New Wheels Required

lucan2

Out on the winter hack today and yet another spoke snapped, so it's obviously time for a new set of wheels.

As it's on old-ish alloy-framed GT (Tiagra groupset) on stock wheels, and only used in winter, I don't want to spend any more than necessary.

Looking on the various websites there is a bewildering choice.

Any suggestions of wheels and best source? I'm thinking £100-ish, but could be persuaded to spend more if there's a good argument for it.

Matthewfalle

Aksium.

cycleclinic

£100 wheels tend not to be the best built. Spend a bit more on campagnolo calima, Mavic askiujs or miche reflex. Actually for reliability the miche wheels are the best option.

Jon T

Ok, pardon my ignorance but why not just replace the broken spoke and retrue the wheel? Am I missing some thing in the OP's posting?
Jon

Matthewfalle

judging by him saying "yet another spoke snapped" i would say his wheels are fairly old and he wants new ones.

superkenners

Fulcrum racing 7s. (all) Mavic hubs are crap.

RE: why not get spoke fixed - probably because getting LBS to do this would cost half price of a new set of wheels.

Ericshun

I’m guessing you have a Shimano / SRAM freehub. At that budget you’re probably looking at off the shelf numbers. I’d personally go for Mavic Aksiums, the hubs aren’t as bad as some people make out, certainly not at that price point.

keef66

Shimano RS010? I've got their previous incarnation R501 as winter wheels. Just starting their 5th winter and all I've done is regrease the cup and cone bearings a couple of times.

Narrow rim compared with some of the newer alternatives if that matters

Matthewfalle

Ericshun wrote:

I’m guessing you have a Shimano / SRAM freehub. At that budget you’re probably looking at off the shelf numbers. I’d personally go for Mavic Aksiums, the hubs aren’t as bad as some people make out, certainly not at that price point.

this. i had aksiums before and they lasted years and years of all year round abuse without me even touching them.

arlowood

@guevarca is selling a pair of de-stickered DT Swiss rims on Shimano 11 speed hubs in the classifieds for £80. Came off a new bike with no miles and only packing marks. Should be worth a punt.

viewtopic.php?f=40091&t=13100631

Can't go wrong really. If your bike has 10-speed you can run it on 11-speed hubs with the right spacer(s)

bobones

Matthewfalle wrote:

Ericshun wrote:

I’m guessing you have a Shimano / SRAM freehub. At that budget you’re probably looking at off the shelf numbers. I’d personally go for Mavic Aksiums, the hubs aren’t as bad as some people make out, certainly not at that price point.

this. i had aksiums before and they lasted years and years of all year round abuse without me even touching them.

Not my experience: I've worn out the rims on a couple of sets very quickly and had a spoke pull through the hub flange. Added to that, the freehub design is poor and needs lubrication to avoid noise, and the spokes twist and rust. At 1800+ g a set, they're far from light, they're not wide, and they're not tubeless compatible. They look OK and ride well enough, I'll give them that, but they're far from being the bomb-proof bargain some would have you believe.

bigmat

bobones wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Ericshun wrote:

I’m guessing you have a Shimano / SRAM freehub. At that budget you’re probably looking at off the shelf numbers. I’d personally go for Mavic Aksiums, the hubs aren’t as bad as some people make out, certainly not at that price point.

this. i had aksiums before and they lasted years and years of all year round abuse without me even touching them.

Not my experience: I've worn out the rims on a couple of sets very quickly and had a spoke pull through the hub flange. Added to that, the freehub design is poor and needs lubrication to avoid noise, and the spokes twist and rust. At 1800+ g a set, they're far from light, they're not wide, and they're not tubeless compatible. They look OK and ride well enough, I'll give them that, but they're far from being the bomb-proof bargain some would have you believe.

Aaarggghhhh! The Aksium death screech!!!! Stupid of Mavic if that is still an issue as it has put me off their wheels for life.

Just picked up a pair of Campag Calima from ACycles, £106 plus 15% off if the black Friday offer is still working, came in at £90 for me. Wide internal rim and look pretty much the same as the old Khamsins they will be replacing, which have been bompproof, its just I have finally worn the front rim to the point where I no longer trust them.

flanners1

BigMat wrote:

bobones wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Ericshun wrote:

I’m guessing you have a Shimano / SRAM freehub. At that budget you’re probably looking at off the shelf numbers. I’d personally go for Mavic Aksiums, the hubs aren’t as bad as some people make out, certainly not at that price point.

this. i had aksiums before and they lasted years and years of all year round abuse without me even touching them.

