weight weenies -- ***?

[gt6267a]

i bought a set of wheels off e-bay a few months back. bored this sunday afternoon, i put the front wheel on my kitchen scale.

open 4 CD rims laced to record hubs circa 1995, 26.5 ounces = 751 grams

i then go over to the excel sports web page and spec out a front wheel to compare:

record front hub 181
open pro 425
14/15 230
nipples 30
Total 866 grams

10 years of technology and the wheels are 100 grams heavier? if they are including the skewer in the 181, one of mine is about 3 ounces or 84 grams, so it is still less...

so what gives? is this expected?

note: concerned the scale might not be accurage, I weighed a few objects of known weight; a can of soup, some meat, and a few other food products. the scale is pretty close... the can of soup was a little high but after considering the can ...

[zap]

Front hub weight does incl. skewer. Weight for spokes is a tad high and depends on # of spokes as well. Nipples at 30 grams is for brass as well. But.. 425 grams for rims is probably on the low side. As extrusions wear out, rims get thicker and heavier.

I still use wheels that are 10+ years old that I built which weigh less than what is currently offered today. AM excepted.

Technology has moved to carbon fiber. I have a durable carbon wheelset that weighs less than 1160 grams.

[saab2000]

...which is both durable and weighs just 1160 grams? That is a legit question. I would not mind, someday, getting a kicka$$ set of light wheels but I am somewhat concerned about durability. I am interested in Hyperons and Reynolds and Zipps, etc.

BTW, I don't need 'em. Just want 'em... :cool:

[zap]

Zipp 280 rims, American Classic hubs & alloy nips. 20 spoke front, 28 rear with wheelsmith spokes (their revo. versions) on the front and non drive side rear. DT 14/15 DB drive side. I'm going to switch the fronts to CXRays soon. In a hard sprint, the fronts are a tad soft with those thin spokes. My fault, should have known better when I had them built.

[saab2000]

... or know anything about the new low-profile wheels from Reynolds or Zipp or Bontrager or Campagnolo (the original LP carbon wheel I think). I am not really interested in aero wheels as I hate having to fight the wheels in gusty winds. Also, I once rode a set of Shamals and thought they felt really heavy in spite of actually not being all that heavy. Having all that mass out there rotating creates a very strong giro effect.

Anyway, the new Reynolds rims sort of seem cool. I have also heard good things here on this forum from a member who shall remain nameless regarding the Bontrager XXX-Lites or whatever they are called.

[zap]

I'd give Reynolds a try. Just might be some of the best carbon rims out there today. I don't like their current hub selection but I hear they will be selling rims only later this year. Also look at Nimble's carbon rim.

Personally, I would love to build a wheelset using Reynolds low profile rims with Tune hubs. Should be able to go under 1100 grams.

The Zipp 280 rim has a 38mm profile so it's not to bad in cross winds. I think the Nimble is 28 mm while Reynolds low profile rim is 24mm.

Shamal rims were heavy. I think the rim weighed over 550 grams.

Light weight wheels feel and handle differently than standard wheelsets. They accelerate like nothing else but they deaccelerate a little quicker as well. Handling seems to be quicker as well. All due to the low rim mass. The new low profile rims will be that little bit lighter as well.

Great fun. Hey, as someone told me some time ago, you can't take the money with you when you pass on, so you might as well enjoy it now.

[saab2000]

... the Hyperons must be a good choice as well. In general Campy wheels have a good reputation.

Ironically, I want some, but the place they would do the most good, the mountains where I lived in Switzerland is also the place where they are probably the least useful because you need to brake all the time and I have heard that the carbon braking is not that great.

Well, right now I cannot really justify any new toys. Looking for a new job right now.

Thanks for the info!

[jeffg]

Originally posted by saab2000
... the Hyperons must be a good choice as well. In general Campy wheels have a good reputation.


Thanks for the info!

Saab --

I remebered a discussion of Hyperons on the old forum. There were probably a few, but this stuck out in my mind.

http://www.hydromedia.com/serotta/read.php?f=1&i=7432&t=7432#reply_7432

Hope the job search goes well.


best,

Jeff

[saab2000]

....link and the encouragement!! :D

[Too Tall]

Sabbster, let me jump in on the carbon - braking issue. I have both alum. and carbon rims of all sorts and recently have tested the coolstop and the new zipp pads on Zipp 303s and Nimble Fly and Nimble Crosswind rims. The short story is that the GREEN cool stop pads stop like the business on both. Zipp has a ceramic coating that gives nearly as good braking as aluminum. Nimble are a plain gel coat and braking with the GREEN pads is very good. I would not think twice for crits. etc.

Where you live it takes a different mindset to ride safely in the Mtn.s The TransAlps racers opted for light non-carbon wheels due to the need for no-brainer descending in all conditions.

So, if you are alert and plan on a day of hammering the Alps and you are not sleep deprived eg. using all the neurons the lord gave you I'd say sure go ahead and ride those wheels in the Alps why not...but use the less efficient ZIPP pads as they will absorb more heat than the GREEN pads. Braking is not quite as good but I think it a safer avenue and all together good enough.

[saab2000]

...Switzerland as soon as possible. There are many roads where good brakes are not an option.

When I lived in France (yes, I have had an interesting life and experience....) I was descending the Mont Faron with Modolo Speedy brakes (this was 1988) and thinking that never again would I have crappy brakes - they were miserable.

Then I got Campy Deltas and I think that they are not too bad, but if they are not dialed in right the squeeling they make can wake the dead.

Now that I have gone with Record dual pivots I'll never go back. But I am a bit cautious and leary about using anything other than aluminum in the mountains. I am even leary of tubulars, for fear of the glue softening up.

I am just a careful rider I guess.

[Too Tall]

Good answer :)

Tell me when you get back to Switzerland so I resume harassing you.