Climbing wheels

pedalbasher

I need to get a set of climbing wheels with an 11 speed freehub and would be grateful for recommendations.

Budget ideally max £500 but looking at the DA C24s at £600 online.

I have some Reynolds Assaults for general fast rides, but want a set of light wheels with alloy rims for forthcoming trips to Mallorca and Spain (slightly concerned about carbon clinchers on hot descents...)

Any good handbuilt options or am I best sticking to factory wheels for the light weight at this price point?

Thanks

sloppyschleckonds

Mallorca is in Spain

Colinthecop

[Pedant]Mallorca is off Spain[/Pedant]

charlie_potatoes

And the water does not taste as nice as it should.

DiscoBoy

Charlie Potatoes wrote:

And the water does not taste as nice as it should.

You drank the tap water? You absolute renegade.

deimosjohnny

too many sarky ca'nts on here

smoggysteve

http://superlight-bikeparts.de/Veltec-Speed-Speed-60-SL-Carbon-Carbonlaufradsatz-Aero-Lauradsatz-Aeroraeder-Carbonwheelset-Zeitfahren-Triathlon-Time-Trial-Trial-Aluminium-Bremsfla

I have a set of these. You can get them cheaper than price shown. They are not the most aero for flat speed but f@%k me can they climb!!

They have seriously underrated hubs which role super smooth. If they were to make them a little wider they would be amazing all round Carbon tubs.

pedalbasher

Thanks. I'm keen to stick with clinchers for now though, despite the weight penalty.

I've never explored hand builts, could someone point me in the right direction?

dj58

http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk/index.html

http://www.justridingalong.com/

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

http://dcrwheels.co.uk/

http://www.stradawheels.co.uk/

http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/

pedalbasher

DJ58 wrote:

http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk/index.html

http://www.justridingalong.com/

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

http://dcrwheels.co.uk/

http://www.stradawheels.co.uk/

http://paolocoppo.drupalgardens.com/

Thanks, some interesting sites here. These look particularly impressive - http://www.justridingalong.com/wheels/s ... -rims.html

Any thoughts on their durability / performance? I'm only about 63kg so think I can get away with a low spoke count.

Grill

For riding in Spain buy carbon tubs.

dj58

I can't comment on the Chris King hubs or the Stans ZTR Alpha 340 rims as I don't have any experience with them.
At your weight 24F/28R should be fine, I'm 71kg and my bike came with a 24F/28R wheelset and so far I haven't had any problems with them.

Hopefully our resident wheel builders will be along to advise you of your options.

thegreatdivide

Forget low spoke count 'superlight' - you want stiff wheels going uphill. I use:

Fulcrum Racing Zero
Mavic RSYS SLR

But I did an Alps trip last year on Zipp 303FC tubs and they did a grand job too.

Dodger747

I've used my Assaults in the Alps, Tenerife and Gran Canaria without any incident. Just learn to brake correctly, not like many morons I've seen who drag their brakes all the way and end with an inevitable explosion of the inner tube!

imposter2.0

If you buy 'climbing wheels' you will also need 'going down hill wheels' - change them when you get to the top. Or as 'thegreatdivide' says - just buy a good set of all-rounders.

Don't make me post a link to the famous 'wheel weight' thread....

paulmon

I have a set of Dura Ace C24 which I purchased for an Alps trip later in the year. I have been using them for the last few months and have racked up over 1000 miles including 110 in treacherous conditions at this years Fred Whitton. They are superb wheels in my opinion the difference between the Shimano's and the Fulcrum Quattro's I have on my winter bike is huge.

You wont be disappointed if you choose them.

P

charlie_potatoes

Imposter wrote:

Don't make me post a link to the famous 'wheel weight' thread....

There is more than one if I recall correctly

imposter2.0

Charlie Potatoes wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Don't make me post a link to the famous 'wheel weight' thread....

There is more than one if I recall correctly

I'm talking about the 'wheel weight thread to end all wheel weight threads'..

charlie_potatoes

Imposter wrote:

Charlie Potatoes wrote:

Imposter wrote:

Don't make me post a link to the famous 'wheel weight' thread....

There is more than one if I recall correctly

I'm talking about the 'wheel weight thread to end all wheel weight threads'..

Which one?

cycleclinic

climbing wheels don't exist. weight doe not make a huge difference to the rate you climb. For climbing a stiff wheel is really needed and a wide rim helps with cornering when going downhill so yes a good allrounder is required. A 20F/24R or 20F/28R will do nicely on a wide stiff rim which rules out the stans 340 but rules other options in. Besides I would not recomend the 340 rim if you are using inner tubes, braking on a decent with those rim has been known to cause tyres to blow off. The 340 rims are best run at lower pressure than normal if you use tubes or better still run tubeless it is what they were designed for. Other tubeless ready rims though hold onto the tyre more firmly so it does not blow of.

