Wheels - Faves & Disses

[William]

Over the course of your riding career, what wheels have you owned that have been your favorites, and what wheels have you been dog disappointed with?

Mavic: O4CD's, OP'S, Cosmics, Carbones, etc...?
Campy: Shamals, Borons, Omega V's, etc...?
Bonterager: Race, Race Lites, Race X Lites, etc...?
Shimano, etc...?
Nimbles, etc...?
Zipps, etc...?


William

[g3neration]

Favs: Mine
Disses: Everyone else's :D

[shinomaster]

I only figured out recently that fancy wheels are important after getting a nice set of open pro's with record hubs. Being the fool that I am I got Neutrons and Zondas too. They are actually all nice wheels. I have nothing useful to say.

wow!! it's sunny out in Portland!!! Time to ride!!

[saab2000]

I got a set of Campagnolo Nucleon tubulars which I really am starting to like. They are comfy and solid. I only have a few hundred miles on them, but they seem good. If I could get a set of Neutrons for a reasonable price I would be very interested.

What I have been disappointed in were my Campy hubs with Open Pros. I am happy others like theirs, but over a couple of seasons mine started to cause problems. Spokes would loosen up and then break and they required frequent truing. I have rebuilt one of my two sets of O/Ps with Velocitys and so far they have been pretty good.

Never had any others.

I had Mavic rims forever and they are pretty good, but the modern wheels have requirements which are not being met (IMHO) by Mavic today. They want people to buy their Ksyria and Carbones. Their bread is not being buttered by the Open Pro market, so they don't develop it.

[Kane]

My favorite wheels were Fiamme Red labels with large flange nuevo record hubs. They were tubular wheels with 36 double butted spokes. They made the bike sing!
I'd like to try a pair of DT Swiss Hugi road wheels, but currently I'm riding some open pro's. I tend to think that the tire makes a lot more difference than the hub or rim. My bias is that more air makes a nicer ride! I'll gladly give up a 20-40 gram weight difference on the tire to move from a 23mm tire to a 25 or 28 mm tire. You would notice the difference in a sprint perhaps, but I never sprint.

Cheers,

Kane

[OldDog]

Campy Record or chorus hubs laced up to Velocity OC's. Smooth and strong.

[Jeff N.]

I've never has anything but good luck with Ksyriums. My new DA-7800 hubs laced to CXP-33's are very, very nice as well, as is also the new Dura Ace-7800 wheelset that resides on my Moots Vamoots. I've heard a lot of hard-luck stories from people who ride Velomax, so never had those on my list. Just the same, I've spoken to others who love them. Jeff N.

[LegendRider]

Favorite everyday wheel - Joe Young hand built clinchers spec'd as follows:

DT RR1.1 rims
DT Supercomp spoke
Alloy nipples
Dura Ace 32 hole hubs
Michelin Pro2 Race tires

They're bombproof and comfortable. The new Michelins ride better than any clincher I've ever owned. Plus, they corner really well - it's a fantastic tire.

[marle]

Current favorite: Mavic Ksyrium SL with Vittoria Open Pave CG 700x24

[Ken Robb]

I have Ksyrium SL SC--the one's with the scalloped rims--they are lovely and roll very well but I am thinking of replacing them with something less aero. We get a lot of cross-winds along the ocean and I don't go fast enough to really need the aero speed advantage. Any thoughts/experience with this plan?

[ergott]

Liked:
Current Chorus/Reflex wheels (best ride ever) Revos 3X all around
Older Spinergy Rev-Xs
a couple of different ustom built Zipps
Rolf Vector Pros (got rid of them before any problems)
AC/Fir 120 wheelset

Didn't like:
Older 303 set that broke a spoke in the first season.

[Rich_W]

American Classics have been treating me well... fast and no worries yet.

CR420 Clinchers
38 Carbon Tubs

[Ozz]

Liked:
Current Chorus/Reflex wheels (best ride ever) Revos 3X all around

I have a set of these that have been waiting to have some Dugasts mounted for about 4 months now....I better get around to it...if I want the "best ride ever"! :) Does anyone know what the max pressure is for these? Nothing on sidewall except "Dugast". :confused:

Like:
Open 4CD, Ultegra, straight wheelsmith spokes - strong and bullet proof for 10+ years (have recently been sold with old bike....)

Campy Eurus - fast (when going fast enough for aero to make a difference, for me, this is mostly downhill runs), stiff ride, but no problems ever. Good, lightweight pre-built.

DT RR 1.1 32H, DT 240s hubs, DT Competition spokes - new since February, luv them!!! Much smoother ride than Eurus, comparable weight (as far as I can tell without scale), smooth spinning hubs (quiet too!).

All wheels run on Conti GP 3000 tires

[resolved]

a good point here, the open pro could be tweaked to what is perhaps the higher design status of todays top rim features.

just think of building up some new ones with the mavic open 5, assymetrical spoking rear ala ritchey and campy, thicker material at spoke areas, perhaps self aligning nipple interface ala campy neuts, or built in nipples which omit need for rim tape ala ksysriums, weight reducing material removal in non stress areas? how about aero surface sections ala