Not my experience: I've worn out the rims on a couple of sets very quickly and had a spoke pull through the hub flange. Added to that, the freehub design is poor and needs lubrication to avoid noise, and the spokes twist and rust. At 1800+ g a set, they're far from light, they're not wide, and they're not tubeless compatible. They look OK and ride well enough, I'll give them that, but they're far from being the bomb-proof bargain some would have you believe.

Aaarggghhhh! The Aksium death screech!!!! Stupid of Mavic if that is still an issue as it has put me off their wheels for life.

Just picked up a pair of Campag Calima from ACycles, £106 plus 15% off if the black Friday offer is still working, came in at £90 for me. Wide internal rim and look pretty much the same as the old Khamsins they will be replacing, which have been bompproof, its just I have finally worn the front rim to the point where I no longer trust them.

Had the Ksyrium squeal and binding issue with both sets of my SL's, they are old but still a great wheelset. Swopped out the plastic inlay on the freehub and used the replacement part from eBay from a seller in the US, 10 minute job and no more squealing or binding or the sloppy cassette issue, you can lube it but once worn it is a short term measure. Also bought 2 new freehubs for £20 each for the next change and two sets of pawls.

As for Winter wheels (have not gone to discs) I have over the last 8 years on my Winter/commute bike gone through a new set of Fulcrum 3's, and 2 sets of Khamsins and a set of used Vento's.

I too have just purchased a set of Campagnolo Calima C17 wheels in the last week, very pleased with them with the G3 spoke pattern; they look good and ride really well and for a touch over a £100 are excellent value especially with the filth and water on the roads at this time of year, they look like the older Khamsin's but are slightly lighter, with a quieter freehub. Been using Conti UltraSport II's and they have been brilliant, glad I did not shell out for 4 Seasons' etc. Had a set of Miche Race in the back of the garage, weighed a ton and the flex in the front and rear wheels when out of the saddle was crazy....so binned those and went with the Calima's.

keef66

There's a bloke on here trying to shift a pair of virtually new Giant wheels complete with tyres. No takers at £80 so he now says he'll take £50 for collection from NW London??

wotnoshoeseh

bobones wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

Ericshun wrote:

I’m guessing you have a Shimano / SRAM freehub. At that budget you’re probably looking at off the shelf numbers. I’d personally go for Mavic Aksiums, the hubs aren’t as bad as some people make out, certainly not at that price point.

this. i had aksiums before and they lasted years and years of all year round abuse without me even touching them.

Not my experience: I've worn out the rims on a couple of sets very quickly and had a spoke pull through the hub flange. Added to that, the freehub design is poor and needs lubrication to avoid noise, and the spokes twist and rust. At 1800+ g a set, they're far from light, they're not wide, and they're not tubeless compatible. They look OK and ride well enough, I'll give them that, but they're far from being the bomb-proof bargain some would have you believe.

Agree with this. I bought Aksiums - went out of true too easily.

I have since bought some Fulcrums - much better, but then they're Campagnolo....albeit with different stickers.

I have a couple of sets of Ksyriums - much better built wheel and I have one set with almost 10k miles on it with no issues.

Ericshun

The Aksiums have increased internal diameters now, they went to 17mm a couple of years ago, and I’ve found them to be a bit better regarding not going out of true quite so easily as the thinner ones from pre 2015. They are not going to be as quiet and free rolling as some of the more expensive offerings, but they are at the budget end of the market.

agnello

Superkenners wrote:

Fulcrum racing 7s. (all) Mavic hubs are crap.

RE: why not get spoke fixed - probably because getting LBS to do this would cost half price of a new set of wheels.

This is simply not true. What kind of glib cockamamie comment is that?

ayjaycee

I’ve had Aksiums on my winter bike for three years now and they are still spot on in all departments, I’m not exactly a porker but they have never gone out of true and are on the original bearings which have never even been looked at. They are also ridden in all weathers. The only thing that I ever do to them is a general wash and scrub the rims with a kitchen sponge / scourer thing every once in a while.