I stuffed my rear wheel on my road bike the other day (40mph+big pothole=2 flats and a big old crack) and need something new.
It’s only an old Giant Defy so don’t want to go crazy and was looking to pick something second hand up for around £100 (pair) and was particularly looking at Aksiums but thought I’d see if anyone had better suggestions for around that price mark.

I would not buy Mavic rear wheels again, sick of sticky freehubs. I would look at Shimano or fulcrum

I wouldn’t personally touch Aksiums ever again. I had multiple sets of 2010 ones – and I don’t think they’ve changed the design much since then.

The rear wheel is monumentally weak. Being radially spoked on the non-drive side is a critical fault. The spoke tension is uneven on each side of the wheel as a result – and so the spokes gradually de-tension themselves. Furthermore, when you try to re-tension the spokes – or even simply turn the spoke nipples – they snap instantly. Replacement spokes are hard to come by and expensive.

In short, if you want a set of wheels that needs constant re-truing, flex laterally (loads) while riding (straight out the box), need constant spoke replacement, and have obscure expensive spokes that you can’t get hold of. Go for it! 😀

That said, the bearings and freehub body seem to be made of pure diamond-coated titanium or something – completely bomb-proof. Shame about the rest of the wheel.

I managed to pick up a clearance set of Shimano R500s for £70 – much better – and very good value too. Would recommend!

As above Shimano r501’s are £65 on Merlin then £5 postage. I use them on my commuter they’re great for the money.

I’ve used aksiums on my commuter in the past and never had issues with them but they’ve gone up in price a fair bit and the shimano’s are fine.

Edit: £6.50 postage and available here

I’ve just bought some of the Superstar wheels with Pacenti 23 rims – £250 (minus the 20% April discount if you’re quick) and they weigh less than 1500 grams.

See HERE

I’ve not received them yet but they seem like a bargain 🙂

£100 for secondhand aksiums is not a bargain.

In the plus column, and contradicting everything up there^ i find they weigh a ton but are bombproof I’ve had a pair last through cross racing and winter commutes for 2-3 years.

Cheap Mavics are made of cheese, especially the freehubs, avoid at all costs.

I have been using Fulcrum for a while now, all good so far.

Why would you pay £100 for second hand ones when they’re around £140 new (on CRC)?
I found them bombproof for a good few years on my commuter too.

Shimano r501’s are great value. Not overly light or exciting, just good, solid wheels for not much money.

Cheap Mavics are made of cheese, especially the freehubs, avoid at all costs.

I never had issues with mavic aksiums either, the rims gave up before the hubs. But they’re just too expensive now compared to the shimano’s

Superstar wheels with Pacenti 23 rims – £250

which is nowhere near ‘around £100’

Campagnolo Khamsin or Vento? Fantastic wheels for the money, light & strong for the price, same as Fulcrum wheels but cheaper.

If strong, reliable and repairable are key factors then skip the factory builds and just go for Open Pro with whatever Shimano hubs fit your budget, even Sora is pretty good these days, or even Open Sports to save a bit more.

They won’t be flash, they won’t be that light but they will go on and on, and spokes will be easy to replace if needed, and most hub parts, even down to a single cone are available as spares from Shimano for buttons.

Be very wary of s/h Mavic wheels. In my experience (and the experience of several folks above, by the looks of it), maintenance is a proper PITA. I suspect this is, in part, because they insist on using aluminium nipples which corrode onto the spokes, making truing/tensioning spokes an impossible task – which is a shame, because they need tend to go out of true quite easily. I’ve killed a couple of pairs. Shimano R500/501 readily available for cheap, and IMHO a much better bet provided you don’t have an irrational fear of cup and cone bearings.

Alas, My road bike has thus far only seen some turbo action. However I have considered buying a new set of training wheels and I narrowed my choice to the halo ‘aero rage’.
As I weigh 20 stone I would need something sturdy, in a conventional spoke pattern, with sealed bearing hubs and good spares/ service availability and the halos seem to fit the bill.
I’ve seen some good deals around, and they also come in a ss/ track variant should you be so inclined.

I had considered the Aksiums but they may not withstand my bulk, likewise most of the other 28 spoke wheelsets.

In my experience aksiums are a bit heavy but bomb proof. Perfect for commuter bikes as will handle hopping kerbs and stuff.