Wheel upgrade

rogerv78

Hi guys, looking at upgrading my wheels and have been looking at the mavic cosmic carbone 40 elite, my query is, am I making the right decision ?

They are an expensive wheelset and I ride fairly frequently and want to upgrade but after reading a few articles about wheels I'm wondering if they are the correct choice for me ? I ride sportives of varying distance and elevation and ride a couple of times a week but I don't race or tt so am now confused as to whether I am wasting money on wheels that wouldn't suite my riding ?

At present my bike has some mavic aksium wheels which it came with and will be fine for turbo/winter use just wanted to go the next step and upgrade.

Also I am going to get an 11-28 cassette for the new wheels as at present I have an11-32 but have been trying not to use the 32 recently to build the legs, is this a good idea and will my 105 long cage work with the 11-28 ?

Sorry for all the questions just want to make sure I'm making the right decision before I spend a fortune?

Thanks in advance for your advice and replies !

mrb123

The new wheels will look nicer and may feel a bit different but don't expect any massive improvements to your speed, if any. Whether they will represent value for money for you is a question only you can answer.

An 11-28 cassette will work fine with your rear derailleur, but if there are times when you use your 32 cog then I see no reason for you to change, unless you'd prefer slightly closer ratios on the back. There is no real reason to try not to use your 32 - if the hill demands you change down to keep spinning at a decent cadence then why not? The pros have been known to run 11-32 cassettes on particularly demanding mountain stages.

markhewitt1978

rogerv78 wrote:

Hi guys, looking at upgrading my wheels and have been looking at the mavic cosmic carbone 40 elite, my query is, am I making the right decision ?

Don't be lazy, provide a link for us. We don't have encyclopedic knowledge here. And even then there are many wheels by that name with varying prices.

They are an expensive wheelset and I ride fairly frequently and want to upgrade but after reading a few articles about wheels I'm wondering if they are the correct choice for me ? I ride sportives of varying distance and elevation and ride a couple of times a week but I don't race or tt so am now confused as to whether I am wasting money on wheels that wouldn't suite my riding ?

Doesn't really tell us anything - you basically said "I ride my bike". What are you hoping to achieve?

At present my bike has some mavic aksium wheels which it came with and will be fine for turbo/winter use just wanted to go the next step and upgrade.

It will help but there's no need to go mental.

Also I am going to get an 11-28 cassette for the new wheels as at present I have an11-32 but have been trying not to use the 32 recently to build the legs,

Well that's a big topic. It really depends on what sort of hills you're doing, how heavy you are etc etc.

will my 105 long cage work with the 11-28 ?

Yes.

kajjal

The best upgrade for my road bike was decent tyres of the size I wanted. They rolled better than the original tyres on the bike and also gripped better. Wheels will make a difference but only really noticeable if you have very heavy or unsuitable wheels to begin with.

On the other hand nothing wrong with buying a bit of bling for the bike as a reward for your improving fitness.

When it comes to gears just use what feels right at the time. On a bad day the 32 will be a relief on a good day you would never use it. In mountain biking there is a trend for 1 x 10 or 1 x 11 gears. This means various people struggling up steeper longer hills due to not having the range of gears they need. On the flatter trails it works well.

Midlands Grimpeur

As above, if you are upgrading just because you want a nicer set of wheels then go for it, they will be nice wheels and you will enjoy riding them.

If, on the other hand you are looking for something that improves or suits your riding style then a few things that might be worth noting with the Mavics (or deep section rims in general).

- deep section wheels only really offer an aero benefit above 17/18 mph. If you aren't that fast on average they won't make much difference to your speed (if that's a requirement?), and a 40mm rim depth is even less likely too than say a 50-60mm.

- how much climbing/descending are you doing? Deeper section rims don't quite have the same acceleration on a climb as shallower rims IMO. It doesn't bother me but some might not like the feel of a deeper rim when climbing. In terms of descending, some people are also a bit nervy when going downhill on a carbon rim (clinchers especially). Again, personally I think modern carbon braking surfaces are fine for most hills but would not use them in the high mountains.

