I bought a handbill set of road wheels a couple of years ago and they’re now shagged. They weren’t cheap either (£700) for some White Industries T11 hubs and Pacenti SL23 rims. The rims need replacing (they were always crap for various reasons) and the bearings in the hubs are goosed despite being summer only wheels. I’ve looked at the price of changing rims and replacing bearings, but it’s nearly the same cost just to get a whole new set of wheels. I’ve just got one quote in, but it’s £480 for aluminium rims or £700 for carbon rims.

So rant over…. what’s the latest recommendation for 38mm deep carbon clincher tubeless wheelsets from a UK supplier? Budget is less than £600. What about these for £459?

Bax carbon wheels

How many miles/km have they done and in what conditions out of interest? I’m on SL23 rims and they’ve done 10,000km in largely dry-ish conditions and they’re fine for a good while yet. Everyone is different though and clearly YMMV.

I guess changing rims involves changing spokes too unless you’re lucky on the ERD/flange combo to re-use the spokes but that does sound pricey to me, maybe get another quote for the work? Changing/servicing hub bearings should be in the £50 region I’d have thought IME?

Edit: what’s more, I may be wrong, but I thought that a lot of these UK-supplied wheelset (eg. Hunt, Bax etc) use Novatec/Bitex type hubs… If you are having bearing issues with White hubs then I’m not sure you’re going to fare any better with those? An expert will be along shortly to confirm or refute!

I’d guess it’s somewhere between 5,000 – 10,000km. They’ve only been used in summer and I don’t go out when it’s raining. Aberdeenshire roads. My gripes with the rims are as follows:

1) The brake track is too narrow, so it only accepts narrow pads
2) Front and back developed a rattle at the welded joint (fixed by araldite)
3) Rear wheel went very out of true for some reason. Was retrued but shop said it took a lot of tension and best replace it sooner rather than later
4) Front rim damaged by airline (obvs. I can’t blame the wheel)
5) Front bearing on one side went graunchy and on on closer inspection the bearing on one side is completely rusty. The rear wheel has developed play that can’t be fixed by tightening hub.

If I’d bought them in the UK then I’d be taking them back, but sadly I got them in the USA. Hence why my next set needs to be UK sourced with a reliable warranty. Although sods law I’ll end up moving overseas again and having the reverse problem. I’m using this opportunity to try something different. A bit more aero and bling.

If you’re insistent, how much do you want for your White hubs then? 😉

You’d be better with Mavic Module E’s on some Miche hubs, built with stainless DB spokes. If you are careful they will last 20 years.

Aren’t BAX just UK based Chinese carbon wheel shifters?

If you’re insistent, how much do you want for your White hubs then?

I’m still in the dithering phase of buying wheels. Whatever I do needs to wait until autumn.

You’d be better with Mavic Module E’s on some Miche hubs, built with stainless DB spokes. If you are careful they will last 20 years.

The wheels that came with the bike were just Flcrum 5s and have lasted me well, and get abused and neglected during the winter. So I don’t think I’m looking for something burly, just ‘better’. I’m looking to go a bit more aero and bling. My heart is set on carbon, but not for any sensible reason.

Aren’t BAX just UK based Chinese carbon wheel shifters?

That’s my assumption. But I’m willing to pay a premium for UK based comeback.

My heart is set on carbon, but not for any sensible reason.

I thought I was too, built some deep carbon wheels, and found they were of literally no benefit to me (apart from making things interesting in cross-winds) and were heavy and ponderous. If you like the look of all-black carbon wheels how about waiting for the new Mavic Exalith Open Pro rims to come out in the next (I hope) 6 months? They are alloy but have the black brake track and reckon they’re going to look lovely. They’ll go well with your White hubs you’re going to sell me 😆

In all seriousness I’d get another quote for your re-build, maybe onto some Kinlin rims which are good enough for most I’m sure. I really can’t see how Bax/Zuus/Hunt will be superior to what you have but I know how hard it is when there’s a carbon wheel itch. It needs scratching usually 😉

From the sound of it, you must be hard on your gear and certainly wouldn’t recommend carbon if they’re your everyday wheels. Why not get some new bearings in the hubs and them rebuilt with a hard-wearing rim – £480 for alloy rimmed wheels sound like some chi-chi lightweight jobs that won’t last very long.

Consider a carbon tubular rim? Just takes away all the hassle of worrying about carbon clincher quality, so you can order something good without paying massive brand tax.

I hear good things about the prime wheels that CRC have as their in house brand.

Hubs are Novatec so easy to service. Prices are reasonable for carbon. You might sneek under budget with a british cycling discount?

I’ve got the Prime RP 38s, £729 (then take off 10% BC discount) for a 1435g wheelset, 38mm deep.

I’ve only done a few hundred dry miles on them so far but no issues.

Those Prime wheels look a good option. A bit over budget though. Do they get discounted more than 10% often?

No, seem to be at that point all the time!

I have the Prime 38’s too, but the RR’s as the RP’s were out of stock and didn’t want to wait.

