Wheel advice needed!
andrew1988
Posts: 6
Hi,
Very much a newbie here so go easy on me, but these forums have already been very handy!
As some background, I purchased a second hand Apollo Elite C running SRAM Red and Easton EA70's a little while ago.. all running well until I broke a couple of spokes over a few months. After taking in for repair, the bike tech told me the spokes were corroded and the wheels were effectively worthless as the remainder of the spokes would snap shortly as well. A mate suggested I re-lace the wheels with straight pull DT spokes (~$100 wheel), but the bike tech dismissed this idea as he said it would have to be done with the Easton proprietary spokes and would cost upwards of $400 and I was better off just buying new wheels. Does this sound legit, or is it simply that he's just keen to push buying new wheels?
Secondly - provided that the wheels are indeed a write off, the next question is what to replace them with. Whilst i've been told it's best to spend a bit on wheels upfront as you can take them across when you upgrade your bike, I'm still a bit too new to justify forking out too much. Thus, if I have to replace the wheels my thoughts is to go with a decent pair of training wheels and then build up a pair of custom wheels as I get more serious. Having done a bit of research and poured over this website, I'm considering Campagnolo Scirocco 35's - Wiggle has them for AU$279 or the CX version for $320.
Any thoughts on these would be much appreciated! In particular, if there's any major concerns running these on my setup, whether there's any issues with spokes (particularly given the issues with the EA70's), and whether there's any better value wheels around this price point. I mentioned these to a family friend who said he didnt think you could buy Scirocco’s with a Shimano boss, which would mean I'd have to run a 10 speed Campagnolo cassette on the wheels and this doesn’t work as crisply as Shimano or SRAM cassette with Shimano/SRAM chain, but wiggle website seems to suggest otherwise?
http://www.wiggle.com.au/campagnolo-sci ... 60518132au
Also, from what I can see the only difference with the CX is better seals, but is it really worth the extra $40?
Apologies for the barrage of questions, as I said I'm very much a newbie and keen to make sure I get this right!
Very much a newbie here so go easy on me, but these forums have already been very handy!
As some background, I purchased a second hand Apollo Elite C running SRAM Red and Easton EA70's a little while ago.. all running well until I broke a couple of spokes over a few months. After taking in for repair, the bike tech told me the spokes were corroded and the wheels were effectively worthless as the remainder of the spokes would snap shortly as well. A mate suggested I re-lace the wheels with straight pull DT spokes (~$100 wheel), but the bike tech dismissed this idea as he said it would have to be done with the Easton proprietary spokes and would cost upwards of $400 and I was better off just buying new wheels. Does this sound legit, or is it simply that he's just keen to push buying new wheels?
Secondly - provided that the wheels are indeed a write off, the next question is what to replace them with. Whilst i've been told it's best to spend a bit on wheels upfront as you can take them across when you upgrade your bike, I'm still a bit too new to justify forking out too much. Thus, if I have to replace the wheels my thoughts is to go with a decent pair of training wheels and then build up a pair of custom wheels as I get more serious. Having done a bit of research and poured over this website, I'm considering Campagnolo Scirocco 35's - Wiggle has them for AU$279 or the CX version for $320.
Any thoughts on these would be much appreciated! In particular, if there's any major concerns running these on my setup, whether there's any issues with spokes (particularly given the issues with the EA70's), and whether there's any better value wheels around this price point. I mentioned these to a family friend who said he didnt think you could buy Scirocco’s with a Shimano boss, which would mean I'd have to run a 10 speed Campagnolo cassette on the wheels and this doesn’t work as crisply as Shimano or SRAM cassette with Shimano/SRAM chain, but wiggle website seems to suggest otherwise?
http://www.wiggle.com.au/campagnolo-sci ... 60518132au
Also, from what I can see the only difference with the CX is better seals, but is it really worth the extra $40?
Apologies for the barrage of questions, as I said I'm very much a newbie and keen to make sure I get this right!
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Comments
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Unfortunately one of the drawbacks of factory wheels is that often repairs are simply uneconomical. Not in all cases but it is fairly common (I have had to throw away a lovely wheelset recently just because the rims were worn whereas I had a set of handbuilts rebuilt in the summer...effectively getting a brand new set of great wheels for a very small outlay).
We all have our favourite wheelsets, usually based on a very small sample size and personal factors. There are some great factory wheels and some good handbuilt options too so it is best to keep an open mind and try and match the right type to your requirements/preferrences.
