Winter wheel time.....

porker33

I am looking for a set of winter wheels for my Caad10 105.

Currently have the Rs10's that came with the bike, which are starting to show some wear on the rim.

I am considering either Ultegra 6800 they seem to be £235

or

Campag Zondas for £250-260.

Mostly for riding the North downs with Conti 4 seasons tyres.

Is there a right answer...or just look for a deal?

Cheers.

ugo.santalucia

What's "winter" about the wheels you mention? Most would think them as "summer"

I'd say Shimano R 500 if you want something cheap or some handbuilts based on 105 hubs if you want something reliable

bendertherobot

Define "some wear."

If it's not much just run them.

Bobbinogs

One good thing about Shimano wheels is the wear dot, so if that can be seen then the wheels are ok for a while longer.

Agree with Ugo, I bought some 'winter' wheels last year, RS30s on a £100 offer from Ribble at the time. For me, winter wheels are either:
1. cheap (ideally ~£100) factory ones that will take a few knocks (night time riding in the dark means more bumps hit) and can be written off after the inevitable wear/tear
2. reasonable (~£250-£300) handbuilts with average/good hub and rims, which can be rebuilt easily after wear.

PerformingMonkey

I was after some budget winter wheels for riding in Hampshire, Sussex, Dorset and picked up some Shimano R501s for £72 from Ribble. Heavier than my summer/event wheels but I don't mind the grit getting in these at that price. If they last a winter at that price I will be happy.

porker33

What is winter about the wheels?

The fact I will be using them on my winter bike during the winter months.

I have a couple of sets of DA C24 for summer wheels.....They are summer wheels as I will not be using them in winter.

Why the psychology on here.....I am merely asking if anyone has experience of Ultegra or Zonda wheels to use over the winter months mostly riding the north downs.

Cheers.....

bendertherobot

Well, arguably, the thread you need is just which wheels, rather than which winter wheels. Both are excellent wheels. Both will get chewed up by winter conditions. Neither will perform any better or worse in those conditions as a result of those conditions.

dwanes

Why not use one of your sets of DA C24 wheels and call them 'Winter Wheels'?

slowbike

porker33 wrote:

What is winter about the wheels?

The fact I will be using them on my winter bike during the winter months.

I have a couple of sets of DA C24 for summer wheels.....They are summer wheels as I will not be using them in winter.

Why the psychology on here.....I am merely asking if anyone has experience of Ultegra or Zonda wheels to use over the winter months mostly riding the north downs.

Cheers.....

You didn't mention the presence of summer wheels - only the RS10s that came with your bike ... hence the intended expenditure on "winter wheels" seemed a little bit high by comparison.

You don't mention what you want to achieve with these wheels? Are you looking to run them into the ground or do you want them to last?
Quite frankly just about any wheel is fine as a winter wheel if you're plodding around just putting miles in. I'm on a pair of Alexrims S480's at the moment, they run straight and true, but they're heavy and I struggle to maintain the speed I can easily do on my "summer" wheels, but what does it matter? I'll just work more and/or ride more slowly ...

ugo.santalucia

porker33 wrote:

What is winter about the wheels?

The fact I will be using them on my winter bike during the winter months.

I have a couple of sets of DA C24 for summer wheels.....They are summer wheels as I will not be using them in winter.

Why the psychology on here.....I am merely asking if anyone has experience of Ultegra or Zonda wheels to use over the winter months mostly riding the north downs.

Cheers.....

Winter wheels is either

1) Something cheap that you don't mind to thrash... hubs will wear out quickly and so the rim brake track

2) Something reliable that won't break easily because it is over-engineered or if a spoke had to snap because you pick up a tree branch brought down by the wind... then you can still cycle back home without being a crybaby and having to call someone to your rescue... that means 28 spokes at the very minimum... any less and the deflection won't allow the rim to clear the brake caliper

If none of the above is relvant to you, then you don't need winter wheels

trailflow

The whole point of winter wheels is so you dont have to worry about trashing them whilst riding in bad weather. Why would you consider a semi-expensive set of wheels for the job ? Those wheels you suggested are almost as nice as your C24's.

matt-h

I think you are all forgetting these are for a Caad10, which is a nice winter bike. Why would he want junk on there if he can afford not to

Matt

bendertherobot

matt-h wrote:

I think you are all forgetting these are for a Caad10, which is a nice winter bike. Why would he want junk on there if he can afford not to

Matt

No-one is forgetting that. The point being made is that winter is irrelevant to the point being made. The thread should simply be which wheels.

matt-h

bendertherobot wrote:

matt-h wrote:

I think you are all forgetting these are for a Caad10, which is a nice winter bike. Why would he want junk on there if he can afford not to

Matt

No-one is forgetting that. The point being made is that winter is irrelevant to the point being made. The thread should simply be which wheels.

