faster/accellerate quicker?

Cheers

pinno

Easy - Campag Scirocco ! Unless you weigh more than 75kg's.

simonaspinall

Is that compatible with shimano hardware?

bobtbuilder

What's your budget? Mavic Ksyrium SLs are a great all-purpose wheelset.

softlad

you want 'top quality' wheels for commuting..??

I would suggest a pair of Easton EC90SLX with Vittoria Corsa CX tubs - undoubtedly a top quality wheelset, but why anyone would want to commute on wheels like that is totally beyond me....

simonaspinall

Hmmm...will 'develop' a budget if they are worth it

I'm aware that not all hardware and bike components are compatible - I use full 105 hardware.

simonaspinall

softlad

I do a lengthy commute and love going fast - That's where I do the majority of my cycling and want to have the best I can fford to make the trip as fun and productive as possible!

In terms of buying advice, I'm looking for a set of commuting wheels that will be as fast as poss but can take day after day of far from smooth continental tarmac.

Sooooo...Campag Scirocco (if compatible), Mavic Ksyrium SLs, Easton EC90SLX or Vittoria Corsa CX tubs (what are tubs???)

softlad

simonaspinall wrote:

Easton EC90SLX or Vittoria Corsa CX tubs (what are tubs???)

seriously? tubs = tubulars

simonaspinall

Ah, yes please forgive the newbie question...have only ever used standard tyre and tubes.

hammerite

Aksiums.

No need for much better on a commute. They managed to get me the 19 miles home in less than an hour.

The route home is slightly downhill and usually has the favour of the prevailling wind - the ride to work is usually with less effort but takes 10 mins more!

simonaspinall

Haha...same here, although mines just under 14 miles.

I need the speed upgrade to make the most of 'sprint finish friday'...possibly the greatest concept for obtaining world peace outside of cheesy stadium rock!

bobtbuilder

I do a lengthy commute and love going fast

Me too - 25 miles each way. The Ksyriums are great and have taken a lot of pounding. There are definitely better sets out there at higher costs, but without knowing what you want to spend, it's hard to know what to suggest.

hammerite

Seriously for commuting wheels you want strength and reliability, you couldn't go far wrong with Aksiums.

Although they don't make the same fantastic clacking noise as my Fulcrums do on my other bike.

simonaspinall

Up to about £300

camerone

i commute on an old set of second hand Ksyrium SLs, 30 mile round trip on the best the Black Country can throw at me. they are very tough. only damage was me throwing the rear mech into the spokes, which bent every driveside spoke. i released the brake, rode 10 miles with the tyre rubbing the frame and LBS repaired using MAvic Spokes for £33.
strongly recommended.

Monty Dog

You might be able to score a pair of Ksyrium SLs or something similar for £300, they are lightish, tough and very stiff and planty strong enough forthe toughest commute - I rode mine plenty of times on the cobbles of Northern France and Flanders without a glitch. However, for the money your best best would be a pair of handbuilts - something like Open Pros on Ultegra from a decent builder with enough left over for some good quality training tyres like Michelin Krylions or Conti GP 4 Seasons in 25mm.

maddog 2

Monty Dog wrote:

However, for the money your best best would be a pair of handbuilts - something like Open Pros on Ultegra from a decent builder with enough left over for some good quality training tyres like Michelin Krylions or Conti GP 4 Seasons in 25mm.

bang on the money

simonaspinall

oooo the hand-built route....good plan!

Cheers for the advice fella!

giant_man

maddog 2 wrote:

Monty Dog wrote:

However, for the money your best best would be a pair of handbuilts - something like Open Pros on Ultegra from a decent builder with enough left over for some good quality training tyres like Michelin Krylions or Conti GP 4 Seasons in 25mm.

bang on the money

+ 1 - I have Ksyrium SLs which are great wheels but I would go handbuilt for a good commuting wheels.

Blonde

I have hand built wheels, which use Mavic Open Pro rims in 32 hole, on my fixed commuter and on my winter bike (also used for commuting occasionally) and I can reccommend them. Thay're a good quality, lightweight rim, yet sturdy enough to enable me to carry a rack pack full of clothing and food to work, as well as coping well with the sh!te urban Manchester roads. You could always go for the more expensive ceramic Open Pros, which offer better wet-weather braking - good for commuting on gears when you'll be using the brakes a lot more than on fixed. Hubs; well on my fixed I have Goldtech hubs, my geared winter bike currently has Shimano Ultegra hubs and I also have an extra front wheel; open pro rim with a Schmidt dynamo hub, for my commmute in winter, but Phil Wood or PMP are also very good hub makes.

I too wonder at the logic of using "top quality" for daily commuting in all weathers. I'm currently eagerly awaiting a hand build of Mavic Open Pros in 28 hole, with bladed spokes on PMP hubs from Paul Hewitt's, but they'll be much too good for commuting - and too expensive! Think, "Decent Yet Sturdy" rather than "Top Quality" for commuting, and you won't go far wrong.

eh

Another vote for:

However, for the money your best best would be a pair of handbuilts - something like Open Pros on Ultegra from a decent builder with enough left over for some good quality training tyres like Michelin Krylions or Conti GP 4 Seasons in 25mm.

If these are good enough for pros to train and ocassionaly race on, then they are good enough for the rest of us IMO.

brit66

I've got both Ksyrium SLs and Open Pro's (Ultegra hunbs) and for my 27 mile commute I actually prefer the Open Pro's for these reasons:

- They give a superior ride.
- They are almost as light (certainly not noticably heavier/slower).
- Suprisingly, I prefer the looks of the grey anodised rim to shiny alumminium.
- They are a piece of cake to keep true.
- I don't care about potholes in the slightest for the abover reason and for my final reason...
- They cost me £150 in total.

My next pair of wheels will be Open Pro CD rims on Dura Ace hubs or similar.

psychle

The Open Pros certainly seem popular but what are peoples thoughts on the CXP33s?

I have no experience of OPs but I have had CXP33s for a few years now and I'm more than happy with them. They cost the same and the weight seems to be about the same, so what would the advantages be of one over the other?

mrushton

Forget the Ksyriums.Aksiums etc these are factory wheels and perfectly good but if you can go handbuilt it means you can get your wheel repaired, hub transferred to a better rim etc. A sensible hub like U ltegra on Open Pro 32 spoke (ceramic if you are out in all weathers) and put together by a decent builder will work really well.

maddog 2

the CXP33s are a tad heavier, and a tad tougher. Not much in it really. Go with the CXPs if you are a big fella, or commute off road a little perhaps.

I run the OP ceramics by the way. Expensive but much better than regular alu rims IMO for winter work.

ride_whenever

I run the cpx22 and i've found them very nice, a touch stiffer i think due to the deeper section but still nice!

Beardy10

+1 for the Hand Built route

I have DT RR 1.1's on Dura Ace hubs.....I've done about 2000 miles on them which has included quite a bit of commuting and I have hit quite a few pot holes in that time.

I've had one broken spoke in that time which Condor fixed for less than £10 (they built the wheels for me). I weight 100kg plus......

Obviously you don't need to go with Dura Ace hubs to save money