DiscoBoy

thecycleclinic wrote:

weight doe not make a huge difference to the rate you climb.

.....

cycleclinic

You need to make a difference of more than a 200g to improve the rate you climb at. Try 2kg for the average weight rider to get something that make a meaningful difference over a long climb. This has been gone over so many times before and yet the myth persists.

I'll put it another way I will be selling my 1360g wheelset as it make me no faster than my heavier more aero wheelset I now race on (I am quicker on the heavier more aero wheelset). The difference in weight between the two is 300g. Those Royce hubs I have will be turned into a 1500g wheelset for racing too.

If you have the coin to have a aero and low weight wheelset then thats fine but it gets expensive and you are into the laws of diminishing returns very rapidly. Also alloy clincher rims that are resonably aero dynamic are all over 400g more like 450g so the only way to make the wheels really light is to use very low spokes counts and or very light hubs.

I can think of various way of building a stiff light weight (1400g) (Dura Ace C24's don't count as stiff because they are not) wheelset but you need sub 300g hubs to do it and these have various drawbacks that or carbon rims. If you go for carbon tubular rims then even lighter is possible but it will cost you.

See reducing weight as part of a package that includes wheels, tyres, tubes, and all the other main components on the bike. Have I elaborated enough now?

I have even created a little spreadsheet to model this. it is not very user friendly but it confirmed my suspisions.

Grill

My RZR's turned me into a climbing god. They better have at that price. Still a bit gutted I sold them.

DiscoBoy

thecycleclinic wrote:

You need to make a difference of more than a 200g to improve the rate you climb at.

Have I elaborated enough now?

You covered your point in the first sentence

sungod

physics - energy required to raise mass through height is in direct proportion to mass

save 1% of total system mass, you'll save 1% energy assuming ascending at the same rate, or you can expend the same energy per unit time and reach the top a smidge less than 1% sooner (less because a bit faster means more than a bit more aerodynamic drag)

i.e. assuming system mass of 100kg (you + bike) with 'normal' wheels, and a climb that takes 100 mins

fit lightweight tubs to drop a kilo, you'll reach the top about one minute earlier

if you're in a race, you gained a minute vs. where you would've been

if you're not in a race, the summit cafe stop is a minute earlier, perhaps you'll get a better choice of cakes

you'll also descend a smidge slower vs. the heavier wheels, but because of the higher speed, that difference is swamped by aerodynamic drag

decision process:

work out current system mass

work out mass with other wheels

determine 'x', just how lovely the new wheels will be

decide if % difference plus x is worth the money

pedalbasher

I have some spare cash, I'd like to buy some wheels that will do the following:

1. make my bike a bit lighter (so I can at least convince myself that they will only make me quicker when I go up hills)

2. look good

3. not blow up if i get stuck behind traffic coming down hairpins on a hot day

That's what I mean by "climbing wheels. A decent, stiff enough, alloy-rimmed wheel set that won't spontaneously combust.

charlie_potatoes

pedalbasher wrote:

I have some spare cash, I'd like to buy some wheels that will do the following:

1. make my bike a bit lighter (so I can at least convince myself that they will only make me quicker when I go up hills)

2. look good

3. not blow up if i get stuck behind traffic coming down hairpins on a hot day

That's what I mean by "climbing wheels. A decent, stiff enough, alloy-rimmed wheel set that won't spontaneously combust.

Everyone knows what you mean. The unwritten rules of forum pedantry dictate that they have to pretend not to.

paulmon

sungod wrote:

if you're not in a race, the summit cafe stop is a minute earlier, perhaps you'll get a better choice of cakes

Loved this. Made me chuckle. It is however a very good point you don't want to spend 2 hours climbing only to find all that's left is some stale oatey cake whilst all your friends are enjoying the fresh moist ginger or carrot cake.

Tiesetrotter

Then buy the ones that look nicest on your bike. I bought H Plus Sons black rims for this reason and that I was told they were good by the wheel builder.

ugo.santalucia

Right...
pretty pleased with myself... this morning I clocked a 35 min. 47 sec on the local 570 mt drop with a 10 Kg cross bike and cross tyres

http://www.strava.com/routes/467011

Nahh, you don't need climbing wheels... 8)

charlie_potatoes

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Right...
pretty pleased with myself... this morning I clocked a 35 min. 47 sec on the local 570 mt drop with a 10 Kg cross bike and cross tyres

http://www.strava.com/routes/467011

Nahh, you don't need climbing wheels... 8)

You could easily get below 30 mins with a nice set of Mavics.