Wheel Upgrade advice?

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Comments

  • carrock
    carrock Posts: 1,103
    fulcrum racing 3s £318 at Merlin
  • tjw_78
    tjw_78 Posts: 41
    carrock wrote:
    fulcrum racing 3s £318 at Merlin

    Thanks, spotted that one a few days ago. :D
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,815
    tjw_78 wrote:
    A year on, and I'm still wondering about whether to upgrade my wheels. My budget is possibly a little more now, and so erring towards Fulcrum Racing 3s. On the other hand, I'm not not sure I can be faffed with sorting it all out. Changing them might be easy enough, but I don't know how to (switch the cassette over), and I don't own a chain whip. So I'd probably have to pay someone to switch things over, and make sure the gears are adjusted etc (which I also don't know how to do). In another life I'd learn how to do all this, but I've got 3 children under 6 and time is at at a premium. If I've got spare time I want to ride my bike, not faff around with it.
    That all being said, part of me wonders whether I might just enjoy being a little quicker, especially on the hills, and especially especially on club runs (not that I'm competitive or anything, honest)

    Chain whip and cassette tool are well worth getting. That way you'll be able to change wheels and cassettes should you ever need to, plus potentially do other jobs like a freehub service. Loads of vids on YouTube to follow.

    Gears might not need any adjustment, but if they do it's likely to be nothing more than a tweak of a barrel adjuster.
  • tjw_78
    tjw_78 Posts: 41
    MrB123 wrote:
    Chain whip and cassette tool are well worth getting. That way you'll be able to change wheels and cassettes should you ever need to, plus potentially do other jobs like a freehub service. Loads of vids on YouTube to follow.

    Gears might not need any adjustment, but if they do it's likely to be nothing more than a tweak of a barrel adjuster.

    You are quite right of course! I should do this. But like I say, its more of a children induced time issue than anything else.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    Honestly - it would probably take you less time to swap the cassette over than to take it to a bike shop.
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    apreading wrote:
    Honestly - it would probably take you less time to swap the cassette over than to take it to a bike shop.

    Yep a first timer to cassette changing should be able to watch a youtube video and then be able to do the job in under 2 minutes.
  • tjw_78
    tjw_78 Posts: 41
    mfin wrote:
    apreading wrote:
    Honestly - it would probably take you less time to swap the cassette over than to take it to a bike shop.

    Yep a first timer to cassette changing should be able to watch a youtube video and then be able to do the job in under 2 minutes.

    Thanks guys, appreciate the advice :D
  • tjw_78
    tjw_78 Posts: 41
    My LBS just told me to get Mavics, nothing else, due to build quality (and warranty).

    Any comments on that advice?
  • GCN have some of the best videos i find now aimed at roadbikes but most stuff crosses over, they tend not to gloss over anything that i have found others do.

    More or less rebuilt an entire mtb from watching vids and im not a confident bike mechanic, cassette is very simple and quick to do
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    It depends on what you mean by an upgrade too. do you to run tubeless tyres? Do you want a wheel that has better parts supply like rims, spokes, hubs spares e.t.c. Do you want a stiffer wheel, more aero or is it just lighter. If it just lower weight then that can come at the expensive of lateral (not always) and radial stiffness which then has an impact on spoke life.

    Mavic warranty is similar to Campagnolo's, fulcrums, shimano's......... they will warranty some things but if a spoke goes bang after a year that's is something they dont care about. Also build quality is a very vauge term. What are people look for in build quality. round and straight rims? Well they all should be that way. even spoke tension, does anyone actually check?

    Pin down what you want before spending money this is why folk go round in circles.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.