[Closed] roadie wheels - advice and thoughts pls?

Hand built Ultegra or Dura Ace on Mavic Open Pro rims.

That'll be a very solid set certainly, if you're not the lightest probably the best bet.

Don't get carbon rims, they're just not that usable, even if you get clinchers the brakes don't really work!

I'd go handbuilts. Given your s/hand suggestion then DA hubs are an option, or Ultegra or even Hope Pro3/Mono hubs. Spokes: look at DT DB spokes with plain gauge on the rear driveside, and for rims then OPs or maybe Ambrosios (but they're more cash).

cheers guys, did'nt realise that about carbon rims - look nice though!

i'm quite fancying building some wheels so may go that route, all the road ones i've done so far have been for my cross bikes (ultegra/cpx33/32 db 3x pattern) and i've wanted to try building a radial spoked wheel.

Best road wheels I've ever had, and I've had a lot, were Dura Ace factory built wheels. Very strong, very fast, and very hard wearing. I'd have some more tomorrow if I could afford them.

If you can build 3 cross then radial will be easy as anything!

I'd still be inclined to go 3 cross to be honest!

I'd still be inclined to go 3 cross to be honest!

yeah i know, but its the challenge of trying to build something different!

just been looking at prices very quickly, hope pro 3 seem to be quite reasonable (on par with ultegra) and similar weight to dura ace. i'm quite fancying an all black wheels set.

for reliability and low maintainance id go with hopes...

running a pair of hope Tis on my roadie since the year dot !

rear needs new bearings soon but thats it.

Mines are 3x on cxp33s

must be light as the front is nothing but an axel with spoke holes really

Yep my first road bike had some 1995ish Ti glide hubs on Open Pros, they were cracking wheels.

Factory wheels are pretty good nowadays and mostly very well built. You could go for the best of both worlds. Easton EA90 SLX's very light (sub 1400 grms) lovely looking and not machine built. So technically a very quick factory wheelset which are trued and tensioned by hand. Mine have been ace and pretty bombpfoof so far, (although I am only 64 kgs) and the R4 hubs are the smoothest I have ever used.

We had someone trash the rim on an Easton wheelset and it took absolutely ages to source a replacement.

If you do want to look at factory wheelsets I rate Bontrager very highly. Not particularly bling, but cartridge bearing hubs and surprisingly solid.

Look at good quality factory wheels. £300 isn't a huge amount for roadie wheels. You might find a very nice pair on evilbay but it’s a gamble.

For that money don't go for carbon, they will be bad quality and probably break. Look at campag, shimano, easton etc.

I'd avoid radial spokes on a road set, they're very flexy. Bontrager wheels have a habit of cracking around the eyelets, ignore carbon at your budget, they won't be much cop, better with a good pair of hand builts.

My pair are Hope pro3 on black Mavic open pro with DT revolution spokes, 32 hole, I'm 82kg and they are plenty stiff enough and pretty light and have been 100% reliable.

I've got a pair of Mavic Heliums doing nothing, they're old, but haven't seen much action from new. Have a dig round on the web, if you fancy them let me know and we can talk prices, or swaps plus cash....

As others have said, at that budget, avoid carbon and then either go for something nice and handbuilt, or maybe Ksyrium Equipes or old stock Ksyrium Elites. Had a pair of Elites for 5 or so years and love'um. The only caviats; spokes are murderously expensive and, as with most deep/stiff rims, they can be a bu&&er to true up if you do ding them as the rim is stiff and there aren't many spokes to pull it back into line.

I have a set of loverly new Bontrager race lite XXX yummy.

I also have training wheels that have Alex rims and Tiagra hubs and service them enough to overtake a friends downhill from nicely greased cones.

Love the idea of sealed bearings left alone etc.

Accidents happen so make sure you have enough cash to replace a wheelset instead of spending big for nice bling wheels and then a pot hole or crash and no cash left for nice wheel replacement.

I reckon what KingTut said.

Unless you're spending a lot of money on factory wheels (eg £500+) then handbuilts are almost always lighter for the same price. Add in the problems (cost and availability) with replacing parts if you do break factory wheels and it's hard to justify them though they do tend to look really nice 🙂

Of course, you may find a brilliant deal out there or some excellent second hand ones that might make them worthwhile.

I have a set of loverly new Bontrager race lite XXX yummy

So you went from a set of really cheap wheels to a set of £1500 carbon jobs? Don't do things by half!?

The Bontrager brake pads are the best I found on their carbon rims, although the Swiss Stop Yellow King are good if you ever want to go back to alu rims without changing pads.

interesting, cheers.

i've had a bit of a look at factory wheels and agreed i do seem to be in the basic model price range, whereas the same cash will get me the bits to build some hope/mavic wheels, and as i already mentioned i do fancy an all black set of wheels.