- how heavy are you (not to get personal!). My deep section rims are fine when I am out of the saddle but I am light (60kg). A few of my heavier mates have commented they get lateral flex in the rear wheel of carbon rims which causes brake rub so something to consider.

mfin

Changing wheels for better ones is not upgrading your wheels.

markhewitt1978

mfin wrote:

Changing wheels for better ones is not upgrading your wheels.

Yes it is. It's common terminology. Such as upgrading your phone doesn't mean swapping out the processor but replacing it with a better one.

drlodge

mfin wrote:

Changing wheels for better ones is not upgrading your wheels.

Its more like upgrading your bike then.

keef66

mfin wrote:

Changing wheels for better ones is not upgrading your wheels.

That's been a niggle of mine since I first started reading about bikes. The misuse of the term upgrade. You could argue you're upgrading the bike, but what you're doing to the component in question is replacing it.

Maybe people don't like to admit they are wastefully replacing perfectly good parts?

As a Yorkshireman it's not something I'm very often susceptible to. I've swapped out an uncomfortable saddle, and had to replace some cheap tyres which punctured easily and were dangerous in the wet, but I generally only replace things that break or wear out.
My RS10 wheels are still perfectly functional after 9 years; my kind of rides mean I rarely brake so the rims are still OK, I've replaced one broken spoke, and given the hubs new bearings once along with an annual clean and service. The 105 groupset has mismatched levers because the LH shifter failed and I found a replacement on Ebay. The rear mech was replaced due to wear / seized bolts on the jockey wheels. And it's eaten the RH shift cable twice.

The only confession I have to make is the brakes. I had Tiagra calipers on an otherwise 105 bike, the blocks were worn down and I was looking at better replacements when a fellow forumite was selling some nearly new 5800 calipers. £30, they look the dog's danglies, and it has transformed the braking, so that probably is a bike upgrade

You could probably say I've upgraded the braking, but what I've done to the calipers is replace them...

rogerv78

Midlands Grimpeur wrote:

As above, if you are upgrading just because you want a nicer set of wheels then go for it, they will be nice wheels and you will enjoy riding them.

If, on the other hand you are looking for something that improves or suits your riding style then a few things that might be worth noting with the Mavics (or deep section rims in general).

- deep section wheels only really offer an aero benefit above 17/18 mph. If you aren't that fast on average they won't make much difference to your speed (if that's a requirement?), and a 40mm rim depth is even less likely too than say a 50-60mm.

- how much climbing/descending are you doing? Deeper section rims don't quite have the same acceleration on a climb as shallower rims IMO. It doesn't bother me but some might not like the feel of a deeper rim when climbing. In terms of descending, some people are also a bit nervy when going downhill on a carbon rim (clinchers especially). Again, personally I think modern carbon braking surfaces are fine for most hills but would not use them in the high mountains.

- how heavy are you (not to get personal!). My deep section rims are fine when I am out of the saddle but I am light (60kg). A few of my heavier mates have commented they get lateral flex in the rear wheel of carbon rims which causes brake rub so something to consider.

Thanks for the advice, to be honest it is mainly a case of a nicer set of wheels to bling the bike a bit, although I was hoping for a slight improvement in performance but if thats not the case then so be it.

I mainly average 16mph when riding so nearly at the 17-18mph so wouldnt make that much difference I suppose and climbing wise is where I struggle being of a larger size of about 85kg !

I'm just not sure if its a waste of money for a bit of bling at the end of the day ?

rogerv78

Upgrading/replacing wasn't meant to start a debate, it was just the term I used but would have assumed most people would get the gist ?

Just wanted some advice on whether it was a waste of money or not, I could have done without the sarcastic comments ?

twist83

My view is if YOU fancy some new wheels then go for it. The post above from the person about how he only replaces it when it is broken, or is swapping out unbroken parts wasteful is largely irrelevant in this instance.

You know the current wheels are fine but fancy a new set. I say go for it. I have some Mavic Ksyrium's and a pair of Roval CLX40 on my Venge. I do notice a difference between the pair. How much difference does it make at my level? Probably not a huge amount.

