Wheel Upgrades

mcockram85

Hi Guys

I am currently riding a stock Ridley Noah FB and was looking at a possible wheel upgrade and was looking for some advice.

I mainly use the bike for weekend ride and sportives but have also been commuting on it so the wheels need to be reasonably durable for this purpose.

I have a realistic budget of up to £400 so I wonder what wheels people would recommend within that price range?

I have found a pair of unused but second hand "as new" Fulcrum Racing 3's for £284 which I caught my eye so has anyone got any opinion of these wheels or recommendations for factory alternatives or hand builts?

I have had a look at the http://www.wheelsmith.co.uk/road-wheels-prices site as I have heard good things about the Velocity Aerohead.

Would you recommend the Sapim CX Ray spoke, so within my price range I'd have the option of Ambrosio or Novatec Superlite hub's or would you go for the Laser/ACI combo spokes and get the Wheelsmith 295g Hub?

Any advice is welcome!

Oh and before I forget I currently weigh 80kg should that influence any suggestions

ugo.santalucia

Aero head yes... good rims, light and fast
Wheelmith hubs NO... they are made by Bitex, not great quality, I have used them occasionally and there are faulty ones... better to go for the Novatec, never had a problem with a Novatec hub
CX Ray NO... waste of money and they are nowhere near as strong as they boast... best to stick to ACI or laser at the front if you are light... Laser are just as light and much cheaper... the alleged aero advantage of the Cx is not life changing, maybe 0.01 mph faster as an average?

Second hand Fulcrum for nearly 300 pounds? NO... very big NO, there is no warranty on a set of wheels with virtually no spares available on the market... steer clear

mcockram85

Thanks for the reply Ugo, really informative.

You recommend the ACI or Laser if I am light, what sort of weight would you suggest? as I said in my first post I am around 80kg at the moment so would these still suit the purpose?

ugo.santalucia

mcockram85 wrote:

Thanks for the reply Ugo, really informative.

You recommend the ACI or Laser if I am light, what sort of weight would you suggest? as I said in my first post I am around 80kg at the moment so would these still suit the purpose?

Yes, you'll be fine with24/28 laser at the front and ACI at the rear... but you should ask for Sapim Race at the rear for consistency, don't know why he does not offer them as a default combo...
Stay away from coloured alloy nipples... I know Wheelsmith offer them as option, but they are junk

tinks101

Hi,

New to this forum (just joined), and hope this is the right place to pose this query.

I need to replace my Bontrager Select wheels on my Trek SLR. It's like a minefield out there. I'm not looking to spend loads, but was a good set of wheels and to be honest, I've been really happy with the Bontragers. However, it is time for them to take a back seat and prepare for retirement.

I've read loads and seen plenty of reviews, much of which are mixed to say the least. However, I think I may have narrowed it down to three, these being Mavic Aksium, Fulcrum 7 or (as a bit of a curve ball), Shimano RS30.

I need something definitive (though I appreciate it all comes down to personal preference.....and cost).

Out of those three, which would be considered the best buy? To help, these wheels will be taking me on several mid to long distances rides (50-100 miles) throughout the year and also some commuting (though in drier weather).

My head feels like it's about to explode so any input would be appreciated.

Cheers

smidsy

tinks - Get a set of handbuilts like Ambrosio rims with Novatech hubs - the do anything wheel of choice.

You can get a nice set for about £250 (depending on rim, hub and spoke choice) and never need another wheel again.

cadseen

Personnaly I would keep the stock wheels for commuting, and if you can afford it get some nicer wheels (maybe carbon deep sections) for the occasional nice/faster ride or sportif event.

http://www.probikekit.com/uk/components/wheels.html

tinks101

Thanks for the heads up. Given me food for thought...

letap73

tinks101 wrote:

Hi,

New to this forum (just joined), and hope this is the right place to pose this query.

I need to replace my Bontrager Select wheels on my Trek SLR. It's like a minefield out there. I'm not looking to spend loads, but was a good set of wheels and to be honest, I've been really happy with the Bontragers. However, it is time for them to take a back seat and prepare for retirement.

I've read loads and seen plenty of reviews, much of which are mixed to say the least. However, I think I may have narrowed it down to three, these being Mavic Aksium, Fulcrum 7 or (as a bit of a curve ball), Shimano RS30.

I need something definitive (though I appreciate it all comes down to personal preference.....and cost).

Out of those three, which would be considered the best buy? To help, these wheels will be taking me on several mid to long distances rides (50-100 miles) throughout the year and also some commuting (though in drier weather).

My head feels like it's about to explode so any input would be appreciated.

Cheers

I have the Bontrager select on my TREK SLR , which have been fantastic - the Askium,Fulcrum 7 and RS30 are not significant upgrades imo - save up for better wheels

Slack

And don't forget these as well:

viewtopic.php?t=12879580