Planet X N2A - Guru with Superstar carbon clinchers

Twelly

Frame: Planet X N2A XL
Forks:
Bars: Ritchey
Stem: Ritchey
Headset: PX
Bar Tape: Prologo Skintouch

Front Brake Lever: Ultegra 6800
Front Caliper: Ultegra 6800
Rear Brake Lever: Ultegra 6800
Rear Caliper: Ultegra 6800

Shifters: Ultegra 6800
Cables: Ultegra 6800
Front Mech: Ultegra 6800
Rear Mech: Ultegra 6800

Seat: Planet X carbon
Seat Post: N2A
Seat Post Clamp: integrated

Cranks: Ultegra 6800
Chainring(s): 50/34
Chain: Ultegra 6800
Cassette: Ultegra 6800 11-28
Pedals: R540 (will get some Ultegra carbon ones at some point)
Bottom Bracket: BB30 adapter

Wheels: Superstar Pave 28 tubular
Tires: Vittoria Rally Tubular 23mm

Accessories: PX carbon bottle cages, Superstar out front Garmin mount

Weight: 7.2kg ish

The wheels are basically a test. I want some 40-50mm deep lightweight full carbon wheels, probably a Wheelsmith build but I didn't know whether to go tubular or clincher. Bought the cheapest, lightest tubs I could find to try it out and see how I get on before I drop £700+ on a wheelset. The chunky frame looks a bit odd with shallow wheels.

diamonddog

Like that v much.

galatzo

Nice, but then I would say that as I had one in the same colour !

tim_wand

Love that colour on the Guru. When I went to get my Pro Carbon SL , wanted that colour and was showing in stock on the Website. Unfortunately it was bonded stock in a Warehouse 20 miles away from Magna.

Still they gave me a carbon seatpost and fitted a headset as compensation. Still always wanted that colour though. goes well with our Club Kit.

Anyway cut a long story short. Do you mind me asking which BB30 adapter you used and how it went. I am looking to put my Ultegra 6800 onto a cannondale Evo six.

Twelly

Its a KCNC one which is two parts that screw together inside the bb shell. Looked at lots of forum threads before choosing one, apparently the fact the two parts screw together ensures perfect alignment and hopefully no issues. The cups and bearings are all integrated too so it all goes together perfectly. Also meant the Ultegra BB that came with the group was free for my girlfriends bike!

Matthewfalle

Very nice - very cool colour.

Why not throw on some P/X carbon 50s - work very well, good prices, carry the P/X theme through. Cheaper by a long chalk than the Wheelsmith jobs - difference will pay for sunny riding holiday.

Twelly

Matthewfalle wrote:

Very nice - very cool colour.

Why not throw on some P/X carbon 50s - work very well, good prices, carry the P/X theme through. Cheaper by a long chalk than the Wheelsmith jobs - difference will pay for sunny riding holiday.

Some black round things arrived this week, stay tuned..

tim_wand

Same thinking on the BB adapter, I m going for the Rotor or the KCNC . can get the rotor a bit cheaper.

andyrooroo

I have an N2A and use the Rotor adapter. Not ridden it much, (summer bike) but a few hundred miles covered and no problems so far. Seemed a quality bit of kit when I installed it.

Twelly

Ok, I was going to wait until summer but I got a bit wrapped up in the thread involving Superstar, Ugo and some others complaining about the quality of Superstar's wheel building. Always had excellent service from SS and the 4 wheelsets I have had them build have all been faultless. Anyway, found myself looking a bit too hard at their carbon clinchers which are rumoured to be old Reynolds rims. Bit more expensive than PX but these are full carbon clinchers, no Al rim with a carbon fairing like the PX ones. A lot less than a Wheelsmith build.

They have an 11 speed carbon wheelset in their wheels section for £599 (Volta hubs) but I went on the custom builder and spec'd the cheaper but still decent 11 speed Icon hubs with Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples. Came out to £450ish and is hopefully a more sturdy build than the £599 Volta/Al nipple/Laser option.

Weights are 715g front, 870g rear WITH rim tape, no skewers.

Very happy and the bike looks much more complete now. Cant wait to get out on it tomorrow.