Love them and think they worked out at about £560 with BC disc.

Replaced some carbon laminate Shimano wheels and the Prime’s are much better. Only used them in the dry and for around 500 miles but the braking is excellent.

So as not to abandon the rebuild option, can someone recommend a builder who is willing to rebuild onto old hubs? Lots of the ones I found on the internet won’t do it.

I don’t know personally but have you tried all the obvious ones, eg. CycleClinic, DCR Wheels, Wheelsmith, Strada, JRA?

You get 10% off with British cycling on Chainreaction which may make it cheaper to join BC at a low level for the voucher or find a friend who is a member. You get one a month so people will have them.

Also check out wiggle, they are on there too so if they are full price you may get more with a loyalty discount.

I guess they will be discounted at some point. Both Wiggle and CRC rotate their sales so if you are not desperate and can hang on then you normally see them come up. Works for me and bib shorts.

Lots of the ones I found on the internet won’t do it.

internet builders want to sell you hubs, any proper/local wheel builder should have no issues re-using hubs. I’ve rebuilt wheels using the same hubs and spokes which is really straightforward – buy a rim with the same or similar ERD, tape the rims together (with spoke holes aligned…) and move the spokes over.

built with stainless DB spokes. If you are careful they will last 20 years.

With enough care, many wheels can, although I’ve never seen any Michelle stuff of high quality.

We still don’t know why his rims need replaced. I am guessing the US made superlight hubs had poor sealing/inadequate bearings.

A lot of superlight high end stuff is for racing and not durability. Plenty £200 wheelsets around that will outlast them and slow you down by about 0.06%

I am guessing the US made superlight hubs had poor sealing/inadequate bearings.

On the DCR hubs page re: the White hubs: “…bearings are an item that you can expect to replace more regularly than other hubs. They come with a low friction Enduro bearing. The hubs provide very little rolling resistance. As part of this low rolling system, the hubs provide only external shielding and no external sealing. So the hubs are better suited to fairer weather. ”

My road bike gets used in the winter mostly. I bought some Mavic Open Pros (i know they arnt carbon) on Shimano 105 hubs back in about 1999 and they’re still fine.

My point is, is it really worth spending that much on carbon wheels?

RS81 C24

Ultegra 6800

May be cheaper elsewhere.

Also I reckon you could get the hubs built up on Mavic Open Pros (or whatever you fancy) and new bearings for much less than quoted. Try local or maybe Cycleclinic

White Industries hubs aren’t even that light.

I’ve got FarSports 38mm rims with Tune Mig and Mig hubs and CX-Rays, I built them myself, but you could always procure the bits and get someone local to build them. They’re 1320g, and were just about on the top end of your budget.

Hubs come in loads of pretty colours too.

For Al:

*glee*

got these, they do the job

http://www.hopetech.com/product/carbon-45-clincher-mono-aero-2/

Is it just me or why aren’t they doing g exalith or similar coating on carbon rims?

Thought for carbon wheels they do stuff like basalt coatings?

got these, they do the job

http://www.hopetech.com/product/carbon-45-clincher-mono-aero-2/

Thanks for the recommendation, but they don’t seem to sell them anymore. And they were £900.

… and weighed a tonne.

If it helps, the original bearings in my WI T-11 hubs lasted less than a year (ridden in all weathers). I replaced them with SKF 2RS versions and they are still smooth 2 years on.

Re Pacenti SL23 – I’ve had similar problems with the SL23 v2 rims, which I use for CX. FWIW, I’m intending to replace them with Kinlin XR-22T as they wear out / fail etc, rather than the Pacenti Forza, which is the SL23’s replacement.

If you ride in the wet, if you ride in the gutter, if you ride in soemwhere like the peak district with gritstone dust on the roads forget carbon. I can go through a carbon rim on a road bike in less than a week during the spring. there’s no benefit.

If you want light and strong get mavic Ksyrium SLR or the current equivalent. Those new Open Exalith should build nice and strong on CXrays.

I’ll be fine swapping in new bearings to the T11 hub. It would be nice to keep them as I spent so much money on them. I just wish it was a bit more cost effective to lace on some new rims.

The carbon itch will need scratching at some point. Maybe wait a couple of years for when I get a new disc brakes bike.

I’ll see if I can get some better quotes. If I can get some half decent carbon rims put on for less that £400 then I’ll go down that route. Otherwise I’ll stick to aluminium rims. I’ve tried all the wheel builders mentioned in this thread with no luck. Can anyone recommend a builder in Aberdeenshire?

http://www.zuus.co.uk/clearance-zuus-carbon-xcr-38mm-clincher-hurry-limited-stock/

Re Pacenti SL23 – I’ve had similar problems with the SL23 v2 rims

+1.
My rear wheel is currently in for its second warranty replacement SL23 V2.
It is being replaced with a Forza, which is the new design (with a thicker spoke bed) and supposedly has addressed the issues seen with the SL23 (thin spoke bed – cracks under load)