Wheel upgrade/Turbo Wheel

dashik

Ok so just a thought, I'm using the turbo now and I think I'll probably be fine using the wheel and tyre that I've got.

My 2012 Allez comes with Alex S480, 32h rims and Forged aluminium, sealed bearing, QR, 32h on the front and Forged aluminium, double-sealed, cassette, QR, 32h rear with Specialized Espoir Sport w/ double BlackBelt, 60 TPI, wire bead, 700x23c tyres.

So if I was to get a spare wheel for the turbo and a tyre for it I was reading some other threads here and one of them suggested a Shimano R500 rear for around £50 (its the R501 now I think). This made me wonder, Is the R500/R501 a better wheel than what came with my Allez as standard?

It would be daft to go and buy an R500/501, fit a turbo tyre to it and find I was chucking the (possibly) inferior Alex S480 wheel back on to go out and ride.......

Flexisurfer

It would depend on how often you intend to use your turbo really, if your going to use it a couple of times a week then I wouldn't bother with a turbo wheel. However if you envisage using it throughout the winter and not use it on the road at all then upgrade your wheels as they are possibly he best single upgrade you can buy.

IMHO of course :?

Bobbinogs

Dashik wrote:

...Is the R500/R501 a better wheel than what came with my Allez as standard?

Not much in it. If you are going to 'upgrade' you will need to spend about £200 and go for something like Aksiums or, ideally £350 and go for RS80s. Same kind of price brackets for handbuilts.

The advantage of a spare wheel is that you can swap over quickly for turbo use. On my Allez, I use Aksiums in the winter for outdoors, RS80 on the turbo and vice versa for the summer. I use an old tyre for the turbo, and it gets a little sticky, very smooth and squared off so there is no way I would want to ride out on the road with it.

An old/cheap wheelset is always handy for emergencies, etc.

dashik

Thanks for the reply.

I plan on using the Turbo quite a bit, My shift pattern means that every other week it's dark when I get back and I don't fancy riding alone at night.

I think It may be worth thinking about the second wheel and a turbo tyre as a result.

I was just wondering whereabouts my Alex rims were in relation to other wheels.

So I was just wondering if the Shimano R500/501 was considered an upgrade on the Alex rim.

So seeing as I fancy a better bike early ish next year I'll try and get a good deal on a rear wheel for the turbo and leave it at that, No point in upgrading a bike I plan to trade in possibly.

Like I said, I would hate to put the turbo tyre on the better wheel lol.