shamal ultra Fulcrum zero

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  • springtide9
    springtide9 Posts: 1,731
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Rolf F wrote:

    I paid £50 for a pair of barely used Campag wheels which so far have done a good 12,000 miles in all weathers. They still have plenty more in them though the freehub bearing does need replacing. But at that price, I can't see any handbuilt wheel could have offered me any economic or performance benefits.

    A friend has found a Colnago Master in a skip... I don't think you can beat that pound for pound. A lucky find is a lucky
    find, nobody argues that a near new set of wheels for 50 quid is a bargain... :wink:

    I would agree that maybe I didn't look after than right, but the bike was regularly washed; the main damage was caused by descending on gritty roads in the wet, when maybe the rims and pads were clean when you set off, but after an hour or so you might have not bothered washing them the state they get in. This is obviously not the fault of the Fulcrums, but more the point that wheels are consumables and parts need to be regularly replaced.
    There was also no excuse for the bearings and freehub going so soon. In pulling the wheels apart, it's fairly obvious that why these go so quickly - the lack of any seals.
    To compare to the Hope Freehub that was fitted to my MTB maybe 4 years ago that has seen a lot more mud and grit (and foul weather), they still runs as smooth as when it was first fitted. Hope hubs aren't that expensive compared to what you'd be dropping on a pair of R0's (and are not exactly seen as the leaders in hubs), and I'm sure if you had that sort of cash burning a hole in your pocket you could always opt for Chris King hubs.

    The point with hand-built wheels, is that if you go all out for that special set of hubs, spokes and rims; when things need replacing, you just get that part replaced by your favourite wheel-builder.
    Simon
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    A friend has found a Colnago Master in a skip... I don't think you can beat that pound for pound. A lucky find is a lucky find, nobody argues that a near new set of wheels for 50 quid is a bargain... :wink:

    Oh I agree with you but I'm not trying to cheat with crazy Scott CR1 frame type economics. What I'm getting at is that I think that cheap, barely used wheels are not that rare a commodity - they are those things that people sell off new frames and, if you wait, they do crop up. Of course, like any bargain, if you absolutely must have it now, it won't be found anywhere! Wheels (factory at least) are consumables - you know if you cover serious miles all year round that you will wear your current wheels out. But it may take a while. So as long as you aren't skint, keep a look out and buy the parts you need before you need them, when you see them cheap. Saves a fortune in the long run (as long as you actually use those parts, he says, looking nervously at £500 worth of Scott CR1 frame leaning against the wall....).
    Faster than a tent.......
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    springtide9 wrote:
    I would agree that maybe I didn't look after than right, but the bike was regularly washed; the main damage was caused by descending on gritty roads in the wet, when maybe the rims and pads were clean when you set off, but after an hour or so you might have not bothered washing them the state they get in. This is obviously not the fault of the Fulcrums, but more the point that wheels are consumables and parts need to be regularly replaced.
    There was also no excuse for the bearings and freehub going so soon. In pulling the wheels apart, it's fairly obvious that why these go so quickly - the lack of any seals.

    Ultimately, you are making a case for disc brakes rather than handbuilts as such here! Pretty much I reckon you need to clean the pads and rims after every wet ride. I started using black Swissstops this year as they are meant to be gentler on alloy rims. Certainly the rate I got through them in winter suggests that they wear more than the rims! Still have to pick the alloy out of thme though.

    As for the bearings - probably mine have lasted better than yours as I use Crud Road Racers on my Ribble. The front guard in particular makes a huge difference - effectively an unguarded front wheel ridden in the rain is continuously jet washing the bearings of the rear wheel. That's not an excuse for poor seals but it does pretty much solve the problem and I don't see the pleasure in riding a bike in the wet in winter without mudguards.

    As far as the hub bearings go - at least those I believe to be a rather simple task and one that doesn't risk a trashed hub like cup and cone left too late. I'm not sure what I need to do to sort my grumbling freehub though.....(I don't want to buy a new one as the problem with a pair of wheels that cost you £50 is that paying £50 for a new freehub seems unfair!).
    Faster than a tent.......

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