Wheelsmith Race24 owner feedback (esp. with a Powertap!)

duckson

http://www.wheelsmith.co.uk/race24

Anyone got the Wheelsmith Race24's and can provide some feedback on them and comparisons to other wheelsets they have used if possible? (yes i've searched)

I've been tempted to get a Stages power meter but put off by reliability concerns so I'm tempted to order these with a Powertap G3 and sell my DA9000 C24's, i could use these on my best bike and swap them to my winter bike later in the year....reluctant to use the C24's during wet/winter.

Would work out £150-200 cheaper after selling the C24's than just getting a DA Stages crank arm.

Did look at the carbon 30mm or 50mm but i think the warming of a rim descending and potential to blow a tube puts me off (riding Trough of Bowland , Lakes, Dales occasionally).

Contemplated tubs in the past but will be more hassle....dont want that debate here!

sloppyschleckonds

Could you not just get a G3 built on h plus son archetype or similar 23mm rims and ride all year round on them.

I'm not quite sure on the math here, Stages PM £799, Wheelsmith G3 £998
New DA9000 C24's at Wiggle for £599

duckson

I could and i could ride all year round in the Race24's.....whats the difference really? Dont like the Archetype from a aesthetic point of view with the brake track rubbing off, no doubt they are great rims though.

Stages & using current DA C24's is more expensive than the Race24's+Powertap and selling the DA C24's.

cycleclinic

Power tap though means dealing with Paligap for servicing and big repairs. This is not a joy I can assure you they can take forever to do stuff. I would go with the pedal based systems as if there is a problem and you have to send the pedals of you can always very easily put a cheap pair of pedal on (Look Keo Easy's) to get you going again. With the powertap you will have to keep a spare wheel handy.

duckson

Well that doesn't give me a warm feeling!

Pedal based system like Garmin Vector? Costs a boat load more i think....

Might have to risk the Stages! hmmm decisions decisions.

ollie51

Power2max. Not hugely more expensive than stages, measures both legs and more than accurate/reliable in its provision of data! I think they accept paypal now too, which is good. Crank based so you can use whatever wheels you want.

I can assure you, they are definitely waterproof!

duckson

Yea P2M is more dosh though and not as easy to swap between bikes. :?

schweiz

As to the reliability of Powertap, I know it's a statistical sample of 1, but I did a calibration check of my 5 year old powertap hub the other week and it was still within 1.5%. Changing the batteries is easy and I'm led to believe, even easier with the the G3 hub. So whilst the UK importer of Powertap may not have the best reputation for speedy turn-around of issues, the number of stages power meters that have been faulty and been replaced would push me down the Powertap route.

A pedal based system would be handy, given that I could alway put the pedals on whatever bike I was riding (including the track bike which I would love to have power on) but then I would have to factor in the cost of switching over to Look (assuming that I would need to buy at least one set of none Vector pedals) and ditching all my SPD-SL pedals. Also the clearance between the ribbon cable and the chain look tight!

ugo.santalucia

thecycleclinic wrote:

Power tap though means dealing with Paligap for servicing and big repairs.

Tru, but you can do most things DIY. The freehub is a Novatec B1, bearings are bearings... unless the electronics give the OP grief, the rest is a bog standard hub

ollie51

duckson wrote:

Yea P2M is more dosh though and not as easy to swap between bikes. :?

I can swap my cranks faster than I can swap my pedals.