Is it worth upgrading Triban 3 wheels to Shimano 501's?

prhymeate
prhymeate Posts: 795
edited June 2013 in Road beginners
Ribble have R501's for £65 at the moment. I've had my bike for almost a year and sometimes I'm tempted to buy a new bike, although sometimes I think I'm enjoying cycling as it is so why spend the money. For £65 though I thought that maybe some new wheels would be a nice little upgrade.
Has anyone done a similar upgrade on the T3? Was there much of a noticeable difference?

Comments

  • elderone
    elderone Posts: 1,410
    I would definately go for it at that price.I got some and they are nice wheels and if there the 30mm ones they look good to.
    Btw mine are not on a triban but my defy 4.
    Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,741
    I would say no tbh, I would reckon some good tyres would give you a better payback and you could save for some posh wheels when the existing ones give up the ghost / are relegated to winter riding
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    To be honest, I'd save a bit more money for something a bit better.

    I bought a set of 501 wheels as I wanted one that I could swap out quickly when I wanted to use the Turbo Trainer, and these were the cheapest out there at the time. When I got them, they were 'ok', but they weigh a tonne and the bearings were really rough. I opened them up, cleaned out the (tiny amount of) sh*t grease, and greased and adjusted them properly. They're still rough as a very rough thing and you can hear the bearings :shock:

    To be honest, I don't know what the wheels on your Triban are like, so I don't have a comparrison, but as mentioned, unless you need them, I'd hang on a while and save a bit more money for a better set.

    That said, for £65 you're not going ot go far wrong, and you'll have a spare set of wheels.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,666
    Not sure what is on the Triban, but I would have said its a worthwhile upgrade.
    Best option is if the Triban wheels are quarter decent and then sell them on ebay to offset cost of upgrade.
    If they are really bad and not worth anything then thats all the more reason to buy new ones and the Shimano's are cheap.
    I would not keep the Tribans as winter/spare wheels personally (unless they are actually worthless), just sell them.

    I would also not do any of the above until you have some decent tyres
    Might be worth the extra for bladed spokes and/or deeper rimmed version too.
    You can of course spend more on better wheels, but guess there has to be a limit to what you want to spend on a T3 and you could always upgrade from the 501's (keeping them as spares) at a later date if something comes up and you have the cash.
  • prhymeate
    prhymeate Posts: 795
    Cheers for the replies everyone. I guess I'll think about it a bit more. I currently have gatorskins, I know they are far from the fastest tyres but I'd rather have the extra protection from punctures.

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