Wheel upgrade advice @ <£500

KnightOfTheLongTights

So I have a BMC SLC01 ProMachine frame which came with Aksiums that are still on it and running OK after two and a half years of quite heavy use.

Thought it was about time I upgraded, and am looking to spend less than £500.

(The Aksiums can go on my old bottom of the range Spesh Allez, which currently has R500s on it - though the Aksiums are probably too good for that frame?)

I get through a lot of miles in the middle six months of the year (250 a week) as I commute on the BMC - less than half that in the other six months as I switch to the Allez and generally ride less. Riding at weekends is mainly for pleasure / with the club, think my racing days are over but might take a punt at some time trials soon. The odd sportive chucked in.

I have heard talk of the main contenders towards the top end of that price - Ksyriums, Fulcrums, Eastons, etc - but no idea really what sets the apart from each other, nor whether you get better value having wheels built.

Thanks.

lawrences

So you need a wheelset you can commute on, club rides, time trials and sportives.

Sound like a job for a tri spoke and a disc.

KnightOfTheLongTights

lawrences wrote:

So you need a wheelset you can commute on, club rides, time trials and sportives.

ok fair point but there are I believe wheels that do well as all-rounders?
Forget the TTing, that'll be just dipping my toe in the water / not important.
I often go for training rides straight from work, which is why I commute on this bike.

lawrences

Fulcrum racing 1's are probably up there for factory sets but 500 would buy you a nice set of hand builts and I don't know much about them so can't help you.

cattytown

Basically you are looking for a nice set of general purpose wheels? Talk to a couple of wheel builders, get decent advice based on the type of roads you ride on (hilly/flat, billiard-table smooth/ rougher than a ploughed field) and taking your weight into account.

Paul.

cycleclinic

250 miles a week means 13000 a year. I would go with a higher spoke on a stiff rim count otherwise it could be "factory" wheelset a year or more if you are not kind to them. That said 13000 miles per year is fair number for any wheelset. What will limit wheel life is probably rim wear. Ultegra hubs can do daft miles if looked after I would use those on archetype rims or similar. That sort of wheelset is good for high miles and can be rebuilt when the rims wear out which they will with that sort of mileage every year.

KnightOfTheLongTights

thanks all

I def don't do 250 miles a week all year: annual mileage probably nearer 8,000.

cycleclinic

8000 miles a year is what I do myself and if it were me and I wanted an all rounder wheelset a 24F/28R combo on a wide stiff rim with a hub with large bearings (need not be expensive either) will do the trick quite nicely. If you are over 90kg a 32 spoke rear is advisable but the front spoke count can remain low.

kevin_stephens

If you are less than 90 kg the Cero AR30 are brilliant. Similar weight to Kysrium SLS, semi aero, hand built in a factory (if that makes sense) so spokes easy to replace (comes with spare spokes)

sloppyschleckonds

lawrences wrote:

So you need a wheelset you can commute on, club rides, time trials and sportives.

Sound like a job for a tri spoke and a disc.

springtide9

Buy two pairs of these....

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/campagnolo-zond ... 5360518140

And keep one pair for best :-)

Slo Mo Jones

cattytown wrote:

Basically you are looking for a nice set of general purpose wheels? Talk to a couple of wheel builders, get decent advice based on the type of roads you ride on (hilly/flat, billiard-table smooth/ rougher than a ploughed field) and taking your weight into account.

Paul.

I often see this answer on here in reply to a question about wheels.

"discuss your riding with a wheel builder, and he can suggest something tailored to your needs."

The vast majority of the time the subject is raised, the OP answers to the questions are goign to be:

Road surface? Sometimes smooth, sometimes rough and potholey
Hills or flat riding? Sometimes hills, sometimes flat, mostly a combination of the two.
Racing? No. Club rides, the odd odd sportive, blah

because they indicate so in their post.

I see the benefit of handbuilt wheels in terms of getting something that is more easily serviceable. But this thing about getting hand built wheels, tailored to your riding style... I just don't understand how such questions would translate into a hub/rim choice. Rider weight and budget, sure.

Also, Cycleclinic says "if it were me and I wanted an all rounder wheelset a 24F/28R combo on a wide stiff rim with a hub with large bearings (need not be expensive either) will do the trick quite nicely." Well, in what circumstances would you want a narrow bendy rim with small bearings?

ugo.santalucia

Slo Mo Jones wrote:

" Well, in what circumstances would you want a narrow bendy rim with small bearings?

In case you wanted a < 1400 grams set of wheels?