Year-round racing/commuting wheel set?
seventh_obsidian
Posts: 2
Hello!
I'm in the market for a new wheel set, but I have absolutely no idea where to begin (which will probably make itself painfully clear in my rambling below). I’m in desperate need of help.
Weight: 115lb - 125lb
Style of riding: When I ride for fun, I aim for speed. My cruising speed on the flat is between 17mph and 25mph, depending on wind and other conditions. When I sprint for short distances, I like to get up to between 28mph and 31mph. I like to get out of my saddle to sprint up hills, and sometimes I can accidentally lift my rear wheel off the ground (I don't know if that info is relevant at all, and the only reason I'm even mentioning it is in case it gives a better idea of the type of strength and stiffness I'm looking for). I'm perfectly happy to coast up to 34mph - 40mph on descents—I would enjoy even faster, but there aren't long/steep enough hills around here for that; but I have no problems handling my bike at 53mph on a fairly straight descent. I also like to push myself to do faster, sharper turns when at higher speeds on the flat/down a mild descent. So fast, responsive, springy, stiff rims are important to me. BUT I also tend to commute on my bike, and the roads here are gritty and rough, and there are some train tracks and extremely bumpy bridges that I frequently cross on my commute. I've also been known to load up my rear rack with 15lbs+ of stuff.
Current set-up: I ride a 47" Kestral Evoke SL (2009). My rear wheel is a Neuvation M28 Aero2, and my front is some Titan. I use a SRAM-compatible 10 speed cassette and I run 23mm tires. After 6 years of riding that wheel, it's developed big cracks around most of the nipples, resulting in a ton of creaking, so I've stopped riding the bike until I can get a new set of wheels.
What I think I need: Something stronger than my current Neuvation wheel, and something that is as fast or faster. I’m pretty sure that I want a wider rim (at least 24mm externally and between 17mm and 20mm internally) that has a bit of an aero profile (30mm-35mm; not sure if over 35mm would result in my bike turning into a giant sail on windy days; although currently my Neuvation wheel is pretty bad in the wind as it is) with a U-shape rather than the standard V-shape. I’m not sure how a deeper rim will affect acceleration, since there is supposedly more weight towards the outer part of the wheel?… I like the feeling of springy/responsive wheels. For spokes, I've been sold on the Sapim CX Ray bladed spokes. I don't know about hubs, only that I want something smooth that engages very fast with as low rolling resistance possible for something that’s very durable. I prefer very quiet ones, but I’m not sure how that affects how fast it engages and allows the bike to accelerate (so clearly if it's faster/more durable, being loud trumps quiet). Other than that, I have no idea....
The idea of carbon appeals to me due to lighter weights and added strength, but the thought of getting wheels that cost more than my entire bike doesn’t really sit well with me. Plus I also ride year-round, and in the winter here it rains almost every day. I ride in traffic as well, so being able to stop quickly is very important in wet weather. $1500 is about as high as I am comfortable going.
Pleas help.
I'm in the market for a new wheel set, but I have absolutely no idea where to begin (which will probably make itself painfully clear in my rambling below). I’m in desperate need of help.
Weight: 115lb - 125lb
Style of riding: When I ride for fun, I aim for speed. My cruising speed on the flat is between 17mph and 25mph, depending on wind and other conditions. When I sprint for short distances, I like to get up to between 28mph and 31mph. I like to get out of my saddle to sprint up hills, and sometimes I can accidentally lift my rear wheel off the ground (I don't know if that info is relevant at all, and the only reason I'm even mentioning it is in case it gives a better idea of the type of strength and stiffness I'm looking for). I'm perfectly happy to coast up to 34mph - 40mph on descents—I would enjoy even faster, but there aren't long/steep enough hills around here for that; but I have no problems handling my bike at 53mph on a fairly straight descent. I also like to push myself to do faster, sharper turns when at higher speeds on the flat/down a mild descent. So fast, responsive, springy, stiff rims are important to me. BUT I also tend to commute on my bike, and the roads here are gritty and rough, and there are some train tracks and extremely bumpy bridges that I frequently cross on my commute. I've also been known to load up my rear rack with 15lbs+ of stuff.
Current set-up: I ride a 47" Kestral Evoke SL (2009). My rear wheel is a Neuvation M28 Aero2, and my front is some Titan. I use a SRAM-compatible 10 speed cassette and I run 23mm tires. After 6 years of riding that wheel, it's developed big cracks around most of the nipples, resulting in a ton of creaking, so I've stopped riding the bike until I can get a new set of wheels.
What I think I need: Something stronger than my current Neuvation wheel, and something that is as fast or faster. I’m pretty sure that I want a wider rim (at least 24mm externally and between 17mm and 20mm internally) that has a bit of an aero profile (30mm-35mm; not sure if over 35mm would result in my bike turning into a giant sail on windy days; although currently my Neuvation wheel is pretty bad in the wind as it is) with a U-shape rather than the standard V-shape. I’m not sure how a deeper rim will affect acceleration, since there is supposedly more weight towards the outer part of the wheel?… I like the feeling of springy/responsive wheels. For spokes, I've been sold on the Sapim CX Ray bladed spokes. I don't know about hubs, only that I want something smooth that engages very fast with as low rolling resistance possible for something that’s very durable. I prefer very quiet ones, but I’m not sure how that affects how fast it engages and allows the bike to accelerate (so clearly if it's faster/more durable, being loud trumps quiet). Other than that, I have no idea....
The idea of carbon appeals to me due to lighter weights and added strength, but the thought of getting wheels that cost more than my entire bike doesn’t really sit well with me. Plus I also ride year-round, and in the winter here it rains almost every day. I ride in traffic as well, so being able to stop quickly is very important in wet weather. $1500 is about as high as I am comfortable going.
Pleas help.
0
Comments
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You must be really tall riding a 47" frame.
In all seriousness, my only real advice is you need 2 wheel sets. One cheap pair for commuting and riding in crap weather, you'd get away with something cheap like Shimano RS11 / Fulcrum Racing 7 etc. but if you're going to be loading it up regularly you'd be better accepting a weight penalty and getting getting something stronger like a touring wheelset with more spokes, the main difference is they'll last longer. If you commute on a 'light' wheelset year round and ride it in all weathers, you'll most likely just destroy them pretty quickly.
For the other set, there's plenty of budget carbon wheels out there now for the money you want to spend. Wiggle do own brand carbon wheels for less than £600, which should be in your budget. Or if you want to have your own built then there's a thread to discuss that here: viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=13020726&start=12600
