Upgrade Scott S50 wheels

maxcady78

Hi there,

I'm thinking about upgrading the wheels on my Scott Speedster S50 2008 model...

(spec here: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... e-ec001344 ).

This is my first road bike and I've been using it for mainly summer riding and a few triathlons for the past few years. The bike is in good condition, has been maintained and serviced regularly but I'd like to improve it. One of the things I read is that changing the wheels can provide some of the biggest improvements in terms of the ride experience. And it's cheaper than buying a new bike!

So my thinking is to upgrade to a decent wheel set, suitable for regular road and occasional race use. Leaving the old rear wheel set-up for use on the turbo trainer.

Trouble is, I'm a bit bewildered by all the options out there! It's hard to know exactly what price level to go in at. I was thinking of looking between £200-£400? Does this sound reasonable?

Is it worth going for something more expensive or would they be 'wasted' on this bike?

Any advice or recommendations greatly appreciated.

I am 5 ft 11 and ~74kgs.

Cheers.

elcani

Shimano RS80s seem to be highly thought of:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... -pair.html

Or handbuilts, from somewhere like:

http://www.wheelsmith.co.uk/

I've not had experience of either but have been thinking of getting some nice wheels for a while and they are two frequently recommended options.

Cheers

The Spiderman

Generally the more you spend the lighter the wheel but as with anything to do with bikes its the law of diminishing returns.Do you really want to spend that much on an entry level bike?

I would imagine your existing wheels are 2kg or thereabouts,so any of the following ought to make a difference.

Planet X model B,very light at under 1700g and only £100.Check that they will work with your existing cassette though as I think some versions were only 10 speed compatible.Apparently if you ask they will supply you with a 9 speed freeehub.

Shimano RS10 or RS20,have a look on Merlin cycles or ebay, can be had for around £90 and £115 a pair.

For £165 ,Merlin have Easton Vista SL (same as current model EA50) or Fulcrum Racing 5s which have a very good reputation.

Don`t forget decent tyres such as Conti GP400/Michelin Pro Race 3 can make a huge difference too.

maxcady78

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

The Spiderman wrote:

Do you really want to spend that much on an entry level bike?.

Hmm, yeah this is what I was unsure about. I did think that if I spent a bit more, then I could possibly use the wheels when I upgrade the rest of the bike...

Anyway, I'll take a look at those suggestions.

The Spiderman

maxcady78 wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

The Spiderman wrote:

Do you really want to spend that much on an entry level bike?.

Hmm, yeah this is what I was unsure about. I did think that if I spent a bit more, then I could possibly use the wheels when I upgrade the rest of the bike...

Anyway, I'll take a look at those suggestions.

Its always a fine line to tread and to know where to set your budget.Spend too little and perfoamnce agains are marginal,start spending a lot of money,and its always better value to buy a new bike.

I`ve been going throught he same thought process recently,with my bike.I have a Trek 1200 which is not a bad bike,but it could benefit from some lighter wheels.
But if I were to spend too much on wheels ,plus one or other two upgrades,I have in mind I very quickly get to the point where the mney I`d spend plus the money I`d get for selling it would buy me something like a Boardman Team Carbon.

So for me its save the the money until something breaks,then upgrade or keep saving for the better bike.

Having said that,wheels and tyres make a big difference.

I`d take the wheels off ,remove the cassette and skewers,weigh them and see what you are starting with.You probably won`t notice a 100g weight saving but if you find that any of the wheels suggested save you 200g or more,then you will probably feel the benefits.
Theres a couple of threads singing the merits of the Planet X model B wheels,and they are very likely to save you a fair bit of weight without costing too much.You might even get some money back on your existing wheels.