Well – seeing as everyone suggested this was a better road forum than a road forum:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/is-there-a-road-bike-forum-as-good-as-stw

I’ll ask on here.

Just getting a road bike built up – its my ‘getting old cos I’m 40 in a couple of weeks’ present to myself. Looking for wheels with a budget of 300-400.

Anyone know what’s best around that? I’m looking at:

Mavic Ksyrium Elite or Equipe (either end of that budget)
Fulcrum Racing 3 or 5 – again either end of that budget
Shimano RS80 Carbon Laminated.

The top end of the budget gets you 1500g wheels, its more like 1800/1900 at cheaper end – will I notice that? It’ll be on a storck scenario 1.0 f+f.

I’m not a huge shimano off the peg wheel fan, but they are well liked, I’ve discounted the DT Swiss r1800/1700 because they are noticeably heavier.

I’ll just mention it again, it’s not all about the weight. Some very fast wheels are very heavy.

2011 Mavic Aksiums are <1800gm and are £140 from Planet X

I’d go for Mavic Ksyrium Elites based on your selections above – cartridge bearings take more abuse/are more rescuable than cup and cone on Shimano wheels, they’re very light & very stiff. A fella at work has 15000+ miles on a pair & are still going strong.

Ksyrium Elites are £386.96 from Merlin if you sign up to their VIP pricing.

American clqssic hurricanes. Light fast and loads of flange. Call me if you want some.

stans alphas on low-spoke-count & light hubs, no cheaper way to get the weight down.

Pro-lite Braccianos are pretty good, light and a reasonable price

or as cynic-al says, if you use good quality spokes on a low spoke count wheel, you can get sitffness and light weight.

stans alphas on hope pro 3 with DT revolution spokes come out at a bit over £400 on just riding along. They’ll be nice wheels!

I asked a similar question last week, albeit with a lower budget of £200. I got the Shimano Ultegras from Merlin at 1652g with skewers. Fantastic wheelset for sensible money.

Spoke to the mechanic at Merlin who said they get loads of Fulcrum wheels back for warranty repairs and replacement – cartridge bearings lasting little over a month etc.

Mavic Aksium are not very good, the Ksyrium are much better. I have the Dura Ace carbon lamiates and theya re very very good. If the RS80s are anything like as good then they would be my choice.

I just bought some Planet X models B for £99.00. Plain Jane looking but have cartiridge bearings and come in about 1650gm ex skewers – bargain!!
That said they’re probably not as stiff or something as more expensive wheels but, for me, they’re great.

Ted

sharkabit – if your confident with a spoke key, it’s worth checking spoke tension. I’ve been able to add a bout a turn and a half to all rear nipples and it’s stiffened the rear wheel up massively.

Reynolds Solitude on my road bike. They’re pretty light, and so far utterly bombproof. I’m not the lightest @ ~90kg and I’ve smashed over a couple of potholes and they still perfect.

Handbuilt open pro’s on dura ace hubs with decent tyres (somebody had to say it) or as a left field choice, chines e bay carbon wheels for ultimate / possibly slightly impractical bling per buck

bearings take more abuse/are more rescuable than cup and cone on Shimano wheels

?, Never had any problem with shimano cup and cone road hubs – you have to check them occasionaly but no more than any other wheel, btw have had a problem trying to get hold of both shimano and mavic “exotic” spokes

my comment above was based on the fact that the races get replaced when you replace cartridge bearings, whereas if you didn’t quite catch a loose cup and cone hub in time, you can muller the cup race which is an integral part of the hub & only sort out-able if you replace the hub.

Hmm, this is going to turn into a cup & cone vs cartridge arguement again. But my Shimano wheels have gone on through mile after mile including cross racing and just keep battling on.
Where as the Ksyrium’s are not so robust.

Cup and cone is what sells them for me.

hanks for everyones input – anyone running shimano rs80’s?

