Wheel advice please

new2br

Hi, just done my track accreditation last week - so very much a newbie!!

Am awaiting delivery of my track bike (2nd hand) which has entry level/heavy wheels - so I immediately plan to upgrade these. Sets under consideration were Miche Pistard which are not too expensive or could maybe stretch to Mavic ellipse.

However coming from a road background I have multiple sets of good road wheels lying about (both alloy and mid/deep carbon), so thought could would I not be better to try repurpose these. So figured the front wouldn't be too bad as can just get a hex key skewer for front - am assuming this is OK?...

But the rear is obviously an issue. I have searched for conversion kits but not much susses as I'm not really sure what the search for/what is required. I'm guessing a lot may be specific to hub make/model, but just wondered if anyone has info/links to sites that would carry this bits I need to get?.

Or maybe repurposing road wheel isn't a good idea - just thought all the track wheels seem very heavy compared to road - guessing that's down to more spokes/stiffness requirements (rather than comfort on bumpy roads)…

Any advice much appreciated...

imposter2.0

Wheel weight is not really an issue on the track. Also, not sure how you are planning to convert a rear 130oln hub (with freehub attached) to a 120oln track width, seems overly-complex and probably not possible (let alone not advisable).

Pistards are decent enough wheelsets (assuming you buy the tubular version), but you don't say what wheels you already have - they may be perfectly ok as they are, perhaps with a change of tyres.

new2br

Imposter wrote:

Wheel weight is not really an issue on the track. Also, not sure how you are planning to convert a rear 130oln hub (with freehub attached) to a 120oln track width, seems overly-complex and probably not possible (let alone not advisable).

Pistards are decent enough wheelsets (assuming you buy the tubular version), but you don't say what wheels you already have - they may be perfectly ok as they are, perhaps with a change of tyres.

The wheels on the bike (I'm buying 2nd hand) are Weinmann Pegasus. Unfortunately they are replacement of what was originally on the bike (American Classic Aero 420) which I'd have been fine with, but from the little I know the Pegasus are very much entry level and pretty heavy - around 2,5kg wheelset. So think a whell upgrade would be best option to start with.

Yip I understand the track rear stay/dropouts are narrower at 120mm as opposed to 130 for road wheel - I know theres conversions for folk wanting to convert road bike to fixie using spacers so single cog lines up on the 130mm axle. But I thought there might have been some similar conversion that would remove/replace the 130 QR axwl bits for a 120mm. Maybe I'm totally wrong and converting road to 120mm track style rear isn't possible?...

imposter2.0

Those conversion kits still give you a freewheel capability, as I understand it, so would not be legal for track use. I would not be pursuing the conversion kit route anyway - if you are serious about track then just buy the right kit for the job.

A pair of Miche Pistard, Dolan Navigator tubs or similar is probably worth a look for general use..

frogonabike

I think Zipp do an axle conversion kit for one or some of their disc wheels. Not sure if this might also work on a non disc wheel... other than that I've not heard of converting a rear wheel road -> track

As for the front wheel you should be fine with an allen skewer in a road wheel

Tom-S

No way of converting 130mm down to 120mm fixed, I'm afraid. As said before, some disc wheels do this, but not spoked wheels unfortunately. 2kgs is about average for a set of spoked track wheels, too. 2.5kgs is a bit much. Ridden them before - they are a bit porky!

Miche Pistard tubulars are fine, but steer clear of the clinchers (have a tendency to puncture due to something to do withe spoke holes - even with decent rim tape/veloplugs, apparently).

Mavic Ellipse are alright but quite costly for what they are.

Hand-built is the way forward. Great deal on Dura-ace hubs at the moment: https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-du ... 10433.html

Those with CX-rays on Mavic Open Pro tubular CD's would be awesome (CD just for looks: you ain't going to be using brakes on them after all!)

new2br

Hand-built is the way forward. Great deal on Dura-ace hubs at the moment: https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-du ... 10433.html

Those with CX-rays on Mavic Open Pro tubular CD's would be awesome (CD just for looks: you ain't going to be using brakes on them after all!)

Hi - thanks for the advice sorry for following up on this again...

So that looks and amazing deal on the DA hubs - do you have any idea what the build cost of that example - mavic Open Pro with Xray spokes, or point me to any well trusted (cheap) supplier of those components - Id be leaving it bits for someone to build as i wount know how. :?

Also i've looked at Navigator Pista as option for cheap/starter wheelset - but i'm thinking of also doing a bit of fixie training over winter on road - so would be running a front brake setup. Do you know if the Navigators wheel has a useable brake track - even though I know the black adonised finish would wear off, or is it not a def no-no for this wheel - (don't think the Miche Pistard had braketrack at all)…

Cheers

fenix

If you have front wheels lying around why wouldnt you just use one of those on the road ?

new2br

Fenix wrote:

If you have front wheels lying around why wouldnt you just use one of those on the road ?

Yip using old road wheel on front is my fallback. That will work fine, just means another tyre to buy as my road wheels r all clinchers....

fenix

The alternative is to use a track tubular out on the road.... Good luck with that in the winter.

I know what I'd be doing.

Tom-S

new2br wrote:

Hand-built is the way forward. Great deal on Dura-ace hubs at the moment: https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-du ... 10433.html

Those with CX-rays on Mavic Open Pro tubular CD's would be awesome (CD just for looks: you ain't going to be using brakes on them after all!)

Hi - thanks for the advice sorry for following up on this again...

So that looks and amazing deal on the DA hubs - do you have any idea what the build cost of that example - mavic Open Pro with Xray spokes, or point me to any well trusted (cheap) supplier of those components - Id be leaving it bits for someone to build as i wount know how. :?

Also i've looked at Navigator Pista as option for cheap/starter wheelset - but i'm thinking of also doing a bit of fixie training over winter on road - so would be running a front brake setup. Do you know if the Navigators wheel has a useable brake track - even though I know the black adonised finish would wear off, or is it not a def no-no for this wheel - (don't think the Miche Pistard had braketrack at all)…

Cheers

Just ended up doing some googling about the difference between CX-Rays and Sapim Lasers (the next spoke down) to see if they're really worth the difference (CX-rays cost twice as much as lasers). Looks like they're not! They're slightly more aero to the tune of one singular watt at 30mph. Lasers cost £1 each, so wheels would cost as below:

Dura-ace hubs: £110
Rims: £80
Spokes: £64 (32 spokes)
Build: £20 per rim
Total: £294

Don't worry about buying spokes, just take them to the person/shop building them and tell them what you want (you have to get the right length, which is best left to them!) Are you based in London by any chance? If so, I can give you some recommendations for wheel builders.

I use my old navigator on my fixie I lock up at the station. It has a useable braking surface, but it's anodised black, so that will rub off and look pretty shoddy after a few months.