Wheel upgrade

fwgx

I'm thinking I'd like a new wheelset because
1) new and shiny
2) to reduce the weight of the bike
3) for a more enjoyable ride
4) I'm not going to lose weight off myself - don't suggest it! I'm 85kg and always will be.

I currently have the stock wheels that came with my Felt Z75 (2015) that are described as:

Rims Felt Road RSL3 (tubeless ready), 22mm width, 24mm depth
Front Hub Felt R3, sealed bearing, 28H
Rear Hub Felt R3, sealed cartridge bearing, 32H, 11-speed
Spokes 2.0mm stainless steel

I have no idea about their weight and I have no scales to find out.

I was looking at Zondas as I have it in my mind that that's about what I wanted to spend and I wanted to keep the wheels under 1600 grams (don't know why, apart from that's where good wheels seemed to be in terms of weight), plus they look great.

Then I stumbled upon these: https://www.cycledivision.co.uk/cero-ar24-alloy-road-wheelset-bundle
which look to get good reviews, are the same weight as the Zondas (1555g) and come with tyres. So I can't see any downsides from them. The thing I don't know is how good my current wheels are to be able to compare them before buying.

So two things:
1) Are my current wheels any good and how do they compare the the Zonda's and the Cero's?
2) Are the Zonda's worth the extra money over the Cero's?


thank you!

trek_dan

I'd be wary about getting anything with a low spoke count at 85kg, you'll either pop spokes all the time or they'll flex like hell. Your existing wheels seem pretty good to me.

dj58

^^ Agree, I would not go below 24 spoke front / 28 spoke rear, there are people on here your weight that use lower spoke count factory wheels and say they have not had problems, it can be a gamble though. The Zonda's do get good reviews on here as being a good first wheel upgrade for the money. There is a thread on page 2 about Cero vs Mavic wheels.

keezx

Agree, the Cero's are hardley an "upgrade", not really light, not aerodynamic and not stiff.
If you like the optics, okay, but performance won't be noticably better.
Probably good budget wheels for the not so heavy rider, bur they won't be for you.
I (82 kg) expierience 24/20 spoke wheels as weak and I do'nt like them.
Zonda's are a little bit better but don't expect a quantum leap.

cadseen

Best wheel upgrade in my view is moving to deep sections if you dont have them already.
I woudnt get to hung up by a slight increase in weight, it more than pays back with stiffness, acceleration and reduced wind drag. And of course the sound of them

Have you looked at the Planet-X Options ? http://tidd.ly/3c34a66

They are recomended by BikeRadar as one of the best options for deep section wheelsets.
Great value.

turbotommy

I think my zondas have given me some of the best value for money I've ever spent on cycling related stuff. I've comuted on them for the last maybe 4 years and they seem completely bomb proof. They're still as true as the day I bought them and whenever someone says they're looking for a wheelset for around the £150/£200 mark I always suggest they dig a bit deeper and go for zondas.

jimmocrates

Not the weight you are after, but I bought some of these (Fulcrum Quattros) and I really like them. Ribble have emailed an offer - £170. I shopped round for ages and still didn't get them this cheap (paid about £175 in a Ribble sale in January)
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/wheels-factory-built-wheels-factory-road-tri-fulcrum-racing-quattro-wheels-pair/fulcwhfr270

fwgx

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19704610#p19704610]TurboTommy[/url] wrote:

They're still as true as the day I bought them

That's good to know as the front and rear of mine need truing and I've only had them since October when I got the bike.

darkhairedlord

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19704606#p19704606]cadseen[/url] wrote:

Best wheel upgrade in my view is moving to deep sections if you dont have them already.
I woudnt get to hung up by a slight increase in weight, it more than pays back with stiffness, acceleration and reduced wind drag. And of course the sound of them

Have you looked at the Planet-X Options ? http://tidd.ly/3c34a66

They are recomended by BikeRadar as one of the best options for deep section wheelsets.
Great value.

is this guy still driving traffic through his affiliate link thingy?*

*someone more technical will correct me...

Bobbinogs

Being a heavy rider in itself is not the only factor here but also the kind of riding you do. I know some guys who are 80+kg but are capable of churning out big watts and their rides are mainly flattish with the odd "power" climb. For them, rims of 40mm (ish) make sense as they can get them up to speed and then hold it well. The extra weight means very little.

However, riding 40mm rims up/down steep slopes or on the flat at 15mph is less about logic and more about vanity.

85kg is not excessively heavy but I would certainly recommend something with more spokes than the Zondas. So, not necessarily handbuilt but well built wheels with something like 28/32 spoke combo. Why not have a look on the Handbuilts thread anyway though and see what the favoured options are? Handbuilt does not mean old fashioned and dull and a wide rim like the Archetypes will also significantly improve the ride experience when matched with decent tyres at the right pressure.

Failing that, just pick the wheels you like the look of, most folks do in the end.

keezx

If 32/28 isn't "cool"enough , 28/24 ist plenty for 85 kg...

drlodge

The Zondas are generally regarded as the best bang-for-the-buck factory wheel out there, and you could do worse than buy a pair of these.

For the same price, you could get a set of hand built wheels that are more suited to your weight *cough* riding style and needs etc. Shimano 105/Ultegra hubs, Archetype or a good tubeless ready rim and appropriate spokes/spoke count. See the link to the RR440 wheel thread in my sig - a bit more than the Zondas but a fabulous wheel (hand built by Ugo).

philbar72

DR lodge is right. Zonda's will tick 90% of your boxes. lightish, strongish, solid training wheel/ crit wheel.