Which wheels?

rjsterry

I think (based on the Shimano website) that R500 are the entry level model, and RS10, the next model up. Then RS20, RS30 and RS80.

dav1

Thanks for all the help guys.

I think its a close race between the RS10 and the R500 based on what has been said about the shimano wheels.

R500 pros - Replacement parts available, well inside the budget

RS10 pros - wear indicator, 50g lighter, better looking (i know, i know...)

will it be easy to re-rim the RS10s? I cant see RS10 rims anywhere so how big an issue is spoke length if i had to do it in the future?

supersonic

This is another reason why custom builds can be better - availabilty of well priced replacement parts.

dav1

Custom is attractive, but at my budget I cant even get the most basic wheels once tape and postage have been factord in.

Looking at the products it seems the RS10 is a newer version of the R550, and the 500 (as said before) is the most basic.

My real question at this point is are the RS10 worth the extra £25 over the R500?

I decided to weigh myself including shoes and backpack this morning and I came it at 74 Kg, and mondays are one of my heviest days.

I think typical weight (of rider + bike + water + tools/tubes) will probably be 80-85 kg for commutes, 100kg if i need to grab shopping on the way home, and 75 kg on a training run/ weekend road ride/ audax/sportive, so I dont think I will overload and overstress the wheels too much.

supersonic

There is nothing wrong with Tiagra on Open Sport with double butted spokes.

dav1

Indeed, but they are just over budget and I really want to be strict on the £100 limit as I need several other bits as well, And im finding it very hard to justify spending any more on that bike.

The RS10s on the other hand I can have for £100 including rim tape and a new tube.

If the budget was higher then it would probably be 105 on open pro without hesitation, I just can't justify spending that on what is a fairly basic and tatty bike, especially when I have all these other parts to buy to get it ready for summer.

supersonic

£92 at Dave Hinde.

itboffin

No comp Planet-X everytime, B or C its a win win!

I'm an overweight, hard riding mile muncher and my C's are still true after a year of on / off road commuting through rain, mud, shi*t, snow & ice all for £99

These perform way better than my much more expensive wheelsets, Is there anything else that comes close...!

chopperHarris

sorry to Hijack but, i am also in the market for some rims, like the look of the planet x's and the dave hindles,
Question is my Allez is a 8 speed, will either of these fit? Also are either of these sealed bearings? still running the stock wheels with specialized hubs and i seem to be doing a lot of bearing maintenance recently and my rear just doesnt seem to spin as good as it used to (hence lookng for new wheels)

chopperHarris

ignore that, just spoken to both of them, both really helpfull, going with planet X C's,

vorsprung

will3 wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

2) R500 - 20 spokes front, 24 rear, too weak

Do you have any evidence of them being too weak?
I'm just a bit worried now that my pair, having survived being ridden 300 miles with a 100kg+ (sometimes++) rider and having been ridden full tilt into the side of a car are about to collapse :?

300 miles is about 2 weeks commuting
I'm sure that a cheap, low spoke count wheel could do that
I doubt that it could do 6 months
I haven't used that specific model of wheel. But I have broken spokes on 28 hole wheels, repeatedly

Maybe you are lucky with the roads you use for commuting. Mine have many potholes

will3

vorsprung wrote:

will3 wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

2) R500 - 20 spokes front, 24 rear, too weak

Do you have any evidence of them being too weak?
I'm just a bit worried now that my pair, having survived being ridden 300 miles with a 100kg+ (sometimes++) rider and having been ridden full tilt into the side of a car are about to collapse :?

300 miles is about 2 weeks commuting
I'm sure that a cheap, low spoke count wheel could do that
I doubt that it could do 6 months
I haven't used that specific model of wheel. But I have broken spokes on 28 hole wheels, repeatedly

Maybe you are lucky with the roads you use for commuting. Mine have many potholes

Sorry, my typo, should read 3000 miles - 300 is a little over one week commuting.

I've broken spokes on 36 hole wheels. What does that prove? Not a lot.

Aidy

vorsprung wrote:

will3 wrote:

vorsprung wrote:

2) R500 - 20 spokes front, 24 rear, too weak

Do you have any evidence of them being too weak?
I'm just a bit worried now that my pair, having survived being ridden 300 miles with a 100kg+ (sometimes++) rider and having been ridden full tilt into the side of a car are about to collapse :?

300 miles is about 2 weeks commuting
I'm sure that a cheap, low spoke count wheel could do that
I doubt that it could do 6 months
I haven't used that specific model of wheel. But I have broken spokes on 28 hole wheels, repeatedly

Maybe you are lucky with the roads you use for commuting. Mine have many potholes

I reckon mine have done 4000+ miles. Carrying panniers on occasion, too.

Other than a freehub dying, they've been fine. I don't think I've even had to true them, although they could probably do with a bit of a fettle now.

ride_whenever

Wheel strength has little to do with spoke count and more to do with the even-ness of the tensions in the wheel and the quality of the stress relieving.

What you find with low spoke count wheels is that when one goes the wheel becomes unridable, with a 36 spoke wheel you can usually ride it with the busted spoke and even get it relatively true without massively compromising the wheel.

supersonic

It is a combination of both - more spokes means the load is shared .

will3

I think the rim stiffnes has some part to play too!

will3

If you don't like slow spoke count wheels, you're gonna hate these tandem wheels:

dav1

I think how well one looks after their wheels also has a part to play.

Obviously avoiding damage to the rim and spokes is one thing.

Keeping the bike clean will prevent corrosion, Replacing bearings are regrasing hubs adds a lot of life.

Then you have checking the spoke tension and true of the wheel frequently and making any adjustments required there and then.

I have done this with the wheels on boith bikes. Probably had 10k on the ones that are going to be replaced. If I could have got a new freewheel and I didn't put the chain in the spokes when my mech hanger bent last october I rekon I could easy have another couple of thousand out of the rims.

On the MTB my wheels are still great, I cannot bust them and get myself the excuse to upgrade I am looking for

dav1

Thanks again for all the info everyone.

I just ordered the RS10s.

Based on all the good things people said about R550s and R500s they have had they seemed like a good option. Cheaper then the basic custom builds (when delivery charges are factored in) and seem to give me that performance I will be after when I'm off on a sportive ride, or a long summer weekend outing.

Almost got the Planet X wheels but worried when I read the free hubs get eaten, and as I am 8 speed carriers are not an option. Plus spares (mainly bearings) appear harder to come by then shimano, which I can buy in my LBS very cheap.

For the custom builds they didn't really set my world alight, I wish I has £30 more to spend as I would have had tiagra open pro without question. I will probably buy custom for my MTB when the time comes though for all the reasons mentioned.