The Cycle Clinic handbuilt wheels

onemoresolo
onemoresolo Posts: 372
edited May 2013 in Road buying advice
Hovering over the buy button on a set of Kinlin XR200s with Novatech hubs as a set of climbing wheels on a dry weather only bike as I'm aware the Novatech hubs have a poor reputation for bearing life in the wet. Has anyone bought wheels from The Cycle Clinic?

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,337
    Which Novatec?

    The 171/172 combo are fairly durable
    the 291/482 lighter ones tend to have a short bearing life, but bearing replacement is straightforward and spare are cheap... for a bet I once replaced the front in less than 1 minute
    left the forum March 2023
  • onemoresolo
    onemoresolo Posts: 372
    It'll be the 291/482 combination. I've replaced bearings in a couple of sets of wheels before so I'm comfortable doing it. Will replacing the bearings with higher quality ones down the line lead to greater life or is the issue the weather sealing of the hubs?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,337
    onemoresolo wrote:
    It'll be the 291/482 combination. I've replaced bearings in a couple of sets of wheels before so I'm comfortable doing it. Will replacing the bearings with higher quality ones down the line lead to greater life or is the issue the weather sealing of the hubs?

    it will, better bearings have more durable seals. The Cycle clinic is a very handy man, I am sure you can ask him to upgrade the bearings to SKF ones and he'll do that for you. The two front and the left rear are the ones that normally go first...
    left the forum March 2023
  • 6wheels
    6wheels Posts: 411
    I wanted to have a 'good weather' set of wheels for my CAAD 10 (replacing RS10), so spoke to Malcolm, sorted spec. and now have my new set of wheels. All went very smoothly, with sensible advice, and they're just waiting for some good weather to break them in.

    When I get my 2014 Supersix, I'll be ordering another set...think that says it all.
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    what did you go with, out of interest?
  • 6wheels
    6wheels Posts: 411
    giant man wrote:
    what did you go with, out of interest?

    RR415 28h and RR465 32h DT Swiss
    Sapim Laser spokes
    Miche Racing Box Hubs

    They weigh around 1700+ gms , so not the lightest, at least I can get spares for them. Mind you, the amount of miles I do, they'll probably last 20 years.

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