Best Wheelest for Around £400

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Comments

  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    A blanket dismissal of cheaper hubs from DCR Wheels as "crap" is not helpful. I've got no connection with David Hunt but he is a highly experienced wheel building specialist with a good reputation and it's unfair to disparage his business on an internet forum without technical knowledge and hard evidence. His informative website gives detailed pros and cons of the hubs he uses. I cannot believe he would supply wheels with "crap" hubs as he would be constantly dealing with warranty claims.

    Campag/Fulcrum and Mavic make great wheels at the OP's budget of £400. I've been very happy with the two pairs of Campag factory wheels I have bought. But factory wheels can be an expensive headache if spokes break and rims wear out.

    The advantage of handbuilt is that you can contact the builder, giving your weight, bike use, riding style, budget etc and he or she will come up with a combination of hubs, rims and spokes to suit you. The after-service, warranty cover and ability to replace worn out rims onto your hubs are great for peace of mind.

    I can recommend Malcolm Borg of The Cycle Clinic who is a regular on this forum. I suggest the OP drops Malcolm an email to see what he suggests. The quality of his wheel builds, his helpfulness and after service are exceptional in my personal experience.
  • Tiesetrotter
    Tiesetrotter Posts: 432
    I bought a pair of Novatech hubs with H Plus Son rims for winter from DCR. They are now heading into their 4th season and 3rd set of rims. Obviously new bearings are required but those hubs have given zero problems. In the group I ride in quite a few use that build and again not heard of any issues.

    The H Plus rims do wear through reasonably quick, but they have a great breaking surface.

    Personally they are the best budget wheels I have owned and being a Campag' bigot that took a bit of persuading. However this deal is hard to beat:
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/camp ... d|559457UK
  • beanstalk
    beanstalk Posts: 143
    Tiesetrotter wrote:
    However this deal is hard to beat:
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/camp ... d|559457UK
    https://www.bike-discount.de/de/kaufen/ ... ountry=190
  • trivial_poursuivant
    trivial_poursuivant Posts: 1,136
    beanstalk wrote:
    Tiesetrotter wrote:
    However this deal is hard to beat:
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/camp ... d|559457UK
    https://www.bike-discount.de/de/kaufen/ ... ountry=190

    It still doesn’t beat the CRC deal.
  • beanstalk
    beanstalk Posts: 143
    Trivial poursuivant wrote:
    It still doesn’t beat the CRC deal.
    It does from my perspective :wink:

    Forgot to change the country
  • trivial_poursuivant
    trivial_poursuivant Posts: 1,136
    beanstalk wrote:
    Trivial poursuivant wrote:
    It still doesn’t beat the CRC deal.
    It does from my perspective :wink:

    Forgot to change the country

    Funnily enough. That’s where I bought my current Zondas from when I lived in Germany. Them and an excellent set of Veltec Speed 6.0 tubular wheels.
  • fleshtuxedo
    fleshtuxedo Posts: 1,858
    Panto arguments aside - Zondas, new tyres and a cassette from CRC for under £400 from CRC is the way to go. Don’t forget the 10% off with a BC code.

    Zondas are bloody invincible. The hubs are serviceable cup and cone bearings, but well enough sealed that you’ll never touch them. The build quality is fantastic, I got 4 years of club riding, night rides, potholes etc out of my last set and never touched them with a spoke key either.

    Hand builts just don’t match up at that price point.
  • trivial_poursuivant
    trivial_poursuivant Posts: 1,136
    FleshTuxedo wrote:
    Panto arguments aside -

    Hand builts just don’t match up at that price point.

    This was the point I was making. I have nothing against hand built. But for VFM they cannot beat Zondas at this price point.

    Too many got a proper strop on about it. But hey. Everyone has their opinion.
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    Trivial poursuivant wrote:
    FleshTuxedo wrote:
    Panto arguments aside -

    Hand builts just don’t match up at that price point.

    This was the point I was making. I have nothing against hand built. But for VFM they cannot beat Zondas at this price point.