Do I regret buying them. Absolutely not. Mavic wheels tend to be pretty bullet proof and look smart. Google for some reviews of the specific model as well.

Ignore the haters, if you have the cash and fancy them. Buy them!! If you are happy with the 32 cassette then stick with it.

Midlands Grimpeur

I'm just not sure if its a waste of money for a bit of bling at the end of the day ?

My point of view is that if you are going to use them and enjoy them then it's a good purchase and not a waste of money at all. Sounds like that is the case for you so go for it, you will probably even get a little bit of a performance boost out of them as well.

jimboyle1967

I personally wouldn't touch carbon clinchers. See this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET1jRVynOBA

First.Aspect

jimboyle1967 wrote:

I personally wouldn't touch carbon clinchers. See this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET1jRVynOBA

Yadda yadda yadda.

Those Mavics have the aluminium insert, incidentally, that Mavic are now stepping away from (because its a little heavier than full carbon). A few places have these wheels on offer at the moment - a smidge over a grand including some high end tyres is fairly good value for mid-depth carbon clinchers weighing 1550g, I reckon.

Obviously not competitive with Chinese imports or UK builders using the same rims, but Mavic do know what they are doing, in my experience, so you'll end up with a stiff and reliable wheelset.

That's what I'm telling myself anyway. :oops:

mfin

drlodge wrote:

mfin wrote:

Changing wheels for better ones is not upgrading your wheels.

Its more like upgrading your bike then.

Exactly.

mfin

keef66 wrote:

mfin wrote:

Changing wheels for better ones is not upgrading your wheels.

That's been a niggle of mine since I first started reading about bikes. The misuse of the term upgrade. You could argue you're upgrading the bike, but what you're doing to the component in question is replacing it.

And again, you got it.

imposter2.0

Upgrade the rider.

mfin

Imposter wrote:

Upgrade the rider.

Hopefully without bringing fuelling into the discussion.

mrb123

rogerv78 wrote:

Upgrading/replacing wasn't meant to start a debate, it was just the term I used but would have assumed most people would get the gist ?

Just wanted some advice on whether it was a waste of money or not, I could have done without the sarcastic comments ?

If you're mainly after a bit of bling for the bike (and I do accept that carbon wheels look damn good) how about saving yourself some cash and getting a set of the Bax wheels as recently reviewed by Bender?
https://roubaixcycling.cc/2016/07/26/ba ... h-science/

First.Aspect

MrB123 wrote:

rogerv78 wrote:

Upgrading/replacing wasn't meant to start a debate, it was just the term I used but would have assumed most people would get the gist ?

Just wanted some advice on whether it was a waste of money or not, I could have done without the sarcastic comments ?

If you're mainly after a bit of bling for the bike (and I do accept that carbon wheels look damn good) how about saving yourself some cash and getting a set of the Bax wheels as recently reviewed by Bender?
https://roubaixcycling.cc/2016/07/26/ba ... h-science/

Like I say, no-name wheels, which is what these essentially are, are going to be cheaper. Cheaper hubs, not as stiff maybe.

Original question, are wheels a good upgrade? Yes.

Are they going to make a difference to the way your bike feels? Absolutely.

Are they going to improve the performance of your bike? Yes, if not by very much in absolute terms, at least more so than any other purchase with the possible exceptions of a big upgrade in terms of tyres, or switching from flat pedals to clipless......

Are these wheels good value? Well, yes, I think they are. At effectively £950 for the wheels you get a very stiff, smooth running and reliable set of pre-built carbon wheels. They are lighter and better looking than Zipp 303's, probably less aero, but half the price. They are stiffer, probably provide better braking are are also probably lighter than something like those Bax 38's, but are almost twice the price. If what they offer, vs. what they lack is what you are after, then they are good value.

But, look, I can't really tell or measure the speed difference between a ride on my 16 year old aluminium bike with 9-speed gears and mismatched wheels, and a ride on my £7k titanium work of art. People who post stuff along the lines of "huh, well that's a waste of money" are merely still struck with the novel concept of the law of diminishing returns.