New road wheels - which would you recommend?
Discussion
okgo said:
Define better.
Cheaper to repair, more personal to the type of riding you do, yes.
Likely heavier and ugly though.
Cheaper to repair - definately, had to source replacement spokes for my Campag Shamals from Ireland - they were about £30 each, handbuilts can be fixed at most bikeshops off the shelf. Cheaper to repair, more personal to the type of riding you do, yes.
Likely heavier and ugly though.
Heavier - not always, my handbuilt 50mm carbon clinchers are comparable in weight to Zipp firecrest carbon clinchers, at circa 1450gr.
Ugly - sometimes as they dont tend to have the same "bling" spoke patterns as say the Campag wheels, but they dont have to be as you can get them in low spoke counts which are more aesthetic.
For what its worth, to my eyes the Ambrosio Nemesis built up with a nice Chris King or Campag record hub is one of the best looking wheelsets you can buy. But at the end of the day design is a very subjective thing!
okgo said:
Define better.
Cheaper to repair, more personal to the type of riding you do, yes.
Likely heavier and ugly though.
I'm no expert but my understanding is Cheaper to repair, more personal to the type of riding you do, yes.
Likely heavier and ugly though.
I agree a handbuilt set of wheels can be personalised to what you ride and the appilication you want to have them best suit but i dont agree that means they are heavier if the guy is a lean chap already and dont understand why they'd be ugly.
I suppose at the price point you wont be open to bling options but that shoudnt put you off.
I'd personally get factory at the price but hey i would love a set of CK hubs on ENVE 45mm carbon rims handbuilt by someone i could call up and get them to tune but that is ££££'s
Not sure about the rims, but if the Novatech hubs you are looking at are the superlight variety then i can confirm that they are really rather good for the money, not sure about the normal Novatechs but suspect they are essentially the same, just with a heavier hub shell. Wasn't sure when i ordered them as they seemed almost too cheap for the weight / spec, but took the chance and I have since found that they are really very good and am happy with the choice. They roll really well, smooth and fast - nice and noisy too when coasting, which i personally like!
nammynake said:
I contacted Derek at Wheelsmith (recommended above) and he suggested Velocity A23 rims with either Ambrosio or Novatec hubs. 20/24 spokes and weighing in around 1450g, for just over £300. Anyone with knowledge of these parts?
been using the ambrosio hubs for a couple of years on my regular wheels and they are great. Only needed one service on the rear.TonyHetherington said:
Anyone far more knowledgeable than I able to answer the question above about 10spd vs 11spd etc? Would appreciate as I'm tempted on a use set that goes soon 
You should be able to get away with it, does it come with the 11 speed cassete as the only thing else that could be an issue is the chain if you have a 10 spd chain and and 11 spd cassete on the wheel.TonyHetherington said:
Chaps, I've found some used Fulcurm 3s, but it says it's for Campag 11 speed, and I have 10 speed. I thought it only mattered if it was Campag vs Shimano? My question - can I use these or do I have to get specific 10 speed ones?
Campy hubs are 9/10/11 compatible so no worries thereIf its got a Campy freehub and you want to use a Shimano / Sram cassette i think that i am right in saying that you would need to replace the freehub? The fittings on the cassettes, which slide over the freehub are different. However if you speak to your LBS they ought to be able to source you the required parts, as the basic wheels are the same and it really should be just a case of replacing the freehub. if it was being supplied with a Campy 10-speed cassette then you may welll have got away with it.
I just got a set of these: http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/23825/Ho... and http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/23824/Ho...
Very happy with them so far - of course they are Hope hubs so you will either love or hate the noise - if you're on cycle paths people certainly know you are coming!
They're nicely finished, light and seem very sturdy - there are so many potholes around here I wouldn't have been comfortable with anything weaker,
Very happy with them so far - of course they are Hope hubs so you will either love or hate the noise - if you're on cycle paths people certainly know you are coming!
They're nicely finished, light and seem very sturdy - there are so many potholes around here I wouldn't have been comfortable with anything weaker,
http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cP...
If they stay in decent shape after a few miles then they are a bargain.
If they stay in decent shape after a few miles then they are a bargain.
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