    Too many got a proper strop on about it. But hey. Everyone has their opinion.

    Don't take this the wrong way, but in the post in which you think this was the point you were making, you barely were, at least it wasn't very clear really, it got lost and/or obfuscated. Plus, you claimed a few things which multiple people picked up on as being not true. When some of what you say isn't clear and some of it is rubbish people will notice. Of course, you might and appear to think that other people were reacting strangely, but they weren't, if you say something daft people do tend to pick it apart.

    Anyway. If you'd simply said clearly that you think at £400 for the same money, a hand built set would come with perceivably lesser or cheaper hubs and the factory builts can be great spec due to being mass produced with economies of scale then I very much doubt anybody would bat an eyelid, but you didn't so people picked up on the exaggerated rubbish you wrote about hubs and brake blocks too.

    Just be a bit clearer next time, but never expect to get a free pass for any untrue claims or rubbish.
  • burnthesheep
    burnthesheep Posts: 675
    I thought I posted in this, but can't find it.

    For 400 pounds, that's $520.......I'd say if you want aero you're going to have to go used.

    This was about my budget and the best I could find in a deep enough wheel was a Yoeleo for about $650 a set. I didn't go that way though as their spoke nipples have to be inserted through a single tiny hole in the rim bed then randomly jostled into place. God forbid you ever had to service one of those.

    $520 on ebay or a local listing will get a lot of wheelset if you look hard enough. Also if you're on 11spd, don't rule out 10spd listed wheels. Most were made as 11spd after 2012 for use with spacers but some people still list them as 10spd because they don't know better. Then the TRUE 10spd ones from 2012 can often be converted to 11spd for about $50 with a new free hub body.

    My opinion on the hubs? I don't have one. All I know is the engagement on the DT's on the used Giant wheels I just got is much nicer than the cheap wheels from Giant my bike came with. It's night and day difference. Kind of like the difference between a cheap socket driver and expensive one. More points of engagement. One was low tooth count prongs and the DT is the star style.

    Weight? Meh, I could lose 10 more pounds in a few months if I drank less. Serviceability? I swapped the DT hub from 10 to 11 spd in 5 min. That's because I took time to look around. Stupid simple on most any hub.

    It's not a rocket engine, it's a bicycle hub. And lots of used bike stuff is a song. Lots of people with shiny and expensive stuff don't ride 3000 miles or more per year. Many ride less than 1000 per year on those fancy parts.
  • igsta
    igsta Posts: 56
    zonda.
  • BikeRadarAdmin
    BikeRadarAdmin Posts: 909
    Have deleted a few posts. Please attack the post and not the poster, completely unnecessary from several parties.
    BikeRadar Communities Manager
  • redvision
    redvision Posts: 2,958
    Not read through all the posts but OP from your first post i would actually recommend the Fulcrum Quattro. These are half your budget but are absolutely brilliant. They are stiff, roll great and the deeper rim really does seem to provide aero gains.

    To show you how highly i rate them, i am actually selling the Roval Rapide CLX 40 i have on my race bike because i prefer the quattro which i use on my training bike! (so i'm going to buy the carbon version).

    So i would recommend getting the Quattro's and using the extra cash left over to get some quality tyres.
  • burnthesheep
    burnthesheep Posts: 675
    redvision wrote:
    Not read through all the posts but OP from your first post i would actually recommend the Fulcrum Quattro.

    I just looked these up, not bad.

    An alloy in 35mm is going to be getting a little bit heavy though. I looked it up and those Quattros are 200g heavier than my 50mm deep wheels.

    But, could be just what the doctor ordered for a new purchase instead of used. If I was going new, I'd definitely consider the Quattro.
  • Ernesider
    Ernesider Posts: 300
    Shimano RS81 C24 ..!!
  • handful
    handful Posts: 920
    burnthesheep wrote:
    redvision wrote:
    Not read through all the posts but OP from your first post i would actually recommend the Fulcrum Quattro.

    I just looked these up, not bad.