That he plans on using over winter

bendertherobot

matt-h wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

matt-h wrote:

I think you are all forgetting these are for a Caad10, which is a nice winter bike. Why would he want junk on there if he can afford not to

Matt

No-one is forgetting that. The point being made is that winter is irrelevant to the point being made. The thread should simply be which wheels.

That he plans on using over winter

Which is why others are saying get some cheap wheels. In what way would you distinguish either of the original suggestions on their winter performance? And, he goes on to ask whether anyone has used them in the winter months. Some may well have but it doesn't take use to know that, well, they are both good wheels that will wear the same as any other alu wheel. So the only discussion worth having is how good are the wheels.

thiscocks

As mentioned, something with 32 spokes (28 minimum) which are of an easily obtainable design. Zondas are good wheels but I personally wouldnt use them as winter wheels as they dont have enough spokes and are quite a harsh ride (for me anyway).

Ive used Ambrosio evolution rims with dt swiss spokes and Ambrosio hubs previously which lasted for 3.5 years and only a couple of spoke and bearing replacements in that time.

These seem good value and are a v nice rim: http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WBAMEXC/am ... t-wheelset

If they did campag Id get a set!

porker33

I am genuinely interested in how owners have got on with these wheels using them during the winter months.

I wouldn't use C24's as I am aware they probably have a thin ali braking area, so could wear prematurely.

I could buy a £100-150 wheels for winter use, but if Ultegras at £235 are sturdy and wear well under winter use, then to me it would may sense to pay up a little more.
I am effectively saving money, by not destroying a set of C24's at double the price?

Tks for the response that the Zonda's may be a little harsh, that is useful.

Anyone on here have any thoughts on using the Ultegra's in wet weather and no doubt pot holed roads?

It's a shame the way this BR forum has deteriorated .

When I got back into road cycling 5 years ago, I came on here with a few questions and everyone was helpful.
I also try to respond to threads where I can add something from my experience of bikes and components used. Hopefully I will be able to give something back when I respond to future wheel threads.

Cheers.

paulmon

I've just bought some handbuilts that I'll use primarily for winter months. They are HED Ardennes+ laced to Hope hubs in a 28/24 setup. These will replace my C24s which will then be used for summer only and like you they go will be going on my CAAD10. Why did I not just get some cheap RS10's or such. Well because they are crap, just because its winter doesn't mean I want to sacrifice performance and comfort.

I also considered some Zondas or similar but wanted something with a bit of longevity and hopefully more comfort. Sure its a lot of money to spunk on some "winter" wheels but I'm hoping they will last a long time.

P

slowbike

porker33 wrote:

I could buy a £100-150 wheels for winter use, but if Ultegras at £235 are sturdy and wear well under winter use, then to me it would may sense to pay up a little more.

The 501's weigh 1.9Kg, the Ultegras 1.6Kg - all up weight ... 300g is still a fair amount of material - from that I'd say that the 501's are "sturdier" and at £75 you can get 3 sets to last 3 winters

But I suspect cost saving is not your only criteria - you're probably after something that looks and feels good too without being overly expensive. The 501s are cheap and "heavy" and will probably feel cheap and "heavy" - When I need to replace my commuting wheels I'll probably look at something like that, although I'd rather get Fulcrum Racing 5's

theotherjake

I replaced a set of RS10s on my winter bike with R501s and yes they are slightly heavier, but they are much stiffer and have been over some serious terrain/potholes (including Rapha HOTN) and they are still perfectly true.

Bar Shaker

Why not keep the RS10s for winter and buy something nice for summer?

Chris James

He already has nice wheels for summer.

But then again, he already has perfectly decent wheels for winter - the RS10s.

A wheel is a wheel though, they all go round in both summer and winter. Only the original poster knows how much he is prepared to spend on wheels he is happy to grind away during winter.

ugo.santalucia

porker33 wrote:

It's a shame the way this BR forum has deteriorated .

When I got back into road cycling 5 years ago, I came on here with a few questions and everyone was helpful.
I also try to respond to threads where I can add something from my experience of bikes and components used. Hopefully I will be able to give something back when I respond to future wheel threads.

Cheers.