What kind of rides do you do? Hilly/flat? That can make a difference as folks living in Norfolk don't need to hit the Weightweenie site so often, etc. Also, roughly how heavy are you? If you are over 95kg then something solid would make sense, probably with a higher spoke count.0 -
Easton do not use proprietary spokes, but generally they use Sapim straight pull. DT Swiss are a suitable alternative if that's easier for you to source. You should be able to find the correct length on the manual available online (hopefully). You need to find a friend who can help you, as you spotted that shop seems only interested in flogging you a new setleft the forum March 20230
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Based on the above, I'd ask another shop / wheelbuilder.'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.0
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passout wrote:Based on the above, I'd ask another shop / wheelbuilder.
The problem is that these jobs are very labour intensive... it probably takes twice as long as building a standard wheel, or at least that's what it takes me typically to complete these tasks. It's simply down to the stupid solutions manufacturers use to make life more complicated. The shear amount of work involved in rebuilding a Campagnolo wheel with all the washers for instance is enough to put off most if not all...
Shops don't want to do it... builders might not want to do it... I think the DIY/find a friend route is the way to go. Somebody who enjoys doing it as a hobby, rather than charging by the hour.left the forum March 20230 -
ugo.santalucia wrote:passout wrote:Based on the above, I'd ask another shop / wheelbuilder.
The problem is that these jobs are very labour intensive... it probably takes twice as long as building a standard wheel, or at least that's what it takes me typically to complete these tasks. It's simply down to the stupid solutions manufacturers use to make life more complicated. The shear amount of work involved in rebuilding a Campagnolo wheel with all the washers for instance is enough to put off most if not all...
Shops don't want to do it... builders might not want to do it... I think the DIY/find a friend route is the way to go. Somebody who enjoys doing it as a hobby, rather than charging by the hour.
Many thanks for the advice.. I got the feeling this may be the case! I'm certainly not at the stage to even attempt to rebuild them and I doubt any of my friends would be either.. I'll at least be sure to keep the wheels in the shed for when I feel like a project! (the guy in the shop told me to literally throw them in the bin, which I felt pretty bad about given the rims/hubs are in perfect nick)0 -
Bobbinogs wrote:Unfortunately one of the drawbacks of factory wheels is that often repairs are simply uneconomical. Not in all cases but it is fairly common (I have had to throw away a lovely wheelset recently just because the rims were worn whereas I had a set of handbuilts rebuilt in the summer...effectively getting a brand new set of great wheels for a very small outlay).
We all have our favourite wheelsets, usually based on a very small sample size and personal factors. There are some great factory wheels and some good handbuilt options too so it is best to keep an open mind and try and match the right type to your requirements/preferrences.
What kind of rides do you do? Hilly/flat? That can make a difference as folks living in Norfolk don't need to hit the Weightweenie site so often, etc. Also, roughly how heavy are you? If you are over 95kg then something solid would make sense, probably with a higher spoke count.
I'm still relatively new to riding so I'm doing all sorts of stuff at the moment... some hills, some longer flatter rides, some shorter/sprint rides and eventually looking to do a couple of triathlons in the coming season... looking for a good 'all-rounder' set that I won't outgrow for a little while! I'm currently around 93kg so certainly up there.. was leaning towards the Campagnolo's because feedback tends to be they're fairly stiff, would the Vento's be a safer bet in this case?0 -
The odd time I have built with stright pull spokes it has not taken me longer than with convential spokes. I do thing rebuilding with stright pulls is doable. Easton use the Sapim CX sprint spoke mostly you will more than likely be able to buy round DT comps in straight pull.
All factory wheels are going to be throw away once they wear out. The spoke failure you have had is down to fatigue not corrosion. The way around this is more spokes in your wheel but for that you wull have to contact a wheelbuilder. Many of those in the U.S Ergott wheels, Zen cyclery WMW......http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.0 -
thecycleclinic wrote:The odd time I have built with stright pull spokes it has not taken me longer than with convential spokes. I do thing rebuilding with stright pulls is doable. Easton use the Sapim CX sprint spoke mostly you will more than likely be able to buy round DT comps in straight pull.
All factory wheels are going to be throw away once they wear out. The spoke failure you have had is down to fatigue not corrosion. The way around this is more spokes in your wheel but for that you wull have to contact a wheelbuilder. Many of those in the U.S Ergott wheels, Zen cyclery WMW......
It normally takes 20 minutes just to get the spoke heads out of the flange in the front hub in a pair of Easton. They are routed so tight!
Others, like Campag Neutron use a range of washers which are an absolute PITA to fit in a used rim, as they rely on a sticky tape which won't work if the rim is filthy and corroded.
Different story if you start from scratch with new componentsleft the forum March 20230
