are shimno r500 wheels any good?

lucasf09
lucasf09 Posts: 160
edited April 2011 in Road buying advice
Hi,
Tittle says it all to be honest. I currently have un named wheels, and the front one is notoriously difficult to get my tyre onto it!
I have 23mm gatorskins, and I keep puncturing the inner tube when putting it back onto the front wheel!!!!! and it also seems to love to gives me punctures (back one has punctured once since I got the tyres in October, the front has punctured maybe 15-20 times!!!!!)
My main concern for the shimano r500's is will it be equally difficult to fit the tyres. But also interested to know if people know if they are any good as wheels, I am subscribed to cycling plus, and they do several reviews of to £200ish wheels, but not the £75 wheels that my budget currently allows.
thanks
Lucas

Comments

  • they're certainly robust enough - Mrs Luddite has R500 as back wheel on her tourer and it has behaved absolutely fine over a couple of years (including reasonable amount of fully laden touring).
    But I don't know why they'd be any easier to fit tyres on - still the same size rim surely?
  • +1 I use those wheels for my commuter (10k miles ish) and despite always riding in the dark and hitting some awful potholes at speed I have never had to have them trued.

    To be honest they are much stronger, lighter & faster than the 32h wheels they replaced, I was always getting those trued.

    I think Ribble and Merlin both have them on sale at the moment too, bargain!
  • peterst6906
    peterst6906 Posts: 530
    thumbs_up.gif
    I have a set on my training bike and they have been bullet proof so far.

    I've crashed with them several times, ridden them on the pave in the Ronde van Vlaanderen sportive, broken a spoke (replaced it without taking the wheel off the bike) and generally given them a hard time.

    They haven't missed a beat. Still true and roll very smoothly.

    I've put 3000 km on them in 3 1/2 months and they are going great.

    Would definitely recommend them.
  • Tricycleboy
    Tricycleboy Posts: 373
    +1

    Have done 3500km on my commute over winter across the crap roads of SW and central london and they've been bullet proof. trued the front once when it went into a gaping chasm on putney bridge at speed, but thats about it.

    Cheap as chips as well. Not the lightest, but they're plenty sprightly for a training/ commuting wheel.

    No idea about fitting tyres, but i've never had a problem.
  • lucasf09
    lucasf09 Posts: 160
    Thank you so much for the responses, was a bit doubtful about them being so cheap, but your experiences have given me confidence.
    Will buy off merlin, as they are cheaper on there.