Upgrading Wheels advice
Comments
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Think you hit the nail on the head, however when you say it will make no diff on stats that makes me feel like I should just go fulcrum 7 at £120 I'll be honest I was kind of hoping it was going to helpBobbinogs wrote:I think the problem is that this thread is going around in circles, as far as I can tell. Most are saying to the the OP "Keep the wheels you have and then spend more in Spring", and yet the OP keeps coming back with another selection of wheels, saying "what about these".
For about £200, the OP can get another pair of wheels to the ones he has. There should be a slight improvement in wheel weight so the bike will feel slightly more responsive although this is unlikely to be measurable if using Strava, etc. In particular, when the rain is lashing down and the wind is blowing, 'nippy' wheels mean nothing.
OP, since you seem determined to buy some new wheels, just pick any of the usual favorites that look nice under £250. Zondas, Fulcrums, Ultegras, Planet X, etc. All of us will slate some and enthuse about others based on very small sample sizes (I would go for Mavic Aksiums personally, and I always value my own opinion
).
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If I was you I would hold fire for a bit -ride your present wheels and tyres through winter, think about what you want from yours wheels and tyres (make a list of preferred characteristics) save some money. When you are up to £300 in your budget then you could spec hand built wheels to suit your characteristics.
For example - I wanted a set of wheels which helped with ride comfort, handling and with durability - weight wasn't a consideration ( in fact there probably not much lighter than the wheels you have) - this I specified with a wheel builder and my wheel set cost circa £290.0 -
jpower wrote:... when you say it will make no diff on stats that makes me feel like I should just go fulcrum 7 at £120..
...and buying some cheap wheels like F7's will not be radically different from what you have so why bother? If you want a cost effective upgrade then getting decent tyres is usually the first step but Autumn (in the UK) is a time for thinking about getting the last wear out of your summer tyres and then buying winter/training tyres...and the tyres you have are probably in the 'training, albeit could be improved once worn out' category.
The best racers that I ride with train through the early winter by doing steady mileage on chugger bikes with mudguards and good quality winter tyres fitted to durable wheels (preferably ones that can be rebuilt once winter grit has worn out the rims...and you won't be able to do that cost effectively with most factory wheels). In the spring, start raising your training intensity... and then after a month or so switch to summer kit (light bike, light wheels and race tyres) and you will feel like you are flying, and the stats will show it too (due to the combination of great physical shape, a smile on your face and the right equipment)
Honestly, ride your bike and enjoy it.0 -
jpower - I love your enthusiasm but I agree with Bobbinogs and letap73 that you may be getting ahead of yourself and wheels you are linking to won't perform much different than those you have now. Ride, read up and get better understanding of what kind of riding you enjoy doing, what you want from new wheels, what's out there (from independent reviewers rather than online product descriptions), and what you should budget for new wheels. Best, Steve0
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Trust me the ride part is happening, actually have to be stopped by the missus, which she does a little too well for my liking.
Curious most mention what do you want from wheels, being a novice I just want to go faster, but the part I'm interested to hear is what are the types of things more experienced riders decide and want from there wheels? Just assuming there are few factors, comfort, cornering, flats, climbs am I missing the point? (likely)0 -
jpower - There are 20 criteria across 4 categories (performance, design, quality, cost) I keep in mind when evaluating wheels (read my post on all-around wheels). Some are always important (e.g. service/support), some are relatively more important than others (e.g. stiffness, compliance, versatility, aero, durability) depending on whether you want an all-around training and endurance riding wheel or one for road racing, aero/TT/triathlons, climbing, disc brakes, winter/all weather commuting, sub $1000/£600/€750, etc.
Keep riding; perhaps even more important is to find something for mrs. jpower to enjoy herself doing while you are out on your bike or you'll never fully enjoy whatever you get next regardless of what it is! Cheers, Steve0 -
Any £200 wheelset is not going to anything differently to your current wheels. If you up you spend a bit then a whole range of options open up but lighter wheels do not mean faster ones. Aero wheels do that a bit but really aero wheels tend to cost a bit more than £200.
You could try looking for a wheelset with a wider rim that will make a bigger difference to you than just lighter. Also consider a tubeless compatible wheelset or maybe tubulars. What's the point in buying something that does the same job in the same way as what you currently have, when what you have is working fine.
Ultimately you have to decide what you want from the wheels, if its to go forward your current ones do that you could just keep riding them.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0 -
jpower wrote:Trust me the ride part is happening, actually have to be stopped by the missus, which she does a little too well for my liking.
Curious most mention what do you want from wheels, being a novice I just want to go faster.
The easiest and most cost effective way to do this, is to ride more or vary your training to include intervals.
If you must splash some cash, get a bike fit done. If you're a novice, then there is a good chance that your position isn't as efficient as it could be.0 -
So current breakdown is that it's pure road cycling mostly solo on mixed gradient no serious climbs. I don't envisage ever getting to any kind of pro level would be happy with just being fit and as fast as I could be. I do want a certain level of comfort hence opting for the Roubaix and not a Tarmac, I don't need the strongest wheel in the world as I weigh 68-70kg (just an assumption from the many reviews I have read). Ideally yes I would prefer it to be a year round wheel and not just for summer speed. So very middle of the road.
What price would be an improvement on stock, I'm getting the feeling the entry level seems to be the Zonda? So guess I'm asking for what wheels people think is above stock just to gauge what kind of money we are talking.0 -
Sounds like you're determined to buy some new wheels, regardless of the advice being given..?0
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jpower wrote:What price would be an improvement on stock, I'm getting the feeling the entry level seems to be the Zonda? So guess I'm asking for what wheels people think is above stock just to gauge what kind of money we are talking.
You've just answered your own question IMO. Just don't expect them to make you appreciably faster.0 -
I did try that one, but as I refuse to where cleats they say they can't do fit because position changes. We won't talk about cleats here I had a large post on that drama already.DKay wrote:jpower wrote:Trust me the ride part is happening, actually have to be stopped by the missus, which she does a little too well for my liking.
Curious most mention what do you want from wheels, being a novice I just want to go faster.
The easiest and most cost effective way to do this, is to ride more or vary your training to include intervals.
If you must splash some cash, get a bike fit done. If you're a novice, then there is a good chance that your position isn't as efficient as it could be.0 -
Honestly no, actually stopped myself ordering today. I do take in the advice but I guess when reading product reviews from customers saying it improved there speed just makes me wonder.Imposter wrote:Sounds like you're determined to buy some new wheels, regardless of the advice being given..?
And the price is more directed towards me knowing how much outlay is needed for an improvement, I don't want to spend £200 to find out it makes no difference and I just have a better wheel. So I do appreciate the advise and read every bit of it.0 -
I laugh at some of the reviews on the various retailers sites which say; "my average has increased by 2mph since I've had these wheels". I can only conclude that they bought a set of Zipp 808s to replace some Shimano R500s and their average was measured on a very steep downhill stretch of road at speeds of over 40mph.
No set of wheels ever made will get you this average speed improvement in the real world. A lighter wheel feels more lively and is easier to accelerate, but it won't make you much faster overall as such.0 -
You want go faster kit but refuse to use the one piece of kit that makes a huge difference - cleats there is a very good reason why you do not see anyone racing on flat pedal or with toeclips anymore it is simply less efficient. I would get over what ever hang ups you have about cleats, accept the fact you will fall once and simply get used to them. We all have our first time with cleats and would we go back now I certainly wouldn't.http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0
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Going by online reviews it would seem that most people upon buying a product almost immediately slot into one of two categories with relatively small proportions appearing to remain somewhat objective after a purchase:jpower wrote:.....I do take in the advice but I guess when reading product reviews from customers saying it improved there speed just makes me wonder.
1. Fan and defender
I think the psychology here is that we've bought the product and if it's not great we've made a mistake. We don't want to have made a mistake so we look for the positives and minimise any negatives. Criticisms of the product come across as criticisms of our decision to purchase the product and are defended.
