"new" Planet X AL30 Wheelset advice...
rickeverett
Posts: 988
Anyone got the newer AL30 wheelset?
I need a new set of wheels to replace some Fulcrums 5's, but have very little to spend at the moment and at £149 they seem to be the best deal in terms of weight, price, depth and looks.
Trouble is some have reported dodgy bearings but these seem to be the older posts / model. Is this still the case?
Most other reviews are very favourable and TBH I cant find anything else.
I need a new set of wheels to replace some Fulcrums 5's, but have very little to spend at the moment and at £149 they seem to be the best deal in terms of weight, price, depth and looks.
Trouble is some have reported dodgy bearings but these seem to be the older posts / model. Is this still the case?
Most other reviews are very favourable and TBH I cant find anything else.
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I've been thinking about these too, would also be interested to hear others thoughts.0
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They look good but have a look on Merlin Cycles website first eg: http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-rs3 ... 64557.html They have fulcrums too.'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.0
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AFAIK the bearings are the same, I have had mine for nearly 2 years and with many (mostly dry) miles on them no problems apart from a wheel true. Some reports say the bearings can be averse to wet weather.0
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passout wrote:They look good but have a look on Merlin Cycles website first eg: http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-rs3 ... 64557.html They have fulcrums too.
yeah looked at the RS30's - Shimano hubs etc are good, but at 2050g for the set (without skewers) they are really heavy wheels. The AL30's are 1622g + 100g skewers0 -
diamonddog wrote:AFAIK the bearings are the same, I have had mine for nearly 2 years and with many (mostly dry) miles on them no problems apart from a wheel true. Some reports say the bearings can be averse to wet weather.
Wonder if the grease around the cracks method would help keep water out. THB these will probably be a stop-gap. I was originally looking for a new bike but finances are tight now and just need a wheel set that will do over summer so perhaps that will do.
How easy do you reckon it is to remove the decals ?0 -
The good thing about these wheels is PX usually offer a higher spoke option Model C 32/32 spoke. I am very light so not brutal to wheels and the 20/24 spoke count is fine for me, I would definitely get some more at this price.
Decals = PITA it seems so I didn't bother trying to take them off.
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passout wrote:They look good but have a look on Merlin Cycles website first eg: http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-rs3 ... 64557.html They have fulcrums too.
Not enough spokes for my liking, don't do these stupidly low spoke count wheels.
Lighter rim and more spokes makes far more sense.0 -
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Moonbiker wrote:
not bad for 70 odd quid.!
Just noticed on the Planet X description "and now with new and improved bearings" - so looks as if they have sorted the issue as the problematic comments seem to be from a few years ago.0 -
Well I ordered a set yesterday afternoon - arrived this morning via Free delivery Mon-Sat!!!
V-impressed with the service from Planet X in that regard.
Initial impressions are very good. The bearings roll super smooth. Better than the Fulcrums out of the box. The spoke profiles are wider aero than the fulcrums too which look better.
Rear hub makes a bit of a noise however - will have to see once they are fitted and rolling how that turns out.
Decals are a bit messy- not sure if the red is going to clash with the green on my bike !
Anyway will fit them and do a ride today as its glorious weather and report back...0 -
Great day to test the wheels out.
I'm pretty impressed. These AL30's are really really good - especially when you factor in the price!.
First thing I noticed straight away was that they roll super smooth. This seems to confirm the feel from out of the box. The front end in particular just glides. Much better than the Fulcrum 5's. I dont know if its the more aero profile compared to the pretty square Fulcrums, or the bearings, but they seem less draggy too. Had no issues with buffeting winds from the side *yet*.
Next was the rigidity. The deeper profile rim must be making the difference here. Again at the front it feels more nimble cornering at speed, however I think there's a tad more road noise coming through as a result. The wheels are currently wearing Continental 4000s ltd editions which are pretty comfortable at the right pressure. I did inflate over the usual 100psi I run at which might have been the culprit of the extra buzz.
On the scales, they only save 230-240g compared to the bike before. I didn't notice much difference climbing apart from the back feels more rigid with much less brake rub when really pushing out of the saddle. They also spin up well, but again there's a difference but its very tiny- could be the smoothness again.
Only concern is the noise from the rear hub. Its a clanker. My Fulcrums were loud, but these penetrate through the spokes more. They do amplify the tyres nice road resonance however. A pleasant roar.
One thing that surprised me was the finish. The Hubs and Rim is nicely finished in gloss black. Planet X etched into the hubs, decal stickers on the rim. I was expecting matt / anodised from the pictures.
Not sure if the decals match the rest of the bike however. They are also a little bubbly at the edges and clearly stuck on.
Like reviews have said in the past, for £149 these are unbelievable value. My Fulcrums weren't anything special but they were £230 new and the AL30's are much better. Lets hope that continues this summer.
DECALS..... Remove or not?????..
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Get the hair dryer out 0
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I used their model b for a year and they were excellent! For the money you cannot touch these!0