    An alloy in 35mm is going to be getting a little bit heavy though. I looked it up and those Quattros are 200g heavier than my 50mm deep wheels.

    But, could be just what the doctor ordered for a new purchase instead of used. If I was going new, I'd definitely consider the Quattro.

    I wouldn't worry about the weight difference. I have recently put some Hunts on my best bike and relegated the Quattros onto my "hack" and can't say I've noticed much/any difference to my Strava times. (still slow!) I prefer the sound of the hubs on the Quattros as well, a bit quieter. Not saying the Hunts aren't nice wheels though, I am pleased with them and they look great as well, they just don't give any perceptive speed advantage over the Quattros so don't rule them out if you decide to buy new. Merlin usually have some good deals with tyres included.
    Vaaru Titanium Sram Red eTap
    Moda Chord with drop bars and Rival shifters - winter/do it all bike
    Orbea Rise
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    burnthesheep wrote:
    redvision wrote:
    Not read through all the posts but OP from your first post i would actually recommend the Fulcrum Quattro.

    I just looked these up, not bad.

    An alloy in 35mm is going to be getting a little bit heavy though. I looked it up and those Quattros are 200g heavier than my 50mm deep wheels.

    But, could be just what the doctor ordered for a new purchase instead of used. If I was going new, I'd definitely consider the Quattro.

    The weight is largely irrelevant, as pointed out. But at 1700/1800g they are certainly in the ballpark for a £200-250 wheelset. Either way, it's a strong, reliable wheelset IME..
  • The_Wicker_Man
    The_Wicker_Man Posts: 338
    Either Campagnolo Zonda, Mavic Cosmic Elite or Novatec Jetfly IMO
  • battaglin
    battaglin Posts: 36
    I have a set of Zondas and it's easy to see why they get so many votes here. They're lovely wheels for the price and you won't be disappointed with a set.

    But I also have a set of these Hunts on my other bike: https://www.huntbikewheels.com/collecti ... 1226677091

    I love both sets of wheels, but if I had to choose just one then I'd probably go for the Hunts. They're amazingly light for the price, robust, and just spin up forever. I love them and can't recommend them highly enough.
  • lesfirth
    lesfirth Posts: 1,382
    battaglin wrote:

    I love both sets of wheels, but if I had to choose just one then I'd probably go for the Hunts. They're amazingly light for the price, robust, and just spin up forever. I love them and can't recommend them highly enough.

    "just spin up forever". I do not understand what this means in English.That is my first language.I understand more in my second language. That is bullsh1t. Can someone explain in English?
  • cycleclinic
    cycleclinic Posts: 6,865
    The OP's oringall question though is the wrong question he is of normal weight so most wheels will be right. he thinks the distance of the ride is relelvant, it is not. he thinks there is such a thing as a climbing wheel well there is if it weight 1kg and with tyres and cassette it is under 2kg but such wheels are not really every day wheels due to there expensive and the light weight nature of the tyres.

    So the OP probably wants every day wheels i.e a set that can be used all year round most wheels are in the range of 1400g to 1700g. a laterally stiff wheel (many are not even though they claim to be) will be more reliable and will feel like it climbs better. the lighter the wheel for this budget generally means lighter hubs and thinner spokes. on the rear wheel thinner spokes simply mean a less stiff wheel. as for hubs lighter normally means smaller bearings. on the front hub this is not normally a problem. on rear hub is normally means shorter bearing life but there are other factors that dictate bearing life too.
    http://www.thecycleclinic.co.uk -wheel building and other stuff.
  • keezx
    keezx Posts: 1,322
    lesfirth wrote:
    battaglin wrote:

    I love both sets of wheels, but if I had to choose just one then I'd probably go for the Hunts. They're amazingly light for the price, robust, and just spin up forever. I love them and can't recommend them highly enough.

    "just spin up forever". I do not understand what this means in English.That is my first language.I understand more in my second language. That is bullsh1t. Can someone explain in English?

    What I make of this is: a mixture of "spin up fast"and "keep spinning forever", so put the b*sh*t in 3 words....

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