Hand built upgrade

Haughjd
Haughjd Posts: 93
edited May 2014 in Road buying advice
I've had my bike (giant defy 0) for just over a year now. i'm very pleased with it.

sent it to the lbs for a service ready for some summer riding. Then got talking to the owner about wheels. I said i was thinking to get some lighter wheels for summer riding. I was surprised to find that actually hand-built wasnt just for the mega rich. So I've gone and ordered a set on top of my service.

ultegra hubs front and back/ mavic cxp33 rims, and spokes from dtswiss. time will tell if these end up being better then a stock item. But what's for sure is there mine hand built for me, in a shop just up the road. And thats got to make my bike a little more unique rather than just another stock item from asia.

I'm quite excited not because i expect to beat all my TT times, and collect lots of KOMs - but because I'll be riding a bike that more mine than it was before and just that little bit more unique and special.

Anyone else with stories about taking a generic bike from one of the big manufactures and making it just that bit more you?

Thanks, Jon

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    Haughjd wrote:
    Anyone else with stories about taking a generic bike from one of the big manufactures and making it just that bit more you?

    Thanks, Jon

    Do you have time?
    left the forum March 2023
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    Most bike nuts do exactly that. I do not have one stock bike as it was from the "factory" I have frames which I have built up just the way I like them.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    Haughjd wrote:
    I've had my bike (giant defy 0) for just over a year now. i'm very pleased with it.

    sent it to the lbs for a service ready for some summer riding. Then got talking to the owner about wheels. I said i was thinking to get some lighter wheels for summer riding. I was surprised to find that actually hand-built wasnt just for the mega rich. So I've gone and ordered a set on top of my service.

    ultegra hubs front and back/ mavic cxp33 rims, and spokes from dtswiss. time will tell if these end up being better then a stock item. But what's for sure is there mine hand built for me, in a shop just up the road. And thats got to make my bike a little more unique rather than just another stock item from asia.

    I'm quite excited not because i expect to beat all my TT times, and collect lots of KOMs - but because I'll be riding a bike that more mine than it was before and just that little bit more unique and special.

    Anyone else with stories about taking a generic bike from one of the big manufactures and making it just that bit more you?

    Thanks, Jon

    Not sure the rims you have chosen are all that "special", more bog-standard! An Archetype rim in black with black hubs or the Ultegra hubs with gunsmoke Archetypes would have been better on the Defy 0. I used to have one and the set of Archetypes I have looked lovely on it and performed very well. The bike was a dog but the wheels were nice!
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    Not sure the rims you have chosen are all that "special", more bog-standard!

    And that comes from your experience of riding them or just something you gathered on the wide web?

    CXP 33 are fine rims, you can argue that their design is a bit dated, compared to the new crop of wider/deeper rims, but I could counter-argue that the design of your rear derailleur is even more dated, yet it seems to do the job pretty well...
    left the forum March 2023
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    Not sure the rims you have chosen are all that "special", more bog-standard!

    And that comes from your experience of riding them or just something you gathered on the wide web?

    CXP 33 are fine rims, you can argue that their design is a bit dated, compared to the new crop of wider/deeper rims, but I could counter-argue that the design of your rear derailleur is even more dated, yet it seems to do the job pretty well...

    Yes, I have ridden them and my initial assessment still stands.I take your point though, they are solid, no-nonsense rims but if making the effort to go hand-built surely it is worth investigating a little further for something "special"?

    The tone of my post was, admittedly a little off-hand for which I apologise to the OP. No offence intended :wink:
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325

    Yes, I have ridden them and my initial assessment still stands.I take your point though, they are solid, no-nonsense rims but if making the effort to go hand-built surely it is worth investigating a little further for something "special"?

    The tone of my post was, admittedly a little off-hand for which I apologise to the OP. No offence intended :wink:

    I trust you are not confusing them with the bog standard CXP 22 that come fitted on many off the peg bikes... :wink:

    CXP 33
    572105_1.jpg

    CXP 22
    mavic-cxp-22-rim.jpg
    left the forum March 2023
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    No, the ones I rode definitely had 33 written on them!

    They were an older model though c2010. Perhaps they have changed/updated them?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    No, the ones I rode definitely had 33 written on them!

    They were an older model though c2010. Perhaps they have changed/updated them?

    No, only the stickers got duller
    left the forum March 2023
  • Camcycle1974
    Camcycle1974 Posts: 1,356
    No, the ones I rode definitely had 33 written on them!

    They were an older model though c2010. Perhaps they have changed/updated them?

    No, only the stickers got duller
    Yes, the yellow was actually quite striking on the right bike. not on the red/black Giant that I rode though.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,325
    No, the ones I rode definitely had 33 written on them!

    They were an older model though c2010. Perhaps they have changed/updated them?

    No, only the stickers got duller
    Yes, the yellow was actually quite striking on the right bike. not on the red/black Giant that I rode though.

    You should have got the red anodised rims then, they were fab...
    cxp33red_641_detail.jpg
    left the forum March 2023
  • dj58
    dj58 Posts: 2,224
    OP what spoke count and lacing pattern did your wheel builder recommend for your new wheels, what weight are you, if you don't mind me asking.