Carbon Wheel Set

pedallingjunkie
pedallingjunkie Posts: 4
in Road buying advice
Hello Riders, I am about to built up a new frame set that's been in a box for the last 14 months with the only remaining decision being the Wheel Set. I've narrowed it down to either the Zipp 303 Firecrest or the Hunt Aero 35 (I did consider the 303s, Hunt 40 and Roval c38 during the process). I have never owned any of these brand of wheels. The reviews on my final two Wheel Sets appear to be a good choice (Apart from maybe the rear hub noise on the Hunts), especially as they are in my comfort zone regarding price.
I would appreciate anyone's feedback on their experience of riding with either (Or both) set of wheels ? Thank you for your time and input. Ride safe & stay well.
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Comments

  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Do a quick search for Hunt on here and you'll see what the best of the two options are.

    tbh though, the Zipps are better in everyway imaginable.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • pedallingjunkie
    pedallingjunkie Posts: 4
    Sorry I forgot to mention in my original post that the Wheel Set is for Disc setup. I've only ridden clinchers but now looking for tubeless compatible so I can make the transition if I want to go that way which seems to be the direction it's going.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Still Zipp. Every day of the week.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,490
    MattFalle said:

    Do a quick search for Hunt on here and you'll see what the best of the two options are.

    tbh though, the Zipps are better in everyway imaginable.

    Do a search for Hunt on here and you'll see one poster rubbishing them constantly.
    I think one of their founders nicked his parking space once, some years ago.
    B)
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,961
    MattFalle said:

    Still Zipp. Every day of the week.

    You can't be arguing that Zipp aren't over priced, surely?
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    They ain't a bargain by any long chalk of the pie but compared to Hunt pricing.....
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    edited February 2022
    https://www.edco-wheels.co.uk/

    I bought a pair of the bottom range here.

    I have no comparison to other carbon wheels, but all the reviews were extremely positive on their stability in cross winds and braking compared to other equivalents.

    They review as good value for money.

    Not mega light but decent build quality.
    _
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,961
    MattFalle said:

    They ain't a bargain by any long chalk of the pie but compared to Hunt pricing.....

    Actually yeah you can get the 303 firecrests for £1400. Not too long ago they were in Enve territory. I suppose Zipp change stupidly for wavy rims these days instead.

    I stand corrected.

    Under 1400g as well. When did Zipp manage to lose the extra 250g?
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited February 2022
    Don't br a lemon - no problem at all.

    Change of hubs, spokes, rim - minor shenanigans all adding up i suppose.

    i think the thing it does shed a light on is how overpriced Hunts are and what bad value for money.

    Hunts over Zipps? Nah.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 1,001
    MattFalle said:

    They ain't a bargain by any long chalk of the pie but compared to Hunt pricing.....

    In my experience if you actually compare the prices of Hunt wheels to that of competitors for equivalent specifications the prices of the Hunt wheels are not very far off the competitor price. They are not massively higher as you seem to think.

    Of course they maybe other reasons not to choose them but please stop posting your seemingly irrational hatred of them. You prefer other wheel brands, fine, but recognise some people are perfectly happy using Hunt wheels and they don't instantly disintegrate or drain their wallets.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    wongataa said:

    MattFalle said:

    They ain't a bargain by any long chalk of the pie but compared to Hunt pricing.....

    In my experience if you actually compare the prices of Hunt wheels to that of competitors for equivalent specifications the prices of the Hunt wheels are not very far off the competitor price. They are not massively higher as you seem to think.

    Of course they maybe other reasons not to choose them but please stop posting your seemingly irrational hatred of them. You prefer other wheel brands, fine, but recognise some people are perfectly happy using Hunt wheels and they don't instantly disintegrate or drain their wallets.
    no.

    hunts are more - going on far more - expensive for the same or lesser parts as many, many other wheel manufacturers.

    therefore worse value for money.

    therefore buy exactly the same thing for cheaper elsewhere.

    people ask opinions.

    opinions are given across the board.

    it is not irrational hatred - quite a few people on here and compared them - price, parts, etc - and have all come to the same conclusion.

    hunts are not that great, are deffo not vfm and cannot be recoomended as such.

    you have pointed this out yourself above in your own post and thetefore you are supporting many people on for which we thank you and give you props and respect.

    in relation to the OP: Hunts over Zipps? Sriously?
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,822
    Aren’t the Zipp 303s something like £1500 at Wiggle whereas the Hunt Aero 35s are under 1/2 that so they really are not directly comparable even though they’re v.similar depths and weights. Hunts win on a first look vfm basis then. Zips have the big famous brand name flashiness but the need to offer more than that if we’re not focused on the decals on the rims over riding experience and value.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,961
    There are a number of high end wheel manufacturers, such as Zipp, Enve, DT Swiss, blah, who are having their pricing look really, really bad by some of these smaller companies using generic rims manufactured in the same place. There was a time where carbon wheels were hard to make and commensurately expensive, but that ended some considerable time ago and these guys have quietly not lowered their prices.

