Wheels: Dura Ace vs Bora One vs Hope Carbon 45

[BeirutTaxi]

Hi all,

Once this stupid knee injury has cleared up and I'm biking properly again I'm thinking of buying another road bike.

I've been having a look at wheels, namely Dura Ace, Bora One and Hope's Carbon 45.

Does anyone have experience of the above? I'm quite interested in the Hopes.

Also, is it worth going to clincher or tubs? The bike is to be mainly used for events.

[matt-ITR]

Do you know how to change/fix a tub on the road - or willing to risk it knowing that a puncture could mean race/event over?
If not, clincher.

Of the three - Bora's. But there are plenty more wheels worth considering.

[BlueNGT]

Sealant looks a good option for a quick fix on a Tub...works on clincher so Tub should be fine!?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_phPq3uzUtU

Some others reviewed here http://www.220triathlon.com/gear/gear-guides/10-of...

[Matt_N]

Dura Ace have beautiful hubs but are still using a narrom by modern widths rim at 22.4mm, it also hasn't evolved much in terms of shape, being a V shape.

Bora's have both beautiful hubs and a wider 24.2mm rim and are, well Boras

Both DA and Boras use proprietry spokes, meaning replacements can be hard and expensive to get hold of.

Hope 45 sit in the middle at 23.5mm and it looks to be a nice rounded profile rim (although can't find a cross section), have decent hubs and are made using Sapim CX-Rays, an off the shelf spoke which is easy and cheap to replace.

Are you looking for clinchers or tubs?

I'd probably go Bora but in tubular but that is my preference.

If you're looking at this sort of wheelset how about FFWD? They've just widended the rim, use DT hubs and are well regarded too.

Don't discount Reynolds either, one of the longest standing aero wheel makers, nice wide rim profiles at 25mm and DT based hubs.

Edited by Matt_N on Friday 20th May 10:02

[JEA1K]

BeirutTaxi said:

Hi all,

Once this stupid knee injury has cleared up and I'm biking properly again I'm thinking of buying another road bike.

I've been having a look at wheels, namely Dura Ace, Bora One and Hope's Carbon 45.

Does anyone have experience of the above? I'm quite interested in the Hopes.

Also, is it worth going to clincher or tubs? The bike is to be mainly used for events.

I don't think I would bother with tubs unless you're racing. Its more hassle then fixing a puncture on a clincher. Anyone I know who rides tubs carries 2 spares!

[BeirutTaxi]

Thanks for the replies so far, your time is appreciated

I'm thinking of eventually using them for sportives and competition. Does the extra rotating mass of the clincher make much difference? Surely unless you're constantly on the brakes and having to accelerate it shouldn't.

Also, would any of them have issues running 25C/28C Michelins?

I was thinking of the Hopes because I've heard such good things about Hope hubs.

I see that the Boras (esp tub) are extremely light, are they not a bit fragile for UK roads?

Other wheel suggestions more than welcome!

Best regards,

Matt

[BlueNGT]

http://www.revolverwheels.co.uk/

And of course, pick your hubs, rim etc http://www.wheelsmith.co.uk/#!wheelsets/xy2iv

[HardtopManual]

I rode Bora tubs through the filth and potholes of this year's Mallorca 312. No punctures (Veloflex Roubaix) and tubs really do ride and especially corner more nicely than clinchers. I wouldn't train on them though - that's what Zondas are for. Not due to any worry about the durability of Boras - more that neither the wheels nor the tyres are particularly cheap and I don't want to wear the tyres or brake tracks unnecessarily, or have the wheels written off in a crash.

You really do notice the difference when you bolt on your fast wheels for events.

BeirutTaxi said:

Does the extra rotating mass of the clincher make much difference? Surely unless you're constantly on the brakes and having to accelerate it shouldn't.

It will make a little difference, but for me the main advantages of tubs are that they feel so bloody nice to ride and that they stay attached to the rim when they puncture, which is nice if you're doing 75km/h down a mountain descent.

Edited by HardtopManual on Friday 20th May 15:41

[Dixie]

I use Tufo tubs (£20 each) and have been riding on them for 5000 miles or so. I commute on them as well as "training" rides in the summer. In that time i've had 1 puncture that the sealant that i pre-load into them didn't take care of. The route we were following to Paris took us along a bridal path for a couple of miles. Fortunately we had a backup crew. i changed the tub over for a spare that night. It's doable at the side of the road i just chose not to carry a spare.

If you'll use them as an occasional set then Boras would definitely be my choice. Not sure how much performance you'll get from them but they'll certainly look cool

[BeirutTaxi]

Also... Why on earth are ZIPP wheels SO expensive?! Are they really that good?

[HardtopManual]

BeirutTaxi said:

Also... Why on earth are ZIPP wheels SO expensive?! Are they really that good?

In a word, no.

[BeirutTaxi]

Interesting the comments tubs vs clincher. The issue of changing the tyre in case of a flat is worrying, however a few people now I've cycled with and posters on this thread seem to have a huge thumbs up for tubs.

Does a 35mm profile vs 50mm profile make much difference?

[matt-ITR]

BeirutTaxi said:

Does a 35mm profile vs 50mm profile make much difference?

A difference, but not a massive one. 38mm is a good all-round wheelset, but 50mm will be faster and depending on your ability (and weight to an extent) 50mm should be more than fine.

People think Tubs are faster, but that is largely untrue these days.
The benefits of tubs and probably the main reason that pros ride them is that if you flat you can still ride it. So for the pros, they can keep riding along until the team car arrives.

Modern clincher tyres are very fast and the tyres are very light. Sometimes a carbon clincher wheel can be a bit heavier, but to be honest, it is probably worth the weight penalty for the lack of faff.