I run RS80’s,a C24 on the front and a C50 out back.They use the same rims as the dura ace wheels but lower spec hubs.Theres precious little difference with the front (bar the trick digital cone adjustment) and a little bit of weight in the back….especially given the price differential!
I’ve ridden them back to back with dura ace,ksyrium sl’s and fulcrum 1’s and although its marginal at best (different tyres/pressures make more difference) I preferred the RS80’s.Which is why I bought them.The 50mm is’nt exactly smooth though.
Dura ace 50mm tubs next time 😀

I run mavic Aksiums on my cross bike, done 3 peaks 3 times now and the summer series and various other races as well as some Yorkshire mountain bike rides. Never trued them but they are on second set of bearings. Bomb proof.But not light!

The road bike has been running on Halo mercury’s for 6 years now. On my second set as I wore out the rims on the first set.Fantastic wheels for the price but not on the radar of most roadies.
Approx weight; Front: 650g Rear: 975gHalo wheels

My aksiums stayed straight as a die after doing the 3 peaks,NW cx league and HtN….but the braking surface wore clean through!!!
It was only £20 for a new rim though 🙂

Mavic Ksyrium elites – mine are about 7 years old and are probably the best bike purchase i’ve made over the years.

You’d think there’d be a market for a wheel/rim with a replaceable braking surface?

Campag Neutron should be about £400. Light, fast and reliable.

cynic-al – Member

You’d think there’d be a market for a wheel/rim with a replaceable braking surface?

Why? As Rorschach said, only 20 quid for a new Aksium rim. And any fixing mechanism is just going to add rotating weight in the worst possible place!

cynic-al – Member
You’d think there’d be a market for a wheel/rim with a replaceable braking surface?

I guess the braking surface would have to bolt on somehow and you’d end up with a large, thin metal hoop. This would be stronger if it was shrunk a little and it would also last longer if it was made fairly thick. Mounting it near the hub would keep it cleaner too – road grit eats rims after all.

The hope wheels got a pretty good review didn’t they?

😆 @ druidh

Ceramic rims are practically indestructable. I must have 5000 miles on my Open Pros (conservative estimate) and there’s still loads of ceramic left, and under that is a normal Open Pro. They brake in the wet really well too.

If Mavic got these right again (i’ve heard new ones aren’t any good and flake quickly), there’d be no need for replaceable braking surfaces.

Rosarch – build costs? Derrrrr….

druidh – I agree discs are way better but the market will take a decade to change I bet – not everyone has my foresight or ability to think outside the box after all.

I don’t see why the rim could be split into 2 and joined at the well for winter rims – would add a bit of weight sure.

Anyone with sufficient experience knows ceramic flakes off in time, they also eat brake pads. 5000 miles is nothing – I used to get more out of std rims with commuting and winter training.

Anyone with sufficient experience knows ceramic flakes off in time, they also eat brake pads. 5000 miles is nothing – I used to get more out of std rims with commuting and winter training.

Cynic-Al, why don’t you explain to me what sufficient experience i require for my opinion to be valid? 🙄

Also if you’d bothered to read my post properly you’d note that whilst i’ve only done ~5000 miles on my ceramic Open Pros, they’ve basically still got all their life left.

I think Al’s on the blob. He’s been particularly argumentative lately. 🙄

The Open Pro rims on my Ti road bike still have all their life left too – in fact, I bet they have even more life left in them than finbars.

I’ve had RS80’s for 2 years now and they have run faultless. Only used on my summer bike but I’ve hit a couple of big pot holes and the wheels were unaffected.

As above, they are similar to the Dura Ace ones but just diff hubs.

The LBS – which specialises in road – doesnt like speccing the Ksyrium elites because there’s axle issues? and the nipples can seize easily.

They recommend the rs80’s at the price but it’s me who didn’t want shimano ones – if i wasnt going for shimano they recommended the reynolds solitudes.

Hope hubs on some light rims, if anything does go wrong with them, hope will sort you out no bother.

Finbar – I was winding you up – they do that after a few years IME.

Shibbers I’ve been pretty calm recently, you should have seen me in the TJ-gate days.

cynic-al – Member

Finbar – I was winding you up – they do that after a few years IME.

Ah, the old “Padded Fred” volte face… 😉

I’d be interested if anyone is using the stan’s rims. I was looking at them on hope pro 3 hubs but have now decided it won’t help me win races so I think I’m going to get a cx bike instead.

Rosarch – build costs? Derrrrr….

25 minutes of my evening and a cup of tea you mean mate?