I am in the process on turning my group set upto 11 which means I am going to need some new wheels.

It’s a real lightweight carbon race frame built with the new ultegra so a light built.
I have done the rounds trying to decide what to go for and still don’t seem to be any closer on deciding.

It seemed to be down to the following fulcrum racing 3, ksyrium elite, ultegra 6800 until I spoke to a wheel builder who suggested a set of handbuilts. H plus and son archetype on ultegra hubs which will come in about the same price.

He was pretty upfront that they would be heavier but they probably will be a nice ride and more reliable, they also look amazing. My worry is that while nice and reliable they might take a bit of responsiveness away from a lively bike.

Does anyone have any real world experience on how 200-300 grams on a wheelset affects the overall performance?

Does anyone have any real world experience on how 200-300 grams on a wheelset affects the overall performance?

If you’re racing, quite a bit. If you’re looking to get out and enjoy riding, quality hand built wheels are excellent. And easily repaired with normal spokes.

There’s a lot to be said for both handbuilts and factory wheels. It just depends on your individual priorities as to what is going to be better for you.

There’s a review of many mid/high end clincher wheelsets in this months Cycling Plus. Might be worth a quick flick through for ideas, though perhaps take it with a pinch of salt.

Buy the wheels that compliment you and your bike, not just the ones that someone else recommends. I’ve got Campag Eurus (Fulcrum Racing 1’s) on my bike, which some people will tell you are horribly stiff. To be honest, I wanted the stiffest wheels I could get hold of, I’ve got quite a compliant frame, carbon post and bars, tubeless 25c Tyres etc. the last thing I wanted was some flexy and/or unresponsive wheels. If I had a bike that was particularly stiff and unforgiving, I may look to a set of handbuilts to make it more comfortable to ride…

I don’t race but wouldn’t rule it out. I definitely don’t want to blunt the ride of the bike though and in the future if I go to the alps or other big hills want something responsive and lively.

Wiggle have got ultegra/dura ace hubs on archetypes available, might be worth checking their prices 🙂

I use a workshop close to work and would stick with them. They built me some open pro on shimano hubs and after 2 years and 10,000 commuting year round miles they have been faultless.

Check how easy it is to get spokes, bearings, freehub, replacement rim etc for the factory wheels of your choice.

In my experience weight of the wheels makes a big difference, I’ve got some c24’s that were only a few 100 grams lighter than my previous set and I was surprised how much difference they made.

Just had a thought.
My commuter runs 10speed so when my rims wear out I will get the archetypes built into an 11 speed hub. Can use a spacer with them on my commute but also have a spare set.