Looking for some new wheels.

smoggysteve

I am looking at getting some new Carbon wheels. My first choice was going to be a set of FF F6R Tubs. I have been looking at Planet-X Pro Carbon 50 Tubs also and they are ridiculously cheap in comparison. Now, I would consider the Planet-X ones but unsure of their build quality. Has anyone got these or the 82mm Tubs? How do they compare to a set of proven Fast Forwards or even Fulcrum Red wind's or Mavic Cosmics which are my only other real consideration

dmclite-3.0

Have a look at Fuerte Bici. The wheels are very similar to Reynolds. I have had a set of 60mm clinchers for 2 1/2 years, still true as you like, no wear on braking surface, fairly light and I am 12.5 stone with no flex, even when up out the saddle pushing hard. Just another consideration. I am buying the 20mm tubs this year from them as well.

blackhands

I've got PX 82/101 wheels with Veloflex Records on and build quality is fine, but the 82 front is a bit difficult to handle in very strong crosswinds. I've also got a PX 20mm 24 spoke front carbon with Vittoria Corsa on for bad weather racing - this was handbuilt but the rim is very flexible so needs to be built up by a very good wheelbuilder.

smoggysteve

blackhands wrote:

I've got PX 82/101 wheels with Veloflex Records on and build quality is fine, but the 82 front is a bit difficult to handle in very strong crosswinds. I've also got a PX 20mm 24 spoke front carbon with Vittoria Corsa on for bad weather racing - this was handbuilt but the rim is very flexible so needs to be built up by a very good wheelbuilder.

Cheers for the info, I am mainly after the build quality. I know a few users of them who say they are great but I always get a bit sceptical when things a so much cheaper than the competition. Not sure I would go as high as 82 on the front anyway but good to know.

Grill

Stick to 50mm or less on the front unless you're only going to be using them for TTs and can handle gusts.

ugo.santalucia

The build quality can be crap even among the expensive wheels, not just Planet X. A set of PX cost roughly 4- 500 pounds, a set of Zipp cost roughly 2 K. I would say the Zipp have superior hubs over the Planet X, which use the crappest ones Novatec make and the rims are arguably more advanced... they also have CX ray spokes instead of Pillar ones, which are arguably better and they are lighter. I would say the correct price would be somewhere around 1 K, the rest is the heavy advertising campaign which results in prohibitive cost. The build is actually not that impressive, as I have rewieved on my blog over the weekend.
http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/con ... o-zipp-now

It seems to me Wheelsmith's Gigantex carbon tubs are the best of both worlds... you get a good quality build on some good quality rims and you can choose good quality hubs too. AFAIK he is the one who has a good and constant supply of those rims, but I might be wrong

smoggysteve

Grill wrote:

Stick to 50mm or less on the front unless you're only going to be using them for TTs and can handle gusts.

I currently have 50mm Campag clinchers and I would say that is as high as I would go one front for any type of riding. 60mm would be overkill so 50mm Tubs are mainly what I am after. I think I am more swayed toward Vision TriMax Carbon TC50 now or Profile design 52mm (2 mil is nothing) now after discounting alot. Not sure I want to take the risk on the PX rims. Cheers for the advice.

ugo.santalucia

SmoggySteve wrote:

Grill wrote:

Stick to 50mm or less on the front unless you're only going to be using them for TTs and can handle gusts.

I currently have 50mm Campag clinchers and I would say that is as high as I would go one front for any type of riding. 60mm would be overkill so 50mm Tubs are mainly what I am after. I think I am more swayed toward Vision TriMax Carbon TC50 now or Profile design 52mm (2 mil is nothing) now after discounting alot. Not sure I want to take the risk on the PX rims. Cheers for the advice.

In which way Planet X are a risk? They use standard J spokes that can easily be sourced and replaced... the Novatec hubs use standard bearings taht can be bought online for a couple of quid... a Novatec freehub spare costs 25 pounds and even a chimp can fit one with no instructions... the rims have the same chances of falling apart as any other rim and replacements are available and cheaper than other brands... I think you will take more of a gamble going for wheels that use proprietary parts, to be honest

smoggysteve

Not risk of failure but of performance.

ugo.santalucia

SmoggySteve wrote:

Not risk of failure but of performance.

Am I wrong in thinking that Vision do not develop their own rims, but do use rims sourced from the far east, most likely Gigantex? And if so, basically they are the same rims you would get from Planet X, who claim to use Gigantex rims (they came on this forum to state that). Spokes are bladed in both cases... I don't see how one set can be vastly better than the other... I am tempted to think that on a blindfoleded test they will be exactly the same thing

smoggysteve

ugo.santalucia wrote:

SmoggySteve wrote:

Not risk of failure but of performance.

Am I wrong in thinking that Vision do not develop their own rims, but do use rims sourced from the far east, most likely Gigantex? And if so, basically they are the same rims you would get from Planet X, who claim to use Gigantex rims (they came on this forum to state that). Spokes are bladed in both cases... I don't see how one set can be vastly better than the other... I am tempted to think that on a blindfoleded test they will be exactly the same thing

Would you ride your bike blindfolded???

I would rather just stick to what I was going to get in the first place. The Planet-X were an option. I decided not to take it. BTW, That means the Fast Forwards. Mainly cos I can get them Tax free. Planet-X won't do tax free to me.