Wheel upgrade from Giant PR2s? How much do I need to spend?
I've been riding my Giant Defy Advance 2 2018 for a year and a half and have done around 6,000 miles and am now starting to think about upgrading from the PR2 wheels that came with it for several reasons:
To go faster (obvs)
To lose some weight from the bike
and to get a wheel-set that isn't such a massive pain to use with tubeless and tubes! I've been having all sorts of issues with the PR2s, tubeless is horrible to set-up and using tubes is equally as hellish (pinching, tyre not sitting correctly, impossible to change at the side of the road).
What I want to know is how much I need to spend to get a real upgrade that will make a difference across all these aspects. I've been looking at the HUNT Aero Light Disc wheelset for a start and something around the same price (£399) would be an affordable option for me.
What I don't really know is how the PR2s performance compares to something like the HUNT set and whether spending £400 is a worthwhile invest.
To go faster (obvs)
To lose some weight from the bike
and to get a wheel-set that isn't such a massive pain to use with tubeless and tubes! I've been having all sorts of issues with the PR2s, tubeless is horrible to set-up and using tubes is equally as hellish (pinching, tyre not sitting correctly, impossible to change at the side of the road).
What I want to know is how much I need to spend to get a real upgrade that will make a difference across all these aspects. I've been looking at the HUNT Aero Light Disc wheelset for a start and something around the same price (£399) would be an affordable option for me.
What I don't really know is how the PR2s performance compares to something like the HUNT set and whether spending £400 is a worthwhile invest.
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Comments
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Worth adding that spending less than £400 would always be a preferable option and that's towards the upper limit of what I can afford.0
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I do love the tubeless, when they work. It's the rear wheel I've had problems with on multiple occasions and several bike shops have admitted they also found it extremely difficult to seat the tyre. The front wheel is absolutely perfect, zero punctures, seats first time every time. I resorted to using a tube in the rear but that turned into a nightmare and doesn't seem to fit in the rim very easily.oxoman said:Do you want to keep tubeless, easier than tubes if you learn how to repair them, or do you want to go back to tubes. I learnt very quickly that if you use the right tyres and tools they're easy to work with. I've got the Pro2 with SLR2 wheels set up tubeless with IRC Formula pro xguard tyres. I'd be looking at some handbuilt wheels from wheelsmith or Cycleclinic. Personally I'd keep your existing wheels and upgrade with a higher budget or look out for some SLR2,s that someone might be upgrading from. For information on how to deal with tubeless see the link. https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/pages/tech-page
Have got a set of Borg wheels myself and cannot fault them, absolutely bombproof.0 -
If you only have a problem on the rear, it may be an issue with the wheel rim or tyre tolerance/s. Was it all working ok from new, or have you always had a problem with it? How many times have you unseated the bead/s to fit the inner tube, what size inner tube did you use, what condition is the rim tape in? Those rims are clicher and tubeless compatible, so fitting a tube should not be a problem. Fitting a tube with those tubeless tyres maybe?
I have read on the forum, by those in the know, that once a tubless tyre is fitted, it should be left in place until it needs replacing. That is repaired insitu as there is a risk that the tyre might not reseat properly if the bead/s are broken, stretched/damaged.
Have you considered trying a new tyre to see if that solves the problem? Running a tubless tyre with an inner tube does not seem to be the correct solution to me.
As regards buying another set of wheels, weigh your current set up so that you can compare them with the Hunt's or whatever brand you are considering, as there may not be a big difference at that price point.0 -
Can you update us when you get the wheels? I have the same bike and am also considering upgrading my wheels. I am thinking Fulcrum Racing 3 or something similar.
How is your tire clearance? I ask because I am using Continental GP 4000's 28c and it is a tight fit. I am worried changing wheels will make it too tight.0 -
You would need to spend £372.0
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I got some Prime RP-38 wheels from eBay for about £500 and now runt hem tubeless on my TCR. They are a step change from the PR-2 wheels.0
