RS10 vs RS80 vs....

meanredspider

Like a good forum user, I've done the search and read the threads (OK only about 15 of them) with the term RS80 in them - trouble is I'm probably more confused than when I started - so I'm looking for opinions of what I should do (so I can become even more confused).

My Focus Cayo has RS10s on them with Gators for puncture protection (which have worked brilliantly for me). I use the bike mostly for commuting in above-freezing conditions. I do 30+ miles a day and, to keep it interesting, I am interested in shaving off time as pointless as that might sound. There's on average about 1000ft of climbing each way - it's the Highlands after all. The road surfaces are generally OK - standard UK stuff. There are potholes but I tend to know where they are - I rarely suffer pinch flats. I weigh 90kg. I average about 19mph on the way in (net downhill) and about 17mph back (net uphill, generally windier, and a more knackered rider).

I hope I've painted the picture.

The RS80s have caught my eye in various threads - they sound like the wheel for me. But then I've read of Braccianos (sp?) and various hand-built jobbies and C50s and I'm not sure what to do. The RS80s are about what I'd be happy to spend.

Any guidance? Will the RS80s get cheaper or disappear when the C50s are launched?

Thx

bendertherobot

I have RS20's on my winter bike and RS80's on my best bike.

There is some geneology between them.

The RS20's roll fast, and are very strong. What they are not, IMO, is comfy.

But that is really only in comparison to the RS80's. They roll fast, are very strong and just so buttery smooth it's unreal.

meanredspider

Cool - thx - I can't see me using them much before Feb/Mar (he says optimistically) when the mornings aren't quite so icy. I'm just trying to pick the best time to buy, I guess. A lot of dealers don't seem to have them in stock either. Any thoughts on the best place and time to buy?

AlanW

Huge vote for the RS80's!

IMHO there is no better value forr money wheelset on the market today, equally as good as my Kysrium SLs wheels at half the cost

Evil Laugh

I went for the da versions (different hubs, same rims to rs80 afaik) from rs10s and it was a great swap. I bought the wheels as best but to be honest I ride them all the time as they are just so nice, strong, springy, great at high speed, good for climbing and above all bloody comfy. For me I'm happy to swallow the cost to use them all the time as the increase in my enjoyment is more than worth it.

AlanW

Evil Laugh wrote:

I went for the da versions (different hubs, same rims to rs80 afaik) from rs10s and it was a great swap. I bought the wheels as best but to be honest I ride them all the time as they are just so nice, strong, springy, great at high speed, good for climbing and above all bloody comfy. For me I'm happy to swallow the cost to use them all the time as the increase in my enjoyment is more than worth it.

I must admit, I wish now that I had gone for the DA version now. Merlin had them on offer at the time and they were only £100 dearer.

meanredspider

DA are normally about 300 quid dearer, correct? I don't know that I'd appreciate the difference enough to make use of that extra value. And I do worry about binning them in the odd pothole or two. I hit a mahoosive one a few weeks ago that appeared out of nowhere

Haynes

I was in a similar position, but i wanted the DA 7850 Cl versions (suited my budget, little lighter, DA hubs, and i prefered the black spokes) but i was seriously considering the RS80s as an almost identical but significantly cheaper option - the real performance benefit of these wheels being the rim, which is the same on both. Didnt really want to spend the cash before christmas and i wont ride them much for a couple of months. But would they get cheaper in January, or would they go up in price or just become unavailable. As i deliberated Merlin put their price up and chain reaction went out of stock.

Then Merlin had a 10% sale a couple of weekends back, so i though now or never, they arrived and on the bike within a couple of days. Only had a couple of short rides so i cant really comment on them yet, but theyre just like all the reviews say, smooth ride, stiff etc.

If your hoping to shave time of your commute, i think you'll be disappointed. If you want the bike to ride a little nicer, look more bling and feel more nimble on the climbs then you'll get your money's worth.

lef

I have both the RS80 and the da's. It's hard to distinguish the difference in ride quality, both very comfortable and fast. The RS80s went on a aluminium frame and improvement in comfort was amazing. I also have the ksyrium sl's on another bike and both the shimano's are better imo. I hear the rim is very light hence why they feel so good on the hills. I got the RS80s from Merlin for about £320 I think.

Bobbinogs

Hi there, I have some RS80s (haven't been out on them much but that's another story). Anyway, one thing that might be worth thinking about is the unfortunate possibility of pinging a spoke. Your location sounds a bit remote so if you are unlucky with potholes, etc., and break a spoke, your RS80s are not going to be rideable and I hear that the spokes can be hard to source and the wheel may need to go back to a shop, etc., to get the right (high) tension, etc. (I could be wrong here btw). If you buy online that is going to complicate the matter even more (I bought from a shop just down the road, paid £395 which is a tad steep but still cheaper than the rrp).

If you go for some nice handbuilts then you could get the dura-ace hubs, some nice rims and 28/30 Sapim cx-ray or laser spokes all for about the same retail price of the RS80s. You might also get the supplier to throw a couple of spare spokes in the bag. That way, if a spoke does break on you, you could fix the wheel easily yourself, no waiting or fuss. I have got some handbuilts on bike #2 (open pro rims with Record hubs) and they are lovely, not the same bling factor as the RS80s though.

porker33

How do Fulcrum 3's compare to RS80's ?

Bobbinogs

Noisier!

supersix 3

My dale came fitted with rs80. Enjoyed them thoroughly first few months. 8months down the line and I have broken 4 spokes already. I weigh 89kg, so I attribute to weight. Replaced all spokes with dt swiss, and put on training bike, fitted ec 70's to dale.

meanredspider

Yup - the roads can be rough up here but I'm commuting and, after 2500 miles, I know them pretty well. I'd probably keep my RS10s as "winter" (read "dark & wet") wheels. I still have my Variado which has exactly the same chain & wheel set so I could even use that as a winter bike (as much as I hate the concept). It's a good "heads up" though and it probably makes sense to get a couple ordered ahead of time.

How much of a bash does it take to break a spoke? I've had some pretty heavy impacts on my RS10s and, whilst I've had the odd pinch flat (less now I'm running at 120psi), I've not buckled a wheel or broken a spoke. I don't want to invest in something too fragile to be confident of...