Choosing wheels; what are the

bazzer2

So I'm thinking of upgrading my RS10 wheels that came on my SuperSix.

I've heard the spokes pinging at low speed, particularly when I'm giving it some effort up hills, and after reading a little on here about wheels I'm sure they're regarded as something to upgrade early on.

I've already put GP4000s on, with some light weight tubes, and I think I noticed the difference in feel just afterwards.

What I'd like to know is what characteristics I should be comparing. I understand there are aero advantages with deep section rims if I ride regularly above 20mph, or I would notice light weight wheels accellerate quicker. Do I need to worry about how many spokes? Machine built or hand built?

I've not set a budget but I think about £300 would be 'disappearable'

noiseboyfeetman

Spoke count depends on your weight, don't go buying a set with a low spoke count if you're a heavy rider.

antfly

I put RS80s on my supersix, it's a good combination as they are comfy wheels and the supersix is very stiff. Mavic ksyrium elites are also good, and tougher.

sloppyschleckonds

bazzer2 wrote:

I've heard the spokes pinging at low speed

Do they ping at high speed?

bazzer2

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Do they ping at high speed?

Um, difficult to say really. I can't hear them pinging, but that might say more about wind and other noise than the spokes.

keef66

Ribble have the RS80's at £300 at the mo.

Or you could consider handbuilts...

bazzer2

keef66 wrote:

Ribble have the RS80's at £300 at the mo.

Or you could consider handbuilts...

Yes, that's great, but not what I was after. I can and will probably waste too much time trawling for offers, deals etc, when I know what features I think I need in a wheel.

What makes the RS80's good - for me?

keef66

Well so far, all we know about your reasons for wanting to replace your functional RS10's is that they occasionally produce a pinging noise.

£300 to get rid of a noise seems a bit excessive to me, but I'm preparing to ride my RS10's to death before I replace them.

If you want specific wheel recommendations you'd need to reveal how much you weigh, what kind of riding you do (eg TT's, hilly sportives, road racing, crits?) and what you want of the new wheels (comfort, stiffness, aero benefits, bling, and whether they are easily / cheaply repairable)

racingcondor

So far Bazzer you haven't told us enough to say what a good wheelset would be for you.

If for instance you are light and want a fast (feeling) all round wheelset then RS80's are a very good factory wheel. If you're a heavier rider they are probably worth avoiding (few spokes means they can suffer broken spokes and can be flexy under load).

If you're looking for some durable, comfortable wheels which require as little maintenance as possible then I'd suggest ignoring weight and looking at handbuilts. Many factory wheels these days rely on very stiff rims to support the low spoke counts and as a result give a pretty harsh ride compared to a more supple rim with a lot of spokes.

Budget, the rider and the uses the rider will be putting them to are important. Of course it's also fine to accept that unless you race (and then probably E12) all you're really looking for is a durable wheel that looks good and feels nice to ride at whatever price you can afford.

bazzer2

ok I understand people wanting to give specific advice; and I am thankful!
I'm about 80kg so weight isn't a primary issue for me (think I could probably lose some weight etc.)

What I'm interested in is why is a specific feature a benefit. The weight of a wheel I get - but what makes a Fulcrum 3 better than an RS80, better than a Krysium and so on.

So yes, I could go on specifying my exact weight, how much power my left knee can safely supply, what size gravel they top the roads on my 3rd downhill of every other Sunday's ride etc, etc - but I'm after the reasons people go for specific benefits.

Or - should I just say "I have £300, what's the 'best' wheels I can get?" like everyone else does?

markhewitt1978

From the research I've done the RS80 gets very positive reviews (there are some negative as always). And as far as Shimano goes they are the 'best' wheels which are cheaper than the Dura Ace, which are £630 a set. So at £300 that sounds good.

I hope to be buying a set myself

Keep in mind that the RS81's are the replacement and will be available soon if not already, which is probably why they are selling the RS80s cheap.

keef66

Generally speaking:

Deep rims: aero benefit if as you say you're consistently maintaining 20mph plus. eg time trialling. Generally a weight penalty though, and can be interesting in cross winds.

Low spoke count: saves a tiny bit of weight and looks flashy, but break a spoke and the wheel usually goes so far out of true it's unrideable. Can be tricky to retrue them too. Ditto some of the unusual spoke patterns

Stiff wheels: no energy wasted in flexing the wheels and having them hit the brake blocks when climbing standing or sprinting. Ride can be harsh, but not neccessarily so.

Carbon rims: sometimes heavier than alloy equivalents, usually used for deep section aero wheels. Look and sound pretty funky. Braking requires carbon specific brake blocks and can be iffy in the wet.

Carbon / alloy composite (eg the RS80s). Benefit of alloy braking track but with a bit of carbon for bling. Not sure it saves any weight

If you want something that's readily repairable seek the recommendations of a wheelbuilder. Personally I'd avoid stupidly light hubs. I like the bombproof yet affordable stuff like 105 or Ultegra.

dazzle740

How old are the RS10's? the only reason I ask is that it is not uncommon to hear spokes pinging when new as the spokes/nipples all bed in, but if the wheels aren't new then it could be just a case of them needing to be re-tensioned, if your not confident to do this then your lbs should be able to help.
Or is it more a case of you just want to replace your old wheels for some newer/nicer/lighter wheels?

dazzle740

As said above don't worry about light hubs as being right on the wheels turning axsis you'll not notice any difference, personally I would be looking for a hub with good quality bearings more than light weight.

cycleclinic

while the aero benefit of deep section wheels is present at 20mph it is very small when compared to shallow rimmed wheel.

So reducing the rotating mass is the biggest difference you can make (still the benefits are small but you will at least feel them). That is best accomplished by light rims and higher spoke counts. Low spoke counts require deeper stiffer rims to compensate.

Hub weight is not important which is why my favourite hubs are Miche.