    I have a certain admiration for Hunt having spotted that they can still make a killing by looking cheap, but still being 10-20% more expensive than they could be.

    There's a similar thing going to happen with power meters. Just a matter of time. Yes, the costs are coming down a bit, but at some stage someone is going to come along and start selling more or less the same thing for 1/2 the price and shine a light on how much cycling consumers are ripped off.

    Arguably electronic shift levers are a similar thing. A simple button is much cheaper than an STI lever to make, yet they've just quietly carried on taking the pi55.

    There endeth the rant.
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    First.Aspect said:

    There are a number of high end wheel manufacturers, such as Zipp, Enve, DT Swiss, blah, who are having their pricing look really, really bad by some of these smaller companies using generic rims manufactured in the same place.

    Zipp wheels are made in a big factory in Indianapolis. They don't outsource.

  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    Zipp also use a windtunnel, Hunt do not but their marketing uses very clever words to nudge otherwise.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    I'd say the windtunnel goes under marketing rather than R&D
  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 1,001
    I would take any aero claims by any wheel manufacturer with a large pinch of salt.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    wongataa said:

    I would take any aero claims by any wheel manufacturer with a large pinch of salt.

    another hole punched under the Hunt waterline....
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    andyrr said:

    Aren’t the Zipp 303s something like £1500 at Wiggle whereas the Hunt Aero 35s are under 1/2 that so they really are not directly comparable even though they’re v.similar depths and weights. Hunts win on a first look vfm basis then. Zips have the big famous brand name flashiness but the need to offer more than that if we’re not focused on the decals on the rims over riding experience and value.

    Don't be applying logic to a topic like this, please... ;)
  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 1,001
    MattFalle said:

    wongataa said:

    I would take any aero claims by any wheel manufacturer with a large pinch of salt.

    another hole punched under the Hunt waterline....
    But I wouldn't really believe the claims from other manufacturers so in that regards they are all equal. I wouldn't base deciding which wheels to get on aero claims.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 16,961
    thegreatdivide said:

    First.Aspect said:

    There are a number of high end wheel manufacturers, such as Zipp, Enve, DT Swiss, blah, who are having their pricing look really, really bad by some of these smaller companies using generic rims manufactured in the same place.

    Zipp wheels are made in a big factory in Indianapolis. They don't outsource.

    Does that make them better, or just expensive?

    Regarding wind tunnel - F1 manages largely with CFD. Plus as someone has already pointed out what happens to a large extent is the wheel manufacturers come with a shape and then look for some aero data they can use to say why it is faster.

    And a lot of the wheels I'm talking about use pretty old and well established designs anyway. Those 303s are basically a design thats 10 years old. But £800 more expensive than a Farsports.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    But Zipps have exploding hubs
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    shirley_basso said:

    But Zipps have exploding hubs

    does that mean I should move mine out of the gym?

    any idea what the blast radius is?
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    wongataa said:

    MattFalle said:

    wongataa said:

    I would take any aero claims by any wheel manufacturer with a large pinch of salt.

    another hole punched under the Hunt waterline....
    But I wouldn't really believe the claims from other manufacturers so in that regards they are all equal. I wouldn't base deciding which wheels to get on aero claims.
    but at least they are doing rather than saying not saying they are doing it in order for people to buy their, as you have said above, over priced wheels....
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    MattFalle said:

    shirley_basso said:

    But Zipps have exploding hubs

    does that mean I should move mine out of the gym?

    any idea what the blast radius is?
    3-5m apparently. Enough to make a pothole
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    oof. that'll mess up the walls as well.

    hmmmm... tricky tricky.

    #decorating
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    shirley_basso said:

    But Zipps have exploding hubs

    Do they still?
    Haven’t heard anything since they changed the hub design several years ago… was a good thread that… almost as good as the Jesus Christ Superstar Components one… 😂

    left the forum March 2023
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    My wheels are of that era and I had the front hub fail a couple of years ago.
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    My Zipps are the updated design however there is no preload the bearings. So there is lots of side to side play in the rear wheel to extent I’ve given up using it. I keeping planning to get the hub replaced but never get round to it.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    webboo said:

    My Zipps are the updated design however there is no preload the bearings. So there is lots of side to side play in the rear wheel to extent I’ve given up using it. I keeping planning to get the hub replaced but never get round to it.

    Done that… very time consuming, owing to the nipple washers inside the rims… also limited choice of hubs, due to the hole count… especially for the 404

    left the forum March 2023

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