In which way are people not being helpful? I think every singe answer you got was very helpful... if you want unhelpful answers (and maybe a couple of insults thrown in for good measure) I can give you a couple of links to other forums

bontie

Fine I’ll play, and hopefully answer the OP. It seems the OP and I are more or less on the same page when it comes to wheels.
My winter/commuting wheels have been:
Campag Scirocco’s – 2012/2013 two winters and daily commute all year round (40 miles a day and c 120 miles per weekend). Bear in mind this included the wet summer of 2012. They were fine. Until the rear was so worn I decided to bin them.
Fulcrum R3’s (bought 2nd hand)2013/2014. Again daily commute albeit 20 miles a day and throughout the year, plus weekend rides in wet weather. The rear rim is now pretty worn, but I’ll easily get another winter and possibly even longer out of them.
So, both of your option will last you well, and be fit for purpose.
BUT. My Fulcrums are now out of true, and the spoke/nipples are seized. It is a nightmare to try and fix, so much so that a mechanic I asked said straight up that it is not worth it. So there’s that.
Personally I would get handbuilt wheels for winter use, although if you are willing to potentially scrap a pair of Ultegra?Zondas under the conditions mentioned, they are very very good wheels, and would tick all the boxes for you…until something goes wrong

letap73

Is there any chance of creating a fixed page with basic information pertaining to wheels?
It could consist of links to useful blogs/web pages - ref Ugo and Cycleclinic. It would be useful to see a list of rim choices - listing pros and cons for each - same could be done for hub choices and spoke choices. Lists of suggested builds - e.g circa £300 wheels for variable weather. Links to factory built wheels for balance.
It might reduce the number of threads pertaining to wheels and some obviously cynical responses!

ugo.santalucia

letap73 wrote:

Is there any chance of creating a fixed page with basic information pertaining to wheels?
It could consist of links to useful blogs/web pages - ref Ugo and Cycleclinic. It would be useful to see a list of rim choices - listing pros and cons for each - same could be done for hub choices and spoke choices. Lists of suggested builds - e.g circa £300 wheels for variable weather. Links to factory built wheels for balance.
It might reduce the number of threads pertaining to wheels and some obviously cynical responses!

2 years ago I wrote a FAQ in the workshop section about freewheels and cassettes... what is compatible with what, what works, what doesn't... at the time Nicklouse asked me to... has it stopped people asking every other day if their 9 speed cassette will fit on their free hub? NO... so I have the feeling it would be pretty pointless... people will keep asking the same question. In the same way the search function is rarely used. Plenty of answers means people like to discuss the topic.. if they didn't they would not reply.
Cynical answers are part of the game, there is no rule preventing people from being mildly cynical or sarcastic... it's just a matter of staying within limits to avoid being a troll. If someone gets offended because of a sarcastic tone... well, maybe a small dose of MTFU is not out of question, I would say

letap73

That's fair enough Ugo.

LegendLust

Here's an alternative view to winter wheels.

Over the years I've bought cheap wheels for winter use. The last few years, with my increased training hours through the winter months (I don't turbo so go out in all weathers) I've trashed various factory wheels and only got 6-8 months use out of them. Knackered bearings, broken spokes and worn rims have all made me chuck them in the bin. Then I realised that these cheap wheels soon add up - in fact the cost of a very nice pair of handbuilts.

So last year I decided to have a pair of winter wheels built up that are in fact better than my summer wheels. I got to thinking that I could get away with cheaper hubs through the summer, because they don't ride through such harsh conditions (if it rains in the summer I use my winter bike anyway). I do a lot of fast riding through the winter so wanted a performance pair that were also tough.

So i ended up buying hubs that will last a long time, as they are very servicable and if they do need parts, they're easy to get hold of, and specced some rims that have the balance of lightweight with decent braking surface. After a quick service, they're now being used for a 2nd winter. Perhaps next winter the rims will need replacing but at least I won't be forking out for new hubs.

These wheels will also be doing Paris Roubaix next year - they're that good

janwal

PM sent

cycleclinic

Winter wheels. I hope the OP just buys something and works out what works for him. My new winter wheelset is HED belgain C2 tubular rims on silver record 28H hubs. I won't be braking this winter. It is a winter wheelset as it will be in use over winter, I won't brake much to try and preserve the rims.

In all seriousness there is enough advise in this thread for the OP to go and do something. It does depend though how tarty your "winter bike" is and how well off you are feeling as to what you are willing to ride/trash over winter.

MichaelW

I have used cheap Shimano hubs for winter commuting and never had problems.
I pack the bearings with grease to exclude crud.