hi,

I’ve worn out (read buckled) another planet x wheelset, is there anything else anyone would recommend in this price range?

I don’t race and a few extra 100g isn’t going to help me, so I’m not fussy.

thanks Tod

Shimano road wheels are really reliable. I’ve got a set of R500’s on my commuter and the are still going strong after numerous pothole moments and emergency curb mountings. Merlin cycles have some silly deals on shimano at the moment.

ill get flamed for saying this but superstar do a nice light set for 175 quid. I have them and they are not bad, and the weight is phenomenal for the cash

superstar wheels

Alternatively mavic aksiums going very cheap at merlin

aksiums

can’t go wrong with those for 130 quid

thanks i’ll have a look at the ss as I probably need the Crash replacement discount scheme !!

Fulcrum racing 5s from merlin for £150. IMO they ride much better than one would expect at this price point. Never used shimano so unable to comment.

I happen to have a brand new set of wheels from a Felt road bike that I’m about to advertise

30mm alloy rims, 9/10 speed rear.

With brand new Vittoria tyres and tubes.

£130 posted if you are interested.

I bought, from Rose bikes on behalf of a friend, some wheels based on Shimano 105 hubs, SS DB spokes and Mavic Open pro rims. Very nicely made, legendary Shimano bearings and the ultra tough but light Open Pros are a great match. Hubs might be a few more grams making the wheels a bit heavier but the rims are light and tough. They were around £150-160 ish IIRC.
I’d rather buy some more like that than these all in one offerings from Shimano/PX. Not trendy to do wheels the old fashioned way but stronger and longer lasting every time.

thanks rb, they look like a solid option.

If you fancy a set of Planet X AL30 in good nick, I’m stripping the road bike down at the mo and won’t want much for them. Drop me a line (email in profile) if they’re of interest. Cheers.

ribble are doing ultegras for 200 quid but they have 10% off at the moment. picked some up this week.

Tiagra/Open Sport £140 pair via madison dealer.

32 3 X no issues with spares etc.

Despite being an On-one/Planet X fanboy, i don’t go near their wheels, Fulcrums are good and you can’t go far wrong with Shimanos or Mavic either.

too much choice! but sounds like I won’t be ordering a set of planet x again

Bear in mind with most of these once the rims wear out then you might well be throwing the wheel out because getting them rebuilt is going to be as expensive as replacing them. That’s certainly been my experience anyway.

The PX hubs are nice enough, why not get them built on some better (stiffer) rims? Including spokes/building at an LBS you’d be looking at ~£60 leaving ~£40/rim, which mean’s pretty much anything with the right number of holes is an option.

Or just get open pros on whatever shimano hubs keep it within budget.

60 quid to build a set of wheels with spokes seems mighty cheap. Its 25 quid a wheel at the places I’ve been previously. What spokes you getting with those?

TINAS – as above plus the PX wheels have IIRC low spoke count – non-cheap rims.

Tiagra/Open Sport £140 pair via madison dealer

I bought a set of these a month or so back … and I’m very impressed.
I’d always been a bit sniffy about Tiagra, but I can definitely see another set of these in my (near) future, especially given their (apparent) toughness / weight / straight-forward rebuilds.

Avoid Planet X wheels. I bought a set of a57’s or something like that and the bearings were shit. Lasted less than 500 miles, I’ve used lots of other wheels, mavic, shimano, etc and the rims have worn out before the bearings.

Fulcrum Racing 5. Very very impressed with mine. Very tough, great hubs and quite light.

I really rate Aksiums for the money, if you can get them foe around £120-ish. Mine seem to be really strong and that includes bunny hopping holes in roads on 23mms

Fair enough, even at £25 each + 50p/spoke it’s ‘only’ ~£80, or learn to build yourself and save £50?

merlin done me shimano rs31’s for 130, pretty good so far, 1900g so not light but for winter riding pretty bombproof. 300 smackers rrp as well

My Planet X AL30’s have been fine. Whether you race or not, lighter wheels should feel better so long as they’re not too flexy.

+1 for Fulcrum 5 wheels. Superb for the money, used daily for commuting but light enough to notice them as an upgrade over standard wheels that come with a bike.