Usually I'd choose black, black and black when picking colours as I'm not really a fan of anodised bling but I think the gold hubs look pretty good. (inspired by a picture of some Enve's that were posted on here)

d_o_g

That is a wholly acceptable saddle - bars height drop.

tim_wand

Proper Smart. Still think you ve bastardised the Cotic though

Only joking . Suffering bike envy on both :!:

ugo.santalucia

TwellySmat wrote:

Anyway, found myself looking a bit too hard at their carbon clinchers which are rumoured to be old Reynolds rims.

You are the living proof that there is no harm in having an animated discussion on a forum... people moaning about one's alleged attempts to damage the reputation of a company are complete nonsense, as in fact the more you talk about something, the more you advertise it, no matter what you say about it.

mfin

ugo.santalucia wrote:

TwellySmat wrote:

Anyway, found myself looking a bit too hard at their carbon clinchers which are rumoured to be old Reynolds rims.

You are the living proof that there is no harm in having an animated discussion on a forum... people moaning about one's alleged attempts to damage the reputation of a company are complete nonsense, as in fact the more you talk about something, the more you advertise it, no matter what you say about it.

That is a big assumption/generalisation you're making there based on one tiny piece of data. It could also be read that only very very few will go on to buy it, that this chap is the living proof and that the reputation is damaged.

I don't actually have an opinion on it much myself, apart from the fact this guys purchase supports no theory whatsoever.

DKay

mfin wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

TwellySmat wrote:

Anyway, found myself looking a bit too hard at their carbon clinchers which are rumoured to be old Reynolds rims.

You are the living proof that there is no harm in having an animated discussion on a forum... people moaning about one's alleged attempts to damage the reputation of a company are complete nonsense, as in fact the more you talk about something, the more you advertise it, no matter what you say about it.

I don't actually have an opinion on it much myself, apart from the fact this guys purchase supports no theory whatsoever.

Umm...how can you say that, when the OP has clearly said that his decision was influenced by the threads on this forum? My own decision to buy some SSC carbon clinchers was also swayed by this forum. In fact, I also bought my SSC SL23 wheels solely due to the forum bringing them to my attention, even though I knew their was a decent possibility of them not being well built.

Anyway, I wish I'd also gone for gold hubs on my C46 wheels, instead of just black. My Foil now looks too murdered-out and the gold would have complemented the green frame highlights nicely.

Twelly

Couple of brown short moments in the crosswinds! Very glad I didn't get carried away and get the 66mm rims.

Bike is very quick. I now understand the deep wheel argument. It is normal effort up to around 22/23mph and then after that, the faster you go the more it just takes off, I don't think I have ever been that comfortable pushing 30mph on the flat. Just need to upgrade the flabby bastard on top of it now.

holiver

Looks rapid! What kind of noise do the Icon hubs make? Are they loud or quiet?

DKay

Quite loud tick, tick, but not as loud as a something like a Zipp freehub.

DKay

TwellySmat wrote:

Couple of brown short moments in the crosswinds! Very glad I didn't get carried away and get the 66mm rims.

Bike is very quick. I now understand the deep wheel argument. It is normal effort up to around 22/23mph and then after that, the faster you go the more it just takes off, I don't think I have ever been that comfortable pushing 30mph on the flat. Just need to upgrade the flabby bastard on top of it now.

How did you find braking power?

Twelly

DKay wrote:

TwellySmat wrote:

Couple of brown short moments in the crosswinds! Very glad I didn't get carried away and get the 66mm rims.

Bike is very quick. I now understand the deep wheel argument. It is normal effort up to around 22/23mph and then after that, the faster you go the more it just takes off, I don't think I have ever been that comfortable pushing 30mph on the flat. Just need to upgrade the flabby bastard on top of it now.

How did you find braking power?

Adequate. Nothing spectacular but then I ride my mountain bike with big powerful brakes a lot more so I have never thought much of road brakes. Will say the lever feel is much better with these Ultegra brakes than other cheaper caliper brakes i have used (Tektro/Sram Apex/Btwin own brand). Reynolds Cryo Blue pads in case you wondered.

Twelly

DKay wrote:

Quite loud tick, tick, but not as loud as a something like a Zipp freehub.

Eerrr, not really, mine are very quiet, there is a reassuring clicking but compared to the racket Hope or some others make they are very quiet.

