Wheels and Tyres

mstrmind5

Two points I'd like to ask.

1. Of the following two wheels, which is better and adequate for commuting on London roads. The Mavic Aksim 700c wheels or the Shimano RS11 wheels?

2. Again for commuting on London roads, is there any difference realistic between 25mm and 28mm tyres?

Thanks.

dj58

They are both budget wheels which use proprietary straight bladed spokes, the Mavics use 20 spokes font and rear and are 622x17mm wide I.D., weight limit 120kg. The Shimano use 16 spokes front and 20 rear and are 622x15mm wide I.D. Both will take 23 - 32c tyres.

A wider rim will give a nice tyre profile for the same size tyre and if you use a good quality high T.P.I. count 28c tyre at the correct tyre pressures for you weight you would have a smoother more compliant ride.

If these are the wheels that come with the two bikes you are considering, I would save for a second set of better quality higher spoke count wheels, always good to have a spare set of wheels for best and emergency use in case the O.E. wheels develop problems or are damaged accidently, otherwise you can be off the road.

mstrmind5

Thanks for the explanation. Any recommendations for wheels and puncture resistant tyres?

ugo.santalucia

Any wheel is fine for commuting on London roads. I would probably save even more money and go for a pair of Shimano R 501, which happen to be easier to repair should you need to.

Puncture resistant tyres: Conti gatorskin/4 season, Vredestein Fortezza or if you want something even more resistsnt, then look at Schwalbe marathon plus, which are however much heavier/slower/duller. I guess it depends how long your commute is. If it's < 10 miles I'd probably go for the Schwalbe, if it's more I'd get something nippier