Got Avid 2.0 wheels on my Tarmac road bike. Not sure if they are any good but I would like to do the same as I did with my 29Er HT. I bought some Hope Hoop stans for it and could not believe the difference to the performance they made. Especially at cannock Chase.

I use my road bike to commute and I’m 100kg 6ft 4 bloke. I think that’s why I notice a good pair of wheels. £500 budget.

Far Sports Carbon

Not sure they’ll be okay for the ‘larger gentleman’ though.

Edit: weight limit is 95kg

I bought a pair of these recently, very nice. Currently using with tubes.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/easton-ea90-rt-road-wheelset-2013/rp-prod113744

Hope Hoop stans are the ultimate cannock Chase performance upgrade. Be careful though, I tried them in my local woods and very nearly killed myself – like a Ferrari in a supermarket car park.

No idea about the Avids, can’t seem to find much about them online so not sure what to compare against. However, for the budget, the Race24 from Wheelsmith are meant to be good. Hard to beat Chinese carbon though for price and weight.

edit: Ah bugger, just seen the weight limit.

Surely you want something robust for commuting, not fast and light weight?

Ultegra hubs, CXP33 rims and Sapim spokes. Handbuilt, well under budget, stiff and fast. Your budget will stretch to Dura Ace, but do you want to commute on them in all weathers? Harry Rowland built mine and they are great. Other builders are available. Your budget will include a set of 25c tyres too. I’m running Yksion Pro/Griplink on these wheels.

No way would I commute on a £500 wheelset, esp if it’s all-weather riding.

CXP33/shimano are not light!

LOL @ Schwiez

How about miche primato hubs on a wideish rim like h son archetype or pacenti sl23s? Would be well under budget, reasonable weight and durable enough. Could go tubeless with either of these rims too.

Not the lightest, but nor is the rider. Rigid though. Mine are about 1750g (but the rest of the bike is very light).

Surely you want something robust for commuting, not fast and light weight?

Depends on the commute I guess. I have two bikes for commuting, the winter/wet day bike with lights and full guards and the dry summers day bike – fast and light.

The roads on my commute are fine so light wheels aren’t an issue.

Here you go -this sort of thing. Hope hubs and wide rims. Probably the silver set though for 32h robustness. I’m guessing you are after black though.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hope-hoops-road-new-velocity-a23

Fulcrum racing 3s, light and fairly robust. I’m 95kg and have done several thousand miles on them with no problems, still spin forever, great wheels for £300. If you want proper robust go for H Plus Son Archetype rims with your choice of hubs.

Your current wheels are axis 2.0 btw, not avid.

I could recommend similar wheels to the folcrums but the op said he wanted something that’s nice looking.

Sorry axis 2.0 not avids (cock)

My 8.5 mile commute is not bad actually. One road has 5 speed bumbs and only a bit of rough tarmac. I’m trying to get to 95kg but the missus reckons I look ill.

Sorry axis 2.0 not avids (cock)

You’re being a bit harsh on yourself! 🙂

I know Gary M! You got any ideas mate? I must say I love my hope hoops on my mountain bike. Solid wheels.but without asking a shop I ain’t got clue what I’m buying.

I bought a pair of these recently, very nice. Currently using with tubes.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/easton-ea90-rt-road-wheelset-2013/rp-prod113744

Bearings failed yet?

what about now?

🙂

have 2 mates, a couple, with EA90s on their summer sunday pride and joys. Hers (all 8 stone of her) had bearings collapse. Twice. His rear hub needed constant (as in mid-ride) fiddling and faffing. Wouldnt touch em with a barge pole.

I really like Mavic Aksiums as do it all wheels. I have three sets now(long story) which have used since 2006 and gone from 110kg to now under 90kg but throughout have used them off road, commuting, weekend rides etc. Even recently took a hotly contested dirt track KOM( due to a tailwind) with them and 23mm tyres, they are IME tough.

Throw away the tyres that come with them though, there the devils work.

Edit: just noticed your budget, quite a lot for a commuter but if you did want to spend that and considering your largess perhaps some 32h handbuilts.

For 500 I’d get something like aksiums for commuting and some Light Bicycle Chinese carbon 50mms for fun.

I’m trying to get to 95kg but the missus reckons I look ill.

Is she a feeder?!

I’d get some FarSports ones with 28 or 32 spokes – email them, suspect they’ll do an ‘uprated’ wheelset.

I got some from light-bicycle – “wide” u-rims, 45mm deep and 24spoke 2cross front & back (chosen to help rigidity as I’d irretrievably buckled* my previous wheels)

I asked for them with a continuous inner surface so I could use tubeless easily and I got disc hubs in case I ever replace my frame (or more likely just fork)

Well under 500 quid

*turned out the “irretrievable buckling” was a bent axle, which meant it was impossible to true the wheel. I could’ve sorted the problem for a tenner but I didn’t notice until after I’d ordered 🙄

I use my road bike to commute and I’m 100kg 6ft 4 bloke

speak to a wheelbuilder – you are going to need wheels that perform more than one duty and they will need to be strong, I would say kit wheels like fulcrums (even though I have them and like them) wouldn’t cut it for a guy with your build – also with fulcrum and mavic sets the spokes are a PITA to replace if they break, a traditional j-bend will give you a fighting chance of getting home and replacing without folding a 20spoke wheel like a pringle