DKay

TwellySmat wrote:

DKay wrote:

Quite loud tick, tick, but not as loud as a something like a Zipp freehub.

Eerrr, not really, mine are very quiet, there is a reassuring clicking but compared to the racket Hope or some others make they are very quiet.

Everything is relative I suppose. Compared to my Miche Primato hubs, my Fulcrum 5s and the old Easton EA50s I used to have, my Icon freehub is much louder. Maybe it needs some lube...

ugo.santalucia

I think you guys have different hubs, possibly?

The Icon are Novatec = quiet, the Volta look like Chosen to me, hence louder

DKay

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I think you guys have different hubs, possibly?

The Icon are Novatec = quiet, the Volta look like Chosen to me, hence louder

We definitely have the same 'Icon' branded hubs. Gold ones must be quieter.

I thought the 'Volta' hubs were modified Novatec 291/482, but with upgraded SKF bearings? Chosen hubs look quite similar though. I had them on my old Chinese carbon clinchers.

Sello88

TwellySmat wrote:

Ok, I was going to wait until summer but I got a bit wrapped up in the thread involving Superstar, Ugo and some others complaining about the quality of Superstar's wheel building. Always had excellent service from SS and the 4 wheelsets I have had them build have all been faultless. Anyway, found myself looking a bit too hard at their carbon clinchers which are rumoured to be old Reynolds rims. Bit more expensive than PX but these are full carbon clinchers, no Al rim with a carbon fairing like the PX ones. A lot less than a Wheelsmith build.

They have an 11 speed carbon wheelset in their wheels section for £599 (Volta hubs) but I went on the custom builder and spec'd the cheaper but still decent 11 speed Icon hubs with Sapim Race spokes and brass nipples. Came out to £450ish and is hopefully a more sturdy build than the £599 Volta/Al nipple/Laser option.

Weights are 715g front, 870g rear WITH rim tape, no skewers.

Very happy and the bike looks much more complete now. Cant wait to get out on it tomorrow.

Usually I'd choose black, black and black when picking colours as I'm not really a fan of anodised bling but I think the gold hubs look pretty good. (inspired by a picture of some Enve's that were posted on here)

Great looking wheels. I am thinking of a set of deep sections for my new bike. What frame size is your bike? Only i'm worried that too deep a section might make my 54cm framed bike look "all wheels". Maybe something like 32's would suit my smaller frame better?

DKay

Sello88 wrote:

Great looking wheels. I am thinking of a set of deep sections for my new bike. What frame size is your bike? Only i'm worried that too deep a section might make my 54cm framed bike look "all wheels". Maybe something like 32's would suit my smaller frame better?

I've got the same wheels on my 49cm Foil and they look in proportion. Also, here are the same wheels on a 52cm Foil.

Sello88

Thanks. They do actually look fine. The bad news is I think I may be about to spend more money .... Is there a link to the retailer on here anywhere?

DKay

Sello88 wrote:

Thanks. They do actually look fine. The bad news is I think I may be about to spend more money .... Is there a link to the retailer on here anywhere?

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/s ... ad-wheels/

Might want to get the spoke tensions checked after you get them though.

Sello88

DKay wrote:

Sello88 wrote:

Thanks. They do actually look fine. The bad news is I think I may be about to spend more money .... Is there a link to the retailer on here anywhere?

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/s ... ad-wheels/

Might want to get the spoke tensions checked after you get them though.

Oh, how much did it cost to get yours checked ? Can I infer from your warning that yours needed some attention.

DKay

Sello88 wrote:

DKay wrote:

Sello88 wrote:

Thanks. They do actually look fine. The bad news is I think I may be about to spend more money .... Is there a link to the retailer on here anywhere?

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/s ... ad-wheels/

Might want to get the spoke tensions checked after you get them though.

Oh, how much did it cost to get yours checked ? Can I infer from your warning that yours needed some attention.

Cost me £20. Do a search for topics containing the words 'Superstar' and 'Pacenti'. You may need a spare half an hour or so....

Sello88

Ok thanks for your help, I had a read of the threads you mentioned. Sounds like there's very little to worry about if £20 sorted two wheel sets. C46's on their way :-)