First Wheelset Upgrade Question

What are your existing wheels and what do you perceive to be inadequate about them? The answer in any case however is probably handbuilt.

Decide what you want from your riding, then start a conversation with a wheelbuilder and instead of getting your "first upgrade" get an "upgrade for life".

If you're going to stretch that budget up to £280 I'd look at Campag Zonda wheels. IIRC Wiggle have them for about £250

"Looking for a 30mm areo wheelset which both are. Not worried about weight."... the wheels you mention won't give you any performance aero-wise, but the weight will have a negative effect. So, in the end, if you go that way, you are only buying based on what you like the look of, there's not much 'upgrade' going on for your money.


+1 on Zondas. Wait a bit and a deal will come up every few months for them at under £200.
But, that's counter to what you are saying, but at least you will feel the upgrade.

I build wheels. Neither as often nor, I suspect, as well as Ugo. But I'm unconvinced of the benefits of handbuilt wheels at the bargain end of the market. At £400 and up, you can build a wheelset that's competitive in weight and stiffness with, say, the Mavic Ksyrium Elite or the Fulcrum Racing 3. It'll ride as well, or better, and when you wear out the rims, you'll be able to replace them for sensible money. With factory wheels at that price point, even assuming you can get the parts, it's usually cheaper to throw the wheels away when the rims wear out.

But assuming you want to spend £200, what can you get for the money? Archetypes on Novatec 171/172 with Sapim Race in a 24/28 is about £170 in parts. So assuming you can find someone to build them for you for £30, fine - but that's a 1700g wheelset on very cheap hubs (and someone will be along in a minute to say it should be 28/28 or 32/32). Aksiums are 1820g and £160 list at Wiggle. Shimano R501s are 1885g, bombproof, and currently £70 (yes, for the wheelset, with tape and QRs) at Wiggle. Yes, they're disposable wheels, but so what at £70? It's going to cost you £75 to replace *one* rim on a wheel built with Archetypes, assuming you pay someone £25 to do it.

Eh? You ask for advice, the overwhelming opinion is that the two you put forward are fine but you would be much better with either Campag Zonda or handbuilt, you rule out handbuilt for reasons I understand but why are you not considering Zonda which 4 posters above said are much better than the Mavic of Fulcrum?.

I'll say it again for the hard of hearing...Zondas or hand built :roll:

Fulcrum 5 LG's look quite tempting at 175 quid. Failing that, Zondas if you can spend a bit more as they have good hubs that can be serviced and are nice and light. Very stiff though, which is generally a good thing but can be tiring.

Bobbinogs wrote:

Fulcrum 5 LG's look quite tempting at 175 quid. Failing that, Zondas if you can spend a bit more as they have good hubs that can be serviced and are nice and light. Very stiff though, which is generally a good thing but can be tiring.

I bought a pair of Fulcrum 5 LGs a few weeks ago and paid about £150 for them from Wiggle who price matched one of the German on-line retailers (Bike Discount, I think). At that price, they were a real bargain IMHO and a definite step up from the original Axis Classics on my Allez which I also sold on to offset part of the bill. I just looked and they are still at the same price:
http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/fulc ... tAod8isAzA

I ran Quattros for two years on my De Riosa, I have to say they were great wheels and I still have them sat in a box with the braking surface resembling what they looked like when they were new ( hardly any wear and shiny due to only dry miles on a sunday bike ).

The wheels are a 35mm depth, and I think you do get some tiny aero margin. They would allow me to regularly average 20+ on a ride, although I think the carbon frame has a lot to do with that. They don't jar or bang at all, are very robust, and look quite nice too. A very smooth wheelset, and at an impressive price.

the way the bike rides as a whole. I used to think my ally Bianchi was a great ride, until I bought my De Rosa. The difference between how each bike ride's is so significant that I it blew me away, I never knew how efficient a frame could be.

Having owned both and ridden both now for 2 years, I know exactly what to expect from each. The Bianchi is slow, unresponsive and flexy. You put some power down on the pedals, and there is hardly any response from the bike. Sure you can get up to some good speed on it and you can still make progress, but it's heavy, with cheap wheels, and it doesn't inspire you or demand anything from you as a rider. It's all a bit "meh".

On the De Rosa, it is completely different. The bike responds instantly to any input on the pedals, a few decent pushed and acceleration is instant and also maintained, requiring very little to continue on at a good speed. It climbs ridiculously well, and is almost effortless to hold a decent speed on the flat. I don't feel I have to work anywhere near as hard to get motion out of the bike, and the frame just feels so efficient, as if it is not wasting any of my limited watts.

I have wheelsmith wheels on there now which have improved things further, but it was still night and day before I changed my wheels, and I just think the aero carbon frame vs the low end aluminium is a huge difference.