Looking for an affordable Carbon Wheelset!!!
acanale
Posts: 6
Hi,
I am relatively new in cycling (started this year)....I ride a Specilized Venge Comp 2013 and right now I am looking to get a carbon wheelset, I have been looking all over and have found very difficult to make up my mind on which set to get. I still do not want to get a pricy one, since I am looking forward to upgrade my bike maybe next year and do not want to spend all of my money into the wheelset.
Cycling training/racing per year, let say I do couple of Ironman 70,3 and couple of Olympic distance triathlons, the rest is mostly training....Training sessions go from 30 to 65 miles (45 to 100 km) and most of them with an elevation gain from 190 to 435 miles (300 to 700 mt).
From what I have looked, I have narrow to the following list:
- Mavic Cosmos Carbone SLS: $1,300 usd
- American Classic 58: $1,430 usd
- Flo 60/90: $900 usd
- Bontrager Aura 5: $1,200 usd
- Williams Carbon clincher: $1,200 usd
and maybe HED Jet 6: $1,600 usd
Any inputs that can help me make up my mind???
I am relatively new in cycling (started this year)....I ride a Specilized Venge Comp 2013 and right now I am looking to get a carbon wheelset, I have been looking all over and have found very difficult to make up my mind on which set to get. I still do not want to get a pricy one, since I am looking forward to upgrade my bike maybe next year and do not want to spend all of my money into the wheelset.
Cycling training/racing per year, let say I do couple of Ironman 70,3 and couple of Olympic distance triathlons, the rest is mostly training....Training sessions go from 30 to 65 miles (45 to 100 km) and most of them with an elevation gain from 190 to 435 miles (300 to 700 mt).
From what I have looked, I have narrow to the following list:
- Mavic Cosmos Carbone SLS: $1,300 usd
- American Classic 58: $1,430 usd
- Flo 60/90: $900 usd
- Bontrager Aura 5: $1,200 usd
- Williams Carbon clincher: $1,200 usd
and maybe HED Jet 6: $1,600 usd
Any inputs that can help me make up my mind???
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Comments
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Buy the best wheels you can as you'll use them on whatever frame you end up with.
Enve's built on to CK hubs would be my weapon of choice.I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles0 -
Yes, that was the other option I was trying to avoid, but at the end it may be the wisest one!!!!
Thanks!!!0 -
Enve rims ride like an Open Pro why becuase they have the same internal width. Zipp do wider rims so do vision being a user of wider rims and toridal ones at that (OEM) though I would not want to go back to narrow ones. As there is a choice these days go with the better one.
HED only do wide rims so I think that is best for the off the shelf wheels. Either that or custom. ZED Cyclery is in the U.S so is Ergott wheels and both these builders are worth contacting.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0 -
Most (all?) of the wheels you've listed are carbon-alloy hybrid, clincher wheels that are heavier and about half the price of a true all carbon wheelset of a similar wheel depth. Don't see any reason to go with carbon-alloy hybrid clinchers for the terrain(flat) and discipline (tri) you are riding other than the cost. You may want to consider all-carbon tubular wheels - lighter, cheaper than all-carbon clinchers. Other considerations include F/R rim depth, width and profile.
What wheels are you riding now? What's wrong with them? What's wrong with the Venge? That's a pretty fast and new bike for aero cycling. Unless I'm missing something, I'd suggest you put more money into the wheels but not until you go a bit further up the learning curve on both wheels and bikes. Learn more about the differences between carbon-alloy vs. all-carbon rims and clinchers vs. tubulars and the bikes you may be interested vs. the Venge you have now. Once you decide whether or not you need to replace your bike and what kind of wheels are best, you can focus in on wheel choice between different brands or wheel makers.0 -
intheknowcycling.com wrote:Most (all?) of the wheels you've listed are carbon-alloy hybrid, clincher wheels that are heavier and about half the price of a true all carbon wheelset of a similar wheel depth. Don't see any reason to go with carbon-alloy hybrid clinchers for the terrain(flat) and discipline (tri) you are riding other than the cost. You may want to consider all-carbon tubular wheels - lighter, cheaper than all-carbon clinchers. Other considerations include F/R rim depth, width and profile.
What wheels are you riding now? What's wrong with them? What's wrong with the Venge? That's a pretty fast and new bike for aero cycling. Unless I'm missing something, I'd suggest you put more money into the wheels but not until you go a bit further up the learning curve on both wheels and bikes. Learn more about the differences between carbon-alloy vs. all-carbon rims and clinchers vs. tubulars and the bikes you may be interested vs. the Venge you have now. Once you decide whether or not you need to replace your bike and what kind of wheels are best, you can focus in on wheel choice between different brands or wheel makers.
Thanks for your input...indeed the Venge is a pretty fast bike and so far I have no complains about the bike, the issue is that I have not be able to completely feel confortable on it, I feel is a bit big for me, it is a 58 size, I am 6'-0" with 34" inseam which should be fine but somehow I am still struggling with the fit, I just change the stem for a shorter one, I am confident it will work.....I've decided to put on hold the new wheels and the replacement of the bike until after September which is the Ironman 70.3.
Wheels right now, are full alloy, the ones that came with the bike...No problem with them, just want to upgrade and improve performance.
If I replace bike, most probable it will be a Tri one, I have been looking at the Cervelo P3, Felt B12 or Felt DA4.....but still have doubts...as you said, I will wait, have patience and learn quite more about each topic before jumping into quick decisions...
Thanks again!!0 -
intheknowcycling.com wrote:Most (all?) of the wheels you've listed are carbon-alloy hybrid, clincher wheels that are heavier and about half the price of a true all carbon wheelset of a similar wheel depth. Don't see any reason to go with carbon-alloy hybrid clinchers for the terrain(flat) and discipline (tri) you are riding other than the cost. You may want to consider all-carbon tubular wheels - lighter, cheaper than all-carbon clinchers. Other considerations include F/R rim depth, width and profile.
What wheels are you riding now? What's wrong with them? What's wrong with the Venge? That's a pretty fast and new bike for aero cycling. Unless I'm missing something, I'd suggest you put more money into the wheels but not until you go a bit further up the learning curve on both wheels and bikes. Learn more about the differences between carbon-alloy vs. all-carbon rims and clinchers vs. tubulars and the bikes you may be interested vs. the Venge you have now. Once you decide whether or not you need to replace your bike and what kind of wheels are best, you can focus in on wheel choice between different brands or wheel makers.
Why care about weight if he's riding flat tri's? No hills and no need for acceleration. But half the cost.0
