Wheel upgrade?

aphill24

Hi All, I have a trek 2.1c 4 yrs old. The tyres are worn out and I am thinking of using this excuse to upgrade my wheels. I have seen an offer on wiggle for a pair of fulcrum 3 with tubes & tyres for £302
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fulcrum-racing-3-wheelset-tyres-tubes-bundle/

Would these be a decent upgrade on my wheels (Bontrager) that came with the bike. I have covered 6k on the bike commuting and the odd weekend 30/40 mile ride. My mate has just upgraded to mavic cosmic carbone and there is a massive difference in the speed as i was struggling to keep up with him when I can usually do so comfortably. He has been out a little more recently since he bought the wheels but the average speed was remarkable to before at least 2mph on a 40 mile ride. I don't want to pay the £660 he paid for mavics and was wondering if the fulcrums would be comparible considering they are in a sale down from near £480.

I have been putting in the miles the last few weeks to get up to speed through hard work but as I have to buy 2 new tyres for £40 I am looking at spending an extra £262 for the upgrade

Any thoughts as I was also considering the Kyserium elite s but these are £472

nicklong

Honestly, the Mavic Cosmics aren't the reason for an increase in 2mph. That's 3.2 km/h, which in a race is the difference between French 4th category and 1st or 2nds. But, if they make you want to ride more (and ride faster), then the training impact could increase the speed. The wheels will have an impact, sure, but if they were that good then everyone would race on them.

Notwithstanding that, the Fulcrum 3s are by all accounts good wheels at a very decent price. They aren't a deep section wheel though, so they won't improve your top speed massively. They are bit lighter so you'll feel a bit more sprightly when accelerating.

At 1550g for the set, you'd have to spend another £400+ to get into the next class of alu wheel (Kysrium SLR / Racing Zero etc).

stavgold

Could also go for Campagnolo Zonda wheel set with a shimano free hub from Evans for £247. Could then buy some decent tyres rather than the conti sports that come with the Fulcrums.

Zondas and Fulcrums are essentially the same wheels.

aphill24

Thanks Nick, I will save up for a few weeks and if they are still there at that price I will treat myself. my mate was putting in some efforts and that is what would have made the difference I know but when you combine it with new wheels it gets the mind going If someone told me they ran faster in a new pair of trainers I would laugh at the thought as I know the gains would be so minimal, you can't beat hard work to get rewarded with better performances.

aphill24

Thanks Stavgold I will check them out. What tyre would you recommend as I don't have much idea

stavgold

Plenty of discussion on tyres on the forum but often mentioned are michelin pro 4 or continental gp4000s. Need to shop around to get best price but can often be had for £50-55 a pair.

nicklong

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19701234#p19701234]Stavgold[/url] wrote:

Plenty of discussion on tyres on the forum but often mentioned are michelin pro 4 or continental gp4000s. Need to shop around to get best price but can often be had for £50-55 a pair.

Or, if you want to look faster, go for Vittoria Open Corsa SCs. Will have the same effect as deep section wheels, in that they look badass.

Bobbinogs

I don't think there is much logic in buying Open Corsa SC's at this time of the year. OK, they are exceptional tyres...fast, supple, smooth and with good grip in all weathers...but they are expensive and like most things there is a trade off. In the case of Open Corsa SCs, the puncture resistance is minimal and they wear relatively quickly. Hence, for me, they are strictly for my best bike, ridden when I want to enjoy the ride.

Winter training means winter conditions so this time of year I find it better to invest in something a bit more durable so that a) I don't have to spend so long at the side of road sorting out punctures and b) I am not paying over the odds for lovely tyres only to be wearing them out whilst riding head down in the pouring rain whilst looking forward to a warm bath and a cuppa.

I reckon this time of year is more about getting the right apparel (gloves/leg warmers/baselayers, etc.) so that winter riding is made more enjoyable. Speed can sort itself out by pressing the pedals harder in April.

Wheels? This time of the year the fastest guys in my club start to think about swapping to handbuilts (because rim wear can be cost effectively sorted) or cheapo options that can be self-serviced/replaced easily, like RS21's or even R500's.

drlodge

Get some nicer wheels (Zondas) for the summer and use the existing wheels over the winter. No point in trashing nice wheels.