Wheel recommendations?

[cammy33]

Hi, I bought myself a Giant Defy 3 last year to give cycling a go. Now I am often doing 200 miles a week and I've used the bike all through winter. Thing is I still like the bike but it's still on the Giant wheels which have broken a few spokes over the last year. So how much do I need to spend on a set of wheels? Would like it to be a worth while improvement without spending a fortune. Thanks for any advice.

[R1gtr]

A set of Campagnolo Zonda can be had for about £300 if you shop around, put some decent 25mm tyres on them and you will see a lovely improvement, they are very strong as well. If more money to spend them Hunt wheels look good.

[cammy33]

Thanks, already running Conti GP 4000s which were a great improvement to the Hutchinson's I was using.

[Fastpedeller]

Depends if you want the bragging rights or good wheels? Some new handbuilt wheels with 36 hole hubs and rims with stainless spokes should last well and be less than £250

[Usget]

If you're covering a lot of miles you could do worse than Fulcrum Quattros (or the Zondas previously recommended - I haven't tried them personally but I know people who swear by them). I've covered thousands of miles on mine, I'm a chubber and not particularly careful with them, and they refuse to go out of true or snap spokes.

[Zigster]

I've got Campag Ventos which have been massively reliable over the last 8 years - still going strong now, never needed truing, and I have weighed up to 85kg and freguently carry a pannier as well (so plenty of weight on them). The Ventos are a cheaper version of the Zondas - the spoke pattern looks like it could be weak but doesn't seem to be.

Some of the guys I ride with have Hunt wheels. They look very nice and my friends rave about them. They aren't much more than Zondas at about £330.

[julianm]

Try Big Al for a set to last you years : https://en-gb.facebook.com/Wheelcraft.net/
or maybe Spa Cycles : http://www.spacycles.co.uk/m2b0s178p376/SPA-CYCLES... for example.