Most people seem to rave about whatever they own, even in the face of significant evidence of shortcomings.
2. Angry "victim"
Those who had a problem with the product or company often swing entirely to the other end of the spectrum. Anything from mis-use based failure to serious product defects and either perceived or actual poor customer service.
Taken individually, reviews are a poor source of objective information but we all read them anyway!
Unfortunately "expert" reviews aren't much, if any, better. How many reviews have you read where the reviewer basically spouts off the manufacturers marketing material in their own words? Apparently slightly improved stiffness makes your bike leap down the road the moment you breath on the pedals! Reviews are slightly useful but nowhere near as useful as we'd like to think they are IMO.
If it makes no difference then what makes it a "better wheel"?jpower wrote:.....I don't want to spend £200 to find out it makes no difference and I just have a better wheel.....
There's price, feel, reliability, appearance and performance (am I missing anything?)
Price and appearance are the easiest to base decisions on since price is a simple number and appearance is purely subjective so we can just decide for ourselves. I think we normally purchase primarily based on those two and let the price and reviews persuade us that the other categories are also going to be satisfied. Therefore, more expensive must be better.0 -
ok I think I am convinced that its too early for be to be changing wheels, plus the thinking I had for changing the wheel was wrong more so at my price point. Makes sense I wait it out and re-consider in a years time with more miles under my belt, as I said above much appreciate time taken to respond, at least I'm a bit more real with expectations now.
Cleats one day just not ready for them yet, will enjoy the flats for now.0 -
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I don't know the story behind this which you alluded to earlier but most people find clipless pedals pretty easy to get used to and they make the single biggest difference in improving your ride IMO. I would be much less comfortable, slower and probably less safe if I didn't use clipless pedals. They give you much better control of the bike and your position on it and mostly essentially eliminate risk of your foot losing contact with the pedal at a crucial moment. True a fall may be a little worse with than without but I think it's also more unlikely to happen. Most incidents with clipless are when someone forgets to unclip or unclips the wrong side as they come to a stop. This usually only happens to those just starting with them as it becomes second nature very quickly. I nearly did it once or twice but never actually had a fall. I've been using clipless for over three years and would never voluntarily go back. If you want to improve your performance and enjoyment of cycling I'd recommend spending the money set aside for the wheels on the clipless pedals and shoes instead. For £200 you could get some Speedplay Zeros and a reasonably priced pair of shoes.jpower wrote:.....Cleats one day just not ready for them yet, will enjoy the flats for now.0 -
It does not make for good reading, but if your ever truly bored, I mean truly: viewtopic.php?f=40013&t=12976386Ai_1 wrote:
I don't know the story behind this which you alluded to earlier but most people find clipless pedals pretty easy to get used to and they make the single biggest difference in improving your ride IMO. I would be much less comfortable, slower and probably less safe if I didn't use clipless pedals. They give you much better control of the bike and your position on it and mostly essentially eliminate risk of your foot losing contact with the pedal at a crucial moment. True a fall may be a little worse with than without but I think it's also more unlikely to happen. Most incidents with clipless are when someone forgets to unclip or unclips the wrong side as they come to a stop. This usually only happens to those just starting with them as it becomes second nature very quickly. I nearly did it once or twice but never actually had a fall. I've been using clipless for over three years and would never voluntarily go back. If you want to improve your performance and enjoyment of cycling I'd recommend spending the money set aside for the wheels on the clipless pedals and shoes instead. For £200 you could get some Speedplay Zeros and a reasonably priced pair of shoes.jpower wrote:.....Cleats one day just not ready for them yet, will enjoy the flats for now.
I know your right, but whilst I can still see improvements with my flats I will keep on going.0 -
Your just playing with me nowholiver wrote:
and why do they have no image for there best seller. 0 -
Not in stock long enough? :-)Giant Defy 2
Large bloke getting smaller :-)0
