Wheels - For my Carbon/best bike.

DonDaddyD

OK, I will be buying a pair of wheels today. I will. I can't decide what wheels however.

I will be using these wheels for weekend rides and not commuting.

As the online embodiment of my decision making process, help me choose. Advice please!

Fulcrum 5 - the budget option these are currently on my commuter but used to be on my carbon bike
Fulcrum 3 - the extravagent option (I don't really want to spend this much but can stretch)
Mavic Ksyrium Equipe - the first option
Shimano Ultegra 6700 wheelset - the alternative option

And a poll, polls are fun.

Other info:
Price Range: £180 - £300

Deals: If you know of any deals or have discount codes please share. I've searched the Internet and feel comfortable that I've identified the cheapest deal for each wheel on the websites I feel comfortable buying from.

Please factor in that I plan to be wrapping these wheels in Conti GP4000s (not up for discussion they are my preferred choice of tyre), buying a pack of inner tubes and maybe Lizard skins bar tape - so staying within budget is a must (Fulcrum 3 being the exception).

Any other recommendations are welcome.

DonDaddyD

I know how good Fulcrum 5 are.

My biggest issues are not knowing anythng about Shimano wheels in terms of quality and strength?

How good are Mavic Ksyrium Equipe?

how much better are Fulcrum Racing 3 over the Equipe?

walkingbootweather

What do you want them for? I'd be looking for different things in commuting or touring wheels, to sportive / day rides, to racing.

DonDaddyD

walkingbootweather wrote:

What do you want them for? I'd be looking for different things in commuting or touring wheels, to sportive / day rides, to racing.

Weeklend rides. Certainly not commuting.

Canny Jock

5's are great commuter/training wheels, sturdy but unexciting. The Fulcrum 3's are worth the extra in my opinion, shame you don't use Campag then you could get Neutrons! I think the 3's have the same hubs though which were great.

It's a while since I had Equipes but seem to remember them being similar-ish to the 5's.

Just get the order in now before you think about it too much, you know you want them, anything else will be a disappointment!

asprilla

What are you going to be using them for?

I've got Fulcrum 1s and I wouldn't use them for commuting. Not many spokes means that the go out of true pretty quickly on London Roads and if you damage a spoke then they are eye-wateringly expensive to replace.

asprilla

Apparently it was so important I had to say it twice.

bigmat

If I'm understanding this right, you just want something ridiculously tarty for your "vanity" bike. My vote would be some deep section carbon clinchers from Planet X:

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

A bit over budget, but you can claw a bitback by not wasting money on Lizard Skins tape. Imagine, not only will they look the b*ll*cks, they will make whooshing noises as you put down the power awesome!

stuaff

Have voted for the F3s, as I've been very happy with my (identical apart from the labels and lacing pattern) Zonda 2-Way Fits. Just over £300 here. http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a39916 ... html?lg=en

jzed

BigMat wrote:

If I'm understanding this right, you just want something ridiculously tarty for your "vanity" bike. My vote would be some deep section carbon clinchers from Planet X:

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

A bit over budget, but you can claw a bitback by not wasting money on Lizard Skins tape. Imagine, not only will they look the b*ll*cks, they will make whooshing noises as you put down the power awesome!

+1 million would love a pair but think I'm over the weight limit

walkingbootweather

Might be better off asking on the Road section or reading BR wheel reviews.

I'm a big fan of hand built wheels. Paul Hewitt produces some that fit your budget and are well reviewed, but there are a number of other decent wheel builders about.

petemadoc

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/WPS ... lset_(pair)

Generally considered great wheels at this price

jds_1981

JZed wrote:

BigMat wrote:

If I'm understanding this right, you just want something ridiculously tarty for your "vanity" bike. My vote would be some deep section carbon clinchers from Planet X:

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

A bit over budget, but you can claw a bitback by not wasting money on Lizard Skins tape. Imagine, not only will they look the b*ll*cks, they will make whooshing noises as you put down the power awesome!

+1 million would love a pair but think I'm over the weight limit

& they're reduced by £50 - you're practically saving money by going for these!

bonkstrong

THESE!!!! Hope Hoops...

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=38867

You can probably save a few quid by shopping around online but having trained and raced on these wheels I can assure you that they are sublime for the money. The hubs are buttery smooth and the rims are excellent, servicing is a doddle and spokes are standard J-bend so very easy to source.

In my humble opinion they are some of the most under-rated wheels out there. I weigh over 100kg and these stand up to some serious churning on hills without any problems! They're comfy, quick and last 10 times longer than any of the above suggestions. If you wear through the rim, just buy a new one and you can lace the still-as-good-as-the-day-you-bought-it Hope Pro 3 hub. Do it, do it naaaow!!

jzed

Deep sections all the way DDD

petemadoc

Yes very sensible bonkstrong

But where's the bling?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Full-Carbon-R ... 690wt_1037

iPete

PeteMadoc beat me to it, RS80s. 1521g for the pair even more importantly they make a wooshing noise at speed.

Make sure you spend a few more pennies on light weight tubes for full effect.

gabriel959

I have got some Fulcrum Racing 3s (and have had them for 2 years now).

Fantastic wheels - I am a heavy rider at 90kg but they feel amazing on the climbs and flat. They spin forever as well and love the noise they make when freewheeling. I had some Ksyrium Elites before but I didn't like the ride as much, they offered a duller ride.

They are just over £320 over at Ribble http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-t ... Googlebase

asprilla

I've got those Hopes. Love them on the commuter and they are probably my best single bike purchase. They aren't exactly blingy though.

soundninjauk

If you're buying from CRC and can wait until this evening then I've got a £10 off code going spare. Every little helps...

CiB

Blimey. I've never really looked at wheel prices, other than those hanging up in my nearest Bicycle Porn shop, the ones that are reduced to only £1200 a pair and weigh less than one of my outbursts of flatulence. It seems that for a nominal outlay there are some decent wheels around.

I run Fulcrum 5s and like 'em. 9000 miles, one spoke popped but the [cassette] bearings in the rear are beyond hope.


Holy thread hijack DDD (sort of).

Hive. Do wheels generally become unusable for day to day use (ok, commuting) once we move out of the sub-£300 price band? I'd like something nice - deep rims, lightweight, reliable, clinchers not tubs. Pointers?

bonkstrong

PeteMadoc wrote:

Yes very sensible bonkstrong

But where's the bling?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Full-Carbon-R ... 690wt_1037

Ha, very true!!

But this whole thread has decended into something comparible to when people used to put body kits on Toyota MR2's to make them look like a Ferrari. It may look good but it's still not bling.

IMO you just can't get wheel bling for less than £500 that is really worth the money. Even more so with factory wheels. The planet-x clinchers are ok but the brake block rub I had on them was dreadful. They'd be amazing if the wind stayed in one direction and all the journeys were flat... The tubs were better but still not great for fatties like me - I love Planet-X though, my goal to get my weight down is mostly so I can get the 50mm Tubs without feeling like I was rinding on jelly

il_principe

I have a pair of Shimano freehubbed Fulcrum 1's that I'm looking to sell... They're in great nick.

rolf_f

JZed wrote:

Deep sections all the way DDD

Deep sections = chav wheels*

Low profile for the discerning customer.......

*(unless you really are proper fast of course!)

DonDaddyD

Ill-Prince, this isn't a cash purchase. It is a (part of) 30th Birthday present.

I should point out that (i) I'm not into deep sections (ii) because (ii) I'm slightly on the larger side of mountain goat.

In fact when people see me power up a hill (any hill) faster than they can I imagine them saying to themselves "how's he manage to get up there!"

il_principe

DonDaddyD wrote:

Ill-Prince, this isn't a cash purchase. It is a (part of) 30th Birthday present.

Bad luck. 1's are better than 3's after all...

DonDaddyD

So, no one is a fan of the Ksyrium (or they are simply overpriced as they are Fulcrum 5 level). They are approaching 100g lighter than the Fulcrum 5, but approaching 100g heavier than Fulcrum 3.

No one is interested in Shimano Ultegra wheels.

Fulcrum 5's are the 105 of the wheel world a great workhorse. Fulcrum 3's if I can stretch to it.

Bonkstrong, the Hope Hoops seem to be the most sensible option. However this is going on a £1800 bike with Ultegra SL do you have a more er XR2i suggestion?

tailwindhome

I'd price check Merlin Cycles before buying wheels.They seem to have consistently good prices. Join their VIP club for the 10% extra

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... s/list.htm

iPete

DonDaddyD wrote:

No one is interested in Shimano Ultegra wheels.

This is because RS80s are worth the extra £60 IMO.

dhope

Il Principe wrote:

I have a pair of Shimano freehubbed Fulcrum 1's that I'm looking to sell... They're in great nick.

Oh?
(Shimano and SRAM are interchangeable right?)

il_principe

dhope wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

I have a pair of Shimano freehubbed Fulcrum 1's that I'm looking to sell... They're in great nick.

Oh?
(Shimano and SRAM are interchangeable right?)

I believe so.