Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • Recommend some road wheels £400-650 – Ksyrium Elites?
  • Lesanita2
    Free Member

    I’ve been looking for a while.

    I ride Lake District passes, so wet and steep stuff rules out pure carbon wheels.

    1500-1600g

    Clinchers not tubs – too much faff.

    All black to match black bike (2000 Trek 5200)

    Carbon/alloy looks tempting. Planet X CT45 Carbon/alloy Clincher Wheelset looked good, but 1800g feels heavy.

    Cartridge bearing (so not shimano or campag)

    I’ve been drawn to Ksyrium Elite and SL (at a push). The weight saving doesn’t justify the extra cost, but that red spoke looks good!
    I like the Hope brand for their serviceability.

    Any recommendations?

    BristolPablo
    Free Member

    Meh, cup and cones just need a bit more attention. I’d go for Campag neutrons, less than £500 at wiggle. 20/24 spoke count, under 1500gs, superb hubs and bearings that roll forever, Magnus Backstedt won Roubaix on Neutrons so they will be fine for the roads in the lakes…

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/campagnolo-neutron-ultra-clincher-road-bike-wheelset/

    If you really don’t cup and cones, go for so,e handbuilt Hope pro 2 on dt Swiss rr545s rims with sapim xc ray spokes then…

    TiRed
    Full Member

    Dura Ace hubs, Sapim spokes and Mavic CXP33’s from Harry Rowland. Have these and some older Ksyrium Elites. A little heavier than your weight aim, but I know which wheels will be going out on the club ride tomorrow. Ksyriums are a light stiff strong wheel, but after having my rear rebuilt twice this winter (pothole and mechanical), I’ve been so impressed with the handbuilts that I’ve retired them to Teen1’s bike.

    Other rims and builders available.

    daveh
    Free Member

    Edit: just taken in the bit about not pure carbon wheels 😳

    mauja
    Free Member

    Dura ace c24’s, they’re lighter than the elites and in my experience pretty tough too.

    porter_jamie
    Full Member

    what you messing about with those heavy wheels for? 1255g

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/stans-no-tubes-alpha-340-pro-330rti-road-wheelset/

    mtbtomo
    Free Member

    Wheelsmith Race23’s? Or Race24’s?

    Both sub 1500g for around £450.

    I have the Race23’s…the anodised black rim surface looks awesome when they’re new but one wet ride and its quickly scrubbed off.

    Excellent wheel though performance-wise!

    monkeyfudger
    Free Member

    I was looking at these for some training wheels, brilliant hubs, spoke count is low though.

    MrSmith
    Free Member

    HED ardennes with hope hubs.

    monkeyfudger
    Free Member
    iain65
    Free Member

    Slightly lower cost than most listed here but Shimano RS80 and RS81’s are worth a look, http://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-rs81-c24-carbon-laminate-wheels-pair-62700.html?utm_campaign=googlebase-GB&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shopping&utm_term=Factory+Road+Wheels&gclid=CPCehOmpjr4CFWTlwgodpL4AcQ
    I have a pair and they are very good for the money.

    mtbtomo
    Free Member

    Spoke count is low on Race23’s? 20 front and 24 rear? (I think, I haven’t counted)

    Didn’t think that was especially low in today’s world…..and Wheelsmith do free spokes for life, they’re that confident you won’t break one in normal use.

    How much do you weigh?

    souldrummer
    Free Member

    I’ve riding on Ksyrium Elites for years. In fact I have a pair on each of my road bikes. Great wheels, never has a problem with them. If I had to name a downside it is that, because they don’t use rim tape, the heat transference from a lot of alpine braking can overheat certain tyres/inner tubes and they then blow, which can be quite scary. Having said that; since I moved to Continental 4000S tyres it’s not happened.

    mboy
    Free Member

    Hope Mono Aero/Stans Alpha 400’s

    £495 the pair at RRP (but you’ll more than likely get 10% off that from your local Hope retailer), 1520g for the pair (weighed my new wheels this afternoon), 20/24 Sapim CX ray spokes, proven reliable hubs on stiff tubeless ready rims.

    What’s not to like?

    I’m just waiting for my 25c Tubeless Schwalbe One’s to turn up now before I fit them, but considering the Alpha 400 is a much stiffer version of the Alpha 340, yet the wheels still only come in just over 1500g for the pair, they’re not at all heavy yet they won’t be lightweight climbed only fare… It’s the fact they’re tubeless ready that’s the biggest bonus for me, been saying I should go tubeless on a road bike for a couple of years now (been running it on MTB’s for 12 years), but you can’t really ghetto it with road wheels/tyres.

    minichops
    Free Member

    Been running Fulcrum Racing 1’s for the last 3 summers on the best bike. Really impressed – not had one bit of bother, low maintenance, look cool IMO. Don’t let cup and cone bearings put you off. Like the Neutrons mentioned above, these have Record equivalent hubs – they run smoooooth – better than any sealed bearings – and are simplicity to adjust. I’ve serviced mine once in 3 seasons (lazy I know) but they’ve coped!
    You can probably pick a pair up on your budget.

    jamesr
    Free Member

    Pick one of the new generation of wide clinchers; Archetypes, HED, Pacenti.
    Build to hubs of your choice.
    Ride quality and grip compared to a traditional 19mm rim like an Open Pro is amazing.
    Personally, I wouldn’t go back to narrow rims now.

    Lesanita2
    Free Member

    Some choice there.

    I’m surprised some only take certain shimano cassettes. I thought shimano freehubs took all shimano/SRAM cassettes.

    I use XT/SRAM MTB cassettes to ensure I don’t burst my knees on the 30+% Lakeland passes, so compatibility (with mountain bike kit) important to me.

    I’m off to the Dolomites, this year and I like a good fast descent….. so concerned to hear if no rim tape used then tyres are prone to blow!

    I can’t be confident with cup and cone bearings. I’ve seen too many go downhill quickly after a wet ride. I appreciate they use a couple of Watts less energy, but I’ll accept that.

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