What Aluminium Wheels?

[BlueNGT]

After 10 months out of the saddle following a Hamstring tear I went out for the first time last night. I've made a few changes since the injury and a major one is my all year round bike, I sold my Giant TCR which was always slightly too big and bought a 2nd hand Specialized Tarmac 56cm which from last nights ride is brilliant and flies along. Issue with it is wheels, it came with Mavic Aksiums...whilst setting the bike up on Monday I noticed surface corrosion on the spokes and a bit on the hubs. They cleaned up ok but want to change the wheels soon.

In my laid up time some weight has been gained from a combination of not being able to get on the bike or do any exercise and feeling sorry for myself. So to be safe I would like a set of wheels that will accommodate around 100kg whilst I drop some weight and get back to fitness again. However as this is my second bike I don't want to change them now only to change again later. Mavic are off the radar now after seeing the corrosion, reading its not a one off online, and their wheels are narrow by today's standards.

Options I have found to date are as follows:

Hunt Race Season or 4 season (4 season has brass nipples so no corrosion there)
DT Swiss R32 Spline
I have tracked down some Roval SL35 for a bit less than RRP.


I would prefer a 30 to 35 rim depth, 18 inner and 22 outer rim width minimum and not crazy money....not much to ask I know 8)

Any ideas welcome.

Thanks

[BlueNGT]

Fulcrum are only 16 and 21 spoke! Would have thought they'd have weight limit!?

Vision have said they have an optimum weight but no limit.

[BlueNGT]

Picked a brand new set of Roval Rapide SL 35 for £300. Happy with those, all round wheels with 3 year warranty....job done.

[BlueNGT]

Well things don't always turn out as they should....the brand new wheels turned up to be dispatched and they had been used. Told them I might still be interested at a suitably reduced price but alas a £25 reduction was no what I thought of as suitable!!!

Back on the look out now but after spotting the availability of 0% finance on wheels at Chainreaction and then other retailer sites I thought about other stuff.

The Roval are still on the radar but came across these at Planet X http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WPPX35CLI/planet-x-35... Reynolds Carbon rims 19mm internal width, 23mm outer width, 2 year warranty. What do people think?

Also looked at the Chinese stuff on eBay but still unsure about those. The thought of de-laminating rim is not something to relish.

I am sure the Borg are great but they just aren't doing it for me.

[BlueNGT]

DamienCBR said:

Hi Simon,
I am not sure if i am any further forward at the moment. As much as i want aero wheels for the Cervelo i dont have any trouble keep speed on the flats, so lighter climbing wheels would be a better option, aero look better though
I would prefer 40mm deep, but keep coming back to the Zonda's for all round good wheel.
D

Hi Damien,

Aero defo have the wow factor and although its cosmetic the look of something is also important....after all neither option is free so when parting with money you have to like them too in my eyes.

Somebody on Bikeradar suggested a look at this place. They do a 6% discount for direct orders http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Spokesman-Wheels but by the time you add the aero black spokes and nipples, plus postage you are up at circa £500. And they are ultimately Chinese rims built up in the UK.

Zonda's get great reviews but are they much better than Fulcrums http://www.wiggle.co.uk/fulcrum-racing-quattro-lg-... which are Campag owned anyway!?

My issue is the Roval's are £420 from Tredz. £599 buys some Reynolds full carbons

[BlueNGT]

DamienCBR said:

Just seen these come up on my facebook feed.
http://www.baxcarbon.co.uk/#!product-page/f5pp0/a5...

Lots of them are looking very very similar now.....

I started to look at Carbon because both carbon and Alloy wear out eventually and with Zipp's on my other bike I could throw another set of Carbons on it if needed at any point and be not much different....well that's my justification anyway

No huge hills around here so most things will last for a long time. The Mavic Cosmic Elite on my old Giant were used when they arrived on the bike in 2008 and were faultless. I tend to look after things, the Mrs laughs when I pull out the box for something I bought years ago!!

Getting closer to pulling the trigger on the Reynolds/Planet X with the 0% money...£50 per month is equivalent to a few Pints!

[BlueNGT]

DamienCBR said:

Do it

Ha Ha!!! I keep going round in circles

[BlueNGT]

Matt_N said:

Where did you find the rim specs?

I must be blind as I can't find it.

It's hard to work out what Reynolds rim this is based on, the shallower clincher has always been the Attack which is 32mm, but 24.5mm external and 17mm internal wide.

These may be the same rims that crop up on the Powertap / AMP wheelset which uses a 'Reynolds' 35mm rim but again the specs of those seem to match the Attack at 17/24mm.

The key with Reynolds is the CTg braking surface as they own the rights to that, the Attack / Assualt feature it as does the Powertap set.

I got the specs from Planet X themselves. Waiting for them to confirm they are CTg braking surface rims.