Wheel help please.

carbon337

I need some new wheels for my old Giant - started looking at pro-lite comos and Shimano r500's but people said heavy etc so then upped my budget and it now looks like i have 3 options:

Planet x model b - light but not good for commuting wear according to the questions and answers on their page.
Fulcrum 7 - 2010 (to fit an 8spd cassette)
Shimano RS10

I like cartridge bearings coming from Hope in the MTB world i understand them and know where i am with them so i think this rules the Shimanos out.

Leaving the Fulcrum 7 as the best choice and only £110 at merlin. I've read they are heavyish but Im not racing - I commute 3 days a week and do 2 club rides around this inc Time Trialing and intervals. Bearing in mind I am 14 st and the bike is an 02/03 OCR with non carbon fork and a mix of sora/tiagra.

Im not after something amazing here just a workhorse that doesnt mind rolling freely and <£110 so no fulcrum 5's Im afraid but also doesnt let me down.

carbon337

fulcrum racing 7 advice anyone? no?

desweller

I rate the Shimano R500s well over the PlanetX Model Bs. My R500s have been absolutely brilliant, whereas my Model Bs have been a source of trouble ever since I got them, including loose spokes, failed hub bearings and most recently cracked rims. I've been using my R500s as winter commuting wheels for three years now and they are still going strong despite having been exposed to snow, salt and every pothole going in all that time.

Personally I dislike cartridge bearings. The Shimano system means you only have two bearings per axle, so you have a less lossy setup compared to a 4-bearing conventional system IMHO.

danowat

The R500's are built proof, but they are pretty heavy.

HamishD

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/search.php?mode=results

They're all pretty good wheelsets for the money.

carbon337

hamish i have used the search and there are mixed reviews - just asking what people with £110 would buy.

maddog 2

just bought some RS10s for £86

very nice wheels and a stonking price. I've just bought two mtb tyres for more.... :shock:

carbon337

How strong are they - pot hole proof - easy to replace spokes etc?

vorsprung

If you ask on the Internet then there is always someone saying that a cheap, low spoke count wheel is fine for a heavy rider doing a pot hole riddled commute

Can I suggest that "cheap, light, strong pick any two" is a good principle to follow?

My summer commute bike has a 28h front wheel with a semi aero heavy rim. It looks nice but isn't that great. The rear is a handmade 36h. This is a moderately ok wheel. 36h are moderately heavier but extremely strong

So I have gone for cheap and strong.

If you want strong and fast then you want something like a Fulcrum 3 that is out of your budget

night_porter

I commute on R500's and cannot recommend them highly enough!

Absolutely bullet proof and as I commute at night I don't always see the pot holes but the wheels have always ran true.

Can't ask for more than that for commuting.

Weight isn't an issue unless you are racing.

carbon337

vorsprung - thanks for the advice - you speak sense.

the million dollar question then, Stong and cheap <£100 any personal recomendations?

drkawaszelong

how about Planet X model C's if you don't mind waiting a month...

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPP ... c-wheelset


or model As?

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPP ... 7-wheelset

and no, i don't work for planet x,

but my model Bs are mint. did loads of miles last summer on them (when i was 90kg). still absolutely fine. just pot-luck if you get a nice set. (ha, POT luck. see what i did there? )