Road Racing - Wheels

buckles

Having trashed numerous XR300 rims during my years as a cycle courier I'm not sure I could agree. Maybe I should have cleaned the brake surface and pads more often, I don't know, but they seemed to wear a lot faster than any of the other rims I used

majormantra

ugo.santalucia wrote:

MajorMantra wrote:

That said, I wouldn't bother unless you like swapping brake pads because riding tubs all the time is a faff I can hear Paolo fuming already) and the performance gains are totally negligible in the context of 4th cat racing.

Why?
I agree... cat. 4 racing (for what I have seen) is about tactics and having a good sprint... wheels are irrelevant.

I think a set of Kinlin XR 300 or equivalent clincher are probably the best wheels for the job, a set of hubs with no need for too much sealing (basic Novatec for instance)... the OP can keep it around 200 quid or so. Low mileage, decent roads, no need to spend a lot of money.

Tubulars are either for the "feel" if you are into those things or if the OP wants carbon wheels. The faff is relative, compared to the faff some clinchers are

Sorry, I missed a bracket there.

I think it's safe to say we have different perspectives on what constitutes faff. For me personally, tubs seemed inconvenient when I (briefly) tried them but since I am too light to ride deep sections most of the time I don't feel it's a great loss, although I do love the aesthetics of rims like the Nemesis.

YMMV, as Americans love to say.

ugo.santalucia

Buckles wrote:

Having trashed numerous XR300 rims during my years as a cycle courier I'm not sure I could agree. Maybe I should have cleaned the brake surface and pads more often, I don't know, but they seemed to wear a lot faster than any of the other rims I used

When a rim of 30 mm profile weighs 460 grams what do you expect? Completely irrelevant though, as we are talking cat. 4 racing and not urban cycling... a crit. race is 30 miles or so, there isn't much braking involved, do 50 of them in one year, which is pretty good going and you've done 1500 miles... the rim can easily do 3-4 seasons... by then the OP will have either upgraded or given up any ambition

buckles

True

Didn't realise they were so light. Was 6 years ago, didn't have a clue nor did I care about component weights - didn't choose the rims either, they came with the bike!

cycleclinic

All kinlin rim require the use of soft brake pads, if you use those and keep the rims clean they give very good life.

buckles

I don't have Kinlins anymore but am interested, which pads would you recommend? Are Aztec charcoal pads considered to be 'soft'?

Strith

I've been racing this year on kinlins, the exact setup ugo mentioned and made by the very man himself. They do the job nicely for crits. That said, I see loads of people racing Chinese carbon tubs too and I've yet to see any catastrophic failures.
As for soft pads, I've been using the standard shimano ones and there's no noticeable wear yet. Probably done 3000ish mostly dry miles as I train on other wheels.

mulletmaster

I know roughly the same number of people with Chinese carbons and zipps. 0 failures on the Chinese 3 to the zipps.I own Chinese clinchers, zipp 404s and ksyrium sl wheels. Train on the kysyriums race on the Chinese TT with the zipp front or Sunday best wheels. Honestly if I was only allowed 1 set I'd choose the Chinese set.

cycleclinic

Aztec road plus seem pretty soft and I would happily use them on Kinlin's but I think the best for Kinlins are Kool stop salmons. I had a chap who I built some XR-200 wheels for drop in with a metal coming of the rim issue. He was using Campag Mirage pads or something like that, those came out and Kool Stops went in and no bother since. Pads make a big difference on these rims.

I also like my chinese carbon rims. Nowt wrong with them.