Reynolds Solitude

06townsonj

Hi,

I am going to buy a set of Reynolds Solitude wheels:

I am 5'9 and weigh 60 kgs.

I want to know:

Your opinion of them?
Any problems you may have?
Is my weight and height perfect for these wheels?
Are the hubs loud with shimano cassette fitted?

Thanks

Wheelspinner

I didn't like them.

They appeared to be dead true when I put them in the stand to check, but for whatever reason, I got a nasty pulsing vibration under brakes with them, which I could not fix. Changed wheels, same bike, same tyres, same brakes... fixed problem.

Otherwise they looked good and felt fine to ride. Don't recall whether they were noisy or not particularly.

FransJacques

Looked at these seriously when I was shopping for cheaper wheels and got the RS30s from Shimano. The RS30s are a bit heavier but a lot cheaper but use cheaper components as well. These wheels are basically like the Attack or Assault except without the carbon rim. The hubs are not DT like the more expensive Reynolds wheels but I remember they rolled smoothly. For your weight they're quite strong wheels and will give you years of good service.

Have you looked at RS80s at all?

slunker

Had mine for 3 years now and with the odd broken spoke they have been good wheels. I weigh 75 kg and not been out of true unless I have hit a pothole. The only niggle is getting the wheels true as they have internal nipples and you got to take the tyre and tube off.

johncp

Had mine 2 years on Wilier Izoard. Weight is about 83kg and have had no problems with spokes or trueness (truth??) of wheels. Summer use only but still been on some shocking roads and they have been brilliant. I also get the pulsing under braking but it doesn't affect efficiency of the brakes.

FransJacques

Don't worry about the pulsing under braking - it could not be a bad thing. When the rim is extruded as a long tube the two ends need be attached. This is done through sleeving and spot welding/tacking or all-round welding. The all round welding method can leave a high spot if the weld bead wasn't ground down fully but is usually seen as superior.

For example in Mavic SUP rims or yore they welded the joint then ground the whole brake track to the final surface. I've never felt a joint on a Mavic rim.

At one end of the spectrum it's just a mild annoyance. Not sure what the other end would be...

EDIT to above post - when I said Ardennes I mean RS80s which at around £320 are in the same ballpark as Solitudes...

bikestewy

Solitude wheels are fantastic. used some for 3 years now, never had to true them or do anything to them. I've got a friend who uses them too and has found them just as good. The hubs are reynolds own design but they are fantastic. I've had mavics etc and find these smoother and have lasted like new til now whereas mavics seized up after 1 month. They accelerate real quick too.

Thanks

rbirkett

I'm an identical weight/height to you and bought these about 2 months ago, replacing a pair of Ritchey Pros.
I put a lot of research into the buy and came up with these which are good for the money.
They are very light and when you put the power down, they are incredibly stiff and there is always a platform for you to pedal off.
They're not supposed to be aero but they're are pretty wind efficient and you could only do better by spending more on aero wheels.
When freewheeling, they make a clicking noise but that's quite reasuring.
I won a hill climb with them last week so they can't be too bad and I can't wait to road race and time trial on them next season.
I train on them as well and they're a great all-round wheel, highly recommended.

IShaggy

Another thumbs up from me. 3 years and the only issue I've had is 1 broken rear spoke a couple of years ago. And I'm no lightweight and I ride on Surrey roads so they've had a good battering. Unfortunately, weekend before last I hit a big stone when descending at speed and seem to have knackered the front hub so there's now a good deal of play in the hub. So I'll probably be retiring them with a tear in my eye.