Climbing Wheels - Which?

TMR

I'm after some light weight wheels, am considering either the Mavic R-SYS or these hand builts from Posh Bikes: http://www.poshbikes.com/product.php?id=142

Has anyone got either that can advise?

kangarouge

What about contacting a reputable wheelbuilder as a first option. Wheelsmith or Harry Rowlands etc.

anto164

I'm getting a set of the Giant P-SLR1 wheels when i get my new roady in a few months.

1350g, £750 rrp (but going to get them thrown in for free with the bike )

But you can't go wrong with the Mavics tbh.

TMR

Kangarouge wrote:

What about contacting a reputable wheelbuilder as a first option. Wheelsmith or Harry Rowlands etc.

I've got no problem doing that. Are Posh Bikes not reputable? I'm considering them on the basis of a friend's recommendation you see, he has a pair.

napoleond

Mavic RSys are the stiffest wheels I've ever used. They are fantastic wheels.
However the (what I assume will be) very expensive repair cost puts me off buying them...

Monty Dog

R-Sys are stiff but aero they ain't. You could build a pair of 20mm carbon rims (Planet X) Chin Haur hubs and CX Rays for under 1200g for less than the cost of either.

TMR

Monty Dog wrote:

R-Sys are stiff but aero they ain't. You could build a pair of 20mm carbon rims (Planet X) Chin Haur hubs and CX Rays for under 1200g for less than the cost of either.

They are for climbing. I weigh 95KG, so aero really isn't my top priority

TMR

NapoleonD wrote:

Mavic RSys are the stiffest wheels I've ever used. They are fantastic wheels.
However the (what I assume will be) very expensive repair cost puts me off buying them...

I've got my house insurance from Hiscox. My bikes are named items, and I've paid an additional premium for fully comprehensive cover for them. If anything breaks, for any reason, I am fully covered on a new for old basis. So the wheels would be covered, should I have a nasty off.

pianoman

Or just do away with weight weenie wheels and get yourself a pair of Vision T42's - they're about 1800g (a pound heavier than most of the options, but no SQUISH SQUISH SQUISH that you can get with flex).

I used them at the back end of last season at triathlons and hill climb events and went up a 1.6 mile climb over half a minute faster than the year before. Now I'm looking to plug them into a full TT bike for next summer. Don't be put off by the number of grams, you'll love them

napoleond

It's all about the stiffness. Especially at the clydesdale end of the spectrum.
RSys manage to be pretty light yet incredibly stiff.
If getting hand built I'd go for higher spoke count, defo 32 rear.

Scrumple

I want some R-sys bad!

I need someething for the best bike when the cosmics come off.

I'm dithering in case there is anything I should be considering... They would be for Malllorca mountains, and buggery hard climbing sportives.

napoleond

They're perfect for that.

Mavic made them as a sportive wheel hence they weren't arsed so much about the aero aspect but they were taken on by several proteams due to the stiffness / weight.

Scrumple

And then there are the three types....

Is it worth the extra for the SLR? I can't afford the SL so its down to the others...

Anyone know any stonking deals at their LBS then pls PM me.

TMR

NapoleonD wrote:

It's all about the stiffness. Especially at the clydesdale end of the spectrum.
RSys manage to be pretty light yet incredibly stiff.
If getting hand built I'd go for higher spoke count, defo 32 rear.

Would I be OK with the R-SYS as is? Their real wheel doesn't have 32 spokes.

napoleond

Yes definitely. They really are amazingly stiff. They are not harsh in any way though. I wish I had my own pair! It's just hand builts I'd go with the higher spoke count.

styxd

What about some Stans Alpha rims laced to the lightest hubs you can afford? Lace them with 28 spokes, 2 cross lacing and I would have thought they'd be fairly stiff.

glasgowbhoy

There is a set of Mavic R- SYS on sale in the Road Buying section. Bit ugly looking though.

napoleond

They'd be mega light but really quite flexy at 95kg. Even with 32h apparently (according to wheelsmith...)

napoleond

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

There is a set of Mavic R- SYS on sale in the Road Buying section. Bit ugly looking though.

I think they look fantastic with the exalith rim!

Monty Dog

styxd wrote:

What about some Stans Alpha rims laced to the lightest hubs you can afford? Lace them with 28 spokes, 2 cross lacing and I would have thought they'd be fairly stiff.

"Thought" being the appropriate word - 340s are notoriously flexy - I'd be happy with a pair as I'm 60kg, but not the OP

styxd

Are they that bad? I almost bought some not long ago but got some Velocity Aeroheads instead. The new Velocity A23 rims are supposed to be nice and stiff, could be worth a look.

Down the Road

The Mad Rapper wrote:

Monty Dog wrote:

R-Sys are stiff but aero they ain't. You could build a pair of 20mm carbon rims (Planet X) Chin Haur hubs and CX Rays for under 1200g for less than the cost of either.

They are for climbing. I weigh 95KG, so aero really isn't my top priority

This means a few grams in wheels is irrelevant.

Assume bike now weighs 8 kilo You and bike weigh 103kilo

Save 500 grams on wheels is an improvement of less than 0.5%

Trim some weight from you first. Take the £1000 you ar3e thinking of spendingon wheels. Spend a week in spain training properly and you will go better up the hills than you would from wasting money on new wheels.

styxd

I wouldnt trust anything "Down the road" says. I trusted him with some money for a set of handlebars and he stole it instead.

giant_man

NapoleonD wrote:

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

There is a set of Mavic R- SYS on sale in the Road Buying section. Bit ugly looking though.

I think they look fantastic with the exalith rim!

Yeah lovely but the problem is the coating doesn't seem to stay on the rim:

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... =3&t=88303

napoleond

Arse

gwillis

Monty Dog wrote:

R-Sys are stiff but aero they ain't. You could build a pair of 20mm carbon rims () Chin Haur hubs and CX Rays for under 1200g for less than the cost of either.

ive been discussing some climging wheels with y LBS who has offered to build them up for me in Jan. I couldnt decide on rims but the Planet X seem a bargins. My LBS suggested hope hubs dhow do the Chin Haur hibs compare?

TMR

Down the Road wrote:

This means a few grams in wheels is irrelevant.

It's not a few grams, it's a lb at least. Also, I'd read weight lost from rotational mass was better than weight lost from the frame.

Trim some weight from you first. Take the £1000 you ar3e thinking of spendingon wheels. Spend a week in spain training properly and you will go better up the hills than you would from wasting money on new wheels.

I am. Down from 103KG. So 8KG so far. Going as fast as I can

napoleond

Nice wheels just 'feel' nicer. They may be a *tiny* bit faster but its the feel i like.
A Mondeo LX will get you from one side of town to the other the same speed as a Jaguar XF...

Canny Jock

Agree on the 'feel' thing. Swapped my Fulcrum 5's (not bad wheels, just unexciting) for some Campag Neutrons - they only save about 200g at best but the bike seems to fly now, they ride better and roll better.

siamon

Performance wise ,the ENVE 25's have to be looked at. Although, I think they are only tubs and the RRP is fairly ugly.

Monty Dog

gwillis wrote:

ive been discussing some climging wheels with y LBS who has offered to build them up for me in Jan. I couldnt decide on rims but the Planet X seem a bargins. My LBS suggested hope hubs dhow do the Chin Haur hibs compare?

Chin Haur make OEM hubs for others including American Classic - their design is basically an AC clone - not the strongest but pretty light and reasonably cheap. The Hope's will obviously be stronger, but easily twice the price.