Training wheels

Cookie91

Good evening ladies and gentleman!

Just a little query, i was currently involved in a road accident involving a taxi . Never mind, anywho i have had the bike checked over and all is gravy apart from a cracked headset and a bent front wheel. I was also told the back hub is dead too.
Now i have decided it is time for a new set of wheels, i am after something sturdy and reliable, their main use is going to be training throughout the winter before next season (i will probably race on them too). Now i am just wondering how much should i probably spend on a set and how long wheels usually last (my last set have only lasted me since march)
I am currently looking at a set of Hope Hoops built onto a mavic open pro rims from my local bike shop, i love the sound and they look great and from what i gather they are easily serviceable almost completely replaceable and a good work horse. Just the £300 price tag is slightly off putting if i will get through another set of wheels in another 7-8 months time

Any other wheel set suggestions that i should look at?

(was posted in the buying section, however slight lack of replies)

ShutUpLegs

Lightweight Ventoux, Mavic SLR's

Tom Dean

The lack of replies might be down to the fact this type of question comes up a few times a day on the Buying Advice forum (not so much in 'Training' though :roll: ) Use the search function.

Cookie91

I was expecting a reply like this. Unfortunately the search function doesnt really turn up much on the hope hoops, and the ones it turns up are from 2-3 years ago. If i replied to them i would then have a rant on how i am digging up old threads. :roll:

I would just like an up to date response, should i consider a wheel builder? a big factory wheel or something obvious i have missed?

daverollo

Similar position to yourself Cookie (apart from the accident). The off the shelf bike I bought doesn't have great wheels on them and I have had to get the spokes 'trued' twice in the last 300 miles, so decided on getting a nice sturdy build for the winter and next season.

LBS recommended Mavic Open Pro's with 36 spokes F&R on Shimano 105 hubs. Can't recall if it is Sapim Race spokes in black or the D-Light. The chap in the shop commutes on his bike daily (all weathers) 35 miles and has had a set on his machine for over 2 years.

No experience of the Hope Hoops, but the general consensus is that spending £200-£300 on a hand built set will be a worthwhile investment.

Herbsman

daverollo wrote:

LBS recommended Mavic Open Pro's with 36 spokes F&R on Shimano 105 hubs.

I would recommend this, either 32 or 36 spokes depending on your weight / component availability. I have 32's but there's no problem having an extra 8 spokes in your wheels and the benefit of the extra strength hugely outweighs any 'drawback' of the extra weight.

I built a pair myself, at a cost of about £160 + the hours taken to build and true. Hubs were about £55 from Chain Reaction, Rims about £60 the pair from Evans (special offer), DT Swiss double butted spokes, brass nipples and Schwalbe rim tape from Rose Bikes, approx £45 including postage. Not sure how much a professional builder would charge but I can't imagine it being more than £200.

They will certainly last longer than 7-8 months - try 2-3 years, possibly longer, depending on how much braking you do and what your annual mileage is.

Tom Dean

Sorry, I should have said UTSF and give it more than AN HOUR before cluttering up other forums reposting your question.

Cookie91

Tom Dean wrote:

Sorry, I should have said UTSF and give it more than AN HOUR before cluttering up other forums reposting your question.

Apologies for wishing to make my decision by today because i wish to pick up my bike today from the shop.

I forget that tidy forums are a necessity. :roll:

Tom Dean

Mods, can the rules be amended to allow any users in a wheel buying EMERGENCY to spam the forums with multiple identical threads. Thanks.

davidof

Herbsman wrote:

daverollo wrote:

LBS recommended Mavic Open Pro's with 36 spokes F&R on Shimano 105 hubs.

I built a pair myself, at a cost of about £160 + the hours taken to build and true.

Or 149 euros from Andorra

http://www.bikeos.fr/index.php/jeu-de-r ... n-pro.html

with Ultegra hubs rather than 105s.

Herbsman

Blimey, that's cheap.

Cookie91

Herbsman wrote:

Blimey, that's cheap.

Just what i thought. By the way herbsman i love your posts you seem to generate from your wild mind and blog. Thought it would be nice to say!

davidof

Herbsman wrote:

Blimey, that's cheap.

It is, I got some WH-6700s in the end but I spoke to bikeos on the phone and it all seemed legit. They maybe are not the lightest build ever but would make good trainers. I have a pair of 15 year old Open pros and they are a bomber rim although seemed to suffer some build problems more recently.

thiscocks

Get some ambrosio excellence on ambrosio hubs from the wheelsmith.£300. Much less than that and you can't expect a reliable wheel that will do all you want. I have ambrosio evolutions on ambrosio hubs and they lasted a good 2yrs before a spoke and rear hub bearing went, and that was with a couple of races on them as well as training and commuting. wheels should last longer than 7months if they are half decent.

smidsy

Having recently got Ambrosio Excellight rims on Ambrosio (Novatech) hubs with DT Competition spokes (32 front and rear) I can say that they are a lovely ride. Certainly much 'plusher' feeling than the summer wheels I have been using.

Lighter than I was expcting too.

Herbsman

smidsy wrote:

Having recently got Ambrosio Excellight rims on Ambrosio (Novatech) hubs with DT Competition spokes (32 front and rear) I can say that they are a lovely ride. Certainly much 'plusher' feeling than the summer wheels I have been using.

Lighter than I was expcting too.

I have a pair of these, and was surprised when not just one but TWO non drive side spokes snapped a few months after I started using them.

Maybe I'm just unlucky, but these were built by a reputable builder. I've never had a spoke snap in any wheel I've built myself!