what wheels should i be looking out for? (road/cross)

sadexpunk
sadexpunk Posts: 58
edited August 2010 in Road buying advice
building up a jake the snake for mainly commuting on road, but also the odd ride off road. id like as light as poss, and id not be wanting to pay big money. just want a decent light wheelset thatll cope with a bit of cyclocross too.

what sort of thing should i be looking for in the ads?

ta

Comments

  • Mike67
    Mike67 Posts: 585
    I've got Mavic rims on my cross bike...open pro at the front and CXP33 at the rear.
    Front is a 105 hub and rear is an Ultegra, both handbuilt.

    They both have 32 holes and are reasonably light for their strength (1860g the pair). Took me a while but got them both off flea bay for under £60 (separate auctions).

    I've seen many types of wheel used in races though including some very low spoke count ones. Fulcrums (5 or 7) seem fairly popular along with Aksiums.

    I guess it depends on your weight, budget and how you will use/abuse them.
    Personally I'm inclined to go with more spokes for strength over lightness.
    Once they are covered in mud they will be mighty heavy whatever you buy :D
    Mike B

    Cannondale CAAD9
    Kinesis Pro 5 cross bike
    Lots of bits
  • hstiles
    hstiles Posts: 414
    I have Shimano RS20s on my cross bike. Picked them up at the start of June for around £135 inc shipping from Merlin Cycles. I've stuck Blizzard Sports on there (23) and do around 125 miles a week over a mixture of potholed roads, gravel tracks, cobbled roads and towpaths and they haven't needed any adjustment yet.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If you're serious about riding 'cross, pick yourself up a pair of used tubular wheels and get some tubs - you simply can't run clinchers at low enough pressures to get the best grip in 'soft' conditions.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • thanks a lot chaps, ill look out for those then :-)

    monty, nah not serious about cross, its just that its a cross bike and ill be wanting the odd social ride off road with my mates.

    oh......and i dont understand tubs and clinchers at all. i should maybe look into the different types of road wheel a bit more :-)

    thanks a lot
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    depends how light/tough they need to be

    I'd go handbuilt myself

    lightish - Open Pro or Ambrosio Excellight rims

    tougher - CXP33 rims

    tougher and wider but heavier - A319 rims

    I run the A319s on my touring/winter wheels (32h front 36h rear) on Ultegra hubs. Not as light as 'road' wheels but very sturdy. Could double as 29er wheels basically.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer