Sub £500 wheel advice.

jonomc4

OK help needed. I am looking for a wheelset. I am 77kg - bike weighs about 7 - 8kg

I use the bike for summer commuting in London and 50mile fast club rides at weekends - all my use is road. I am looking for a fairly light wheel - I need all the help I can get on hills and wheels that spin up fast.

I want to keep it under £500 - I had assumed Mavic Kysrium Elites (about £427 new). But I want to try and think out of the box a bit. I also would prefer (though it is not a must) more silent hubs.

I also don't mind getting second hand wheels that have done under a 1,000 miles. Although I like bling it is not the be all and end all, aero is not massively important - therefore I was thinking maybe something in the 30mm range but I would rather have a good wheel than bling (though both would be nice )

Important to me - is I want bearing that I can just remove and replace like Mavics do - I am not great for bearing upkeep and would rather just put new ones in from time to time.

Any helpful pointers - I have been reading around but I seem to be getting more not less confused.

JamesFree

American Classic 420 aero

jonomc4

what hubs do they have? Oh wait I should go search

xscreamsuk

Why not talk to a wheelbuilder and get something handbuilt, you'll get a beltin set for that money.

jonomc4

They seem to have a nice balance between - and a bit blingy I have never really heard of them before - now I shall have to go search out some reviews.

The one thing that worries me about getting them built (though I know this is what a lot of riders with good knowledge do) - I would have no pint of reference fro what I was being offered (my wheel knowledge) Is lamentable. I also worry that I may be paying over the odds for the individual components. I would prefer to be able to buy the parts myself and them have them made - but I have no idea of what parts to get and who would do just the build for me!

jonomc4

The American classics get a good review here - also so do the HED Ardennes wheelset - but they seem to be £120 more - and less blingy

The main issue I have with the american classics is the fact they have "American" on them - a bit out of place on a De Rosa bike

daviesee

You could consider doing what I did for my Colnago Master.

Find a local wheelbuilder with a good reputation and speak to him.

I got Royce hubs, DT Swiss spokes and Ambrosia Excellence rims built with spoke count to suit me for £455.00.

jonomc4

daviesee wrote:

I got Royce hubs, DT Swiss spokes and Ambrosia Excellence rims built with spoke count to suit me for £455.00.

I was thinking of something like this when I was considering my own build (though I thought it would cost more) - I suppose I am frightened by the inability to read a load of reviews on the internet about this set up! I am really relying on people with more knowledge to guide me in the right direction.

xscreamsuk

jonomc4 wrote:

daviesee wrote:

I got Royce hubs, DT Swiss spokes and Ambrosia Excellence rims built with spoke count to suit me for £455.00.

I was thinking of something like this when I was considering my own build (though I thought it would cost more) - I suppose I am frightened by the inability to read a load of reviews on the internet about this set up! I am really relying on people with more knowledge to guide me in the right direction.

The person with more knowledge would be the wheelbuilder, have a search on here for some suggestions in your area.

styxd

Definitely a hand built set! I cant help with hubs though, the only ones I know of that are quiet are shimanos but they use cup and cone bearings. Perhaps PMP hubs are? The wheel builder will be able to advise.

I dont know why it has to be a local wheel builder though, just use a decent one, Im sure they'd post wheels to you.

Try Just Riding Along , Harry Rowland or Strada

daviesee

styxd wrote:

I dont know why it has to be a local wheel builder though, just use a decent one, Im sure they'd post wheels to you.

All the hand built wheels I have had (only 2 sets from different builders though) were taken back for a spoke tune-up after @250 miles.

styxd

All the hand built wheels I have had (only 2 sets from different builders though) were taken back for a spoke tune-up after @250 miles.

I guess if they're built properly then this perhaps isnt necessary.

jonomc4

Great that means because I live in London I will get ripped off on the price

daviesee

styxd wrote:

I guess if they're built properly then this perhaps isnt necessary.

You could be right with that :oops:
But I used wheel builders with a rep and still had to take them back.
Maybe I'll try elsewhere when the rims need replacing.

styxd

Well, Im no master wheel builder, but I've built wheels before. I followed a couple of online guides and both recommended "de-stressing(?)" the spokes. Which I did, and then tweaked them up again, and then repeated (a few times)

When I put them on my bike and used them, they stayed true for ages and didnt need tweaking for a long time (this was on a mtb though).

xscreamsuk

I got mine here, www.dcrwheels.co.uk, a free tune up service is offered. Keep the box they came in to send them back though! Ask me how I know that one!

So far asked 3 lbs if they have any old boxes for chucking out with no result.

jonomc4

xscreamsuk wrote:

I got mine here, http://www.dcrwheels.co.uk, a free tune up service is offered. Keep the box they came in to send them back though! Ask me how I know that one!

So far asked 3 lbs if they have any old boxes for chucking out with no result.

That's interesting - they offer the build option only - I have bookmarked them!

So I think it is a choice between the American Classic 420 Aero or a self build option.

I will have a look at the self build option - but it is going to depend on the costs of the parts I can get. There is no major rush as I am running Mavic Equipes right now and they are fine currently but I do need an upgrade for them and for the Mavics to go on my 2nd bike.

I am keen on the Ambrosia Excellence rims - but the hubs is more complicated - my first choice would be Chris Kings (but I would need to find a cheap set) - then either DT swiss or Royce - but I am not sure which.

What about spokes - does anyone have any links as to what are good spokes - I definitely want aero spokes - but beyond that know very little! I need a spoke that can handle the occasional London pothole!

BTW - thanks everyone for the ideas and advice I really appreciate it.

huuregeil

I would recommend a different build. Hope Pro 3 hubs, DT RR415 front, DT RR465 rear. 28h front, 32h rear. Sapim Laser/DT Revolution front & rear NDS, Sapim Race/DT Comp rear DS. Brass nipples all round

Rationale: the DT rims are excellent for a light and strong build, they're a little bit deeper than Excellence, this adds to their strength/stiffness. Aero spokes on this build is probably a waste of time/money - the Laser/Rev spokes give you the weight saving and are much cheaper. Hope Pro 3 are robust and very easy to service and are tremendous value for a light set. If you want to drop more cash and save a bit more weight, DT240 have very similar characteristics. Will be a sweet wheelset!

jonomc4

Thanks for that - I would definitely go for the DT Swiss hubs though over hope - I keep reading about people having problems with the hope hub - but then again that could be because they are so popular!

Now all I need to do is convince the wife about how badly I need these new wheels

huuregeil

I'm not aware of any specific issues with Pro 3 hubs. Certainly, there are lots of Hope hubs out there; bear in mind too that many people use hope hubs off roads, so these see far more filthy conditions that a typical road user. DT hubs are nice, though - totally solid option if you've got the cash! stabike.com has good DT prices (also for spokes/rims - though, if you're buying spokes, check with your wheelbuilder re length).

adm1

1st post on this forum.....but I also second the hand built route.

You could also have a look at www.stradawheels.co.uk as they have some pretty good options. In fact, I recently ordered a set of wheels from them with Royce hubs, H Plus Son Archetype rims and Sapim CX-Ray spokes - a bit more than £500, but I am looking at the hubs as an investment that will last longer than me. You can get a similar set built up with their own hubs for sub £500, and of course they offer many options to suit your riding style and pocket.

I can't recommend these guys yet as my wheels haven't arrived yet....but once they do, I will post an update - good or bad. Customer service experience has been goods far though and they get good reviews.

In any case.....I was going through a similar dilemma a few weeks ago and ended up deciding on the hand built route as offering decent cost, plus the ability to spec what I actually wanted and it keeps local people employed!

keyser__soze

Curveball, Dura Ace 7900 C24s at £500 here: http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/a43819 ... html?lg=en - great wheelset, surprisingly aero for a 24mm rim and super-light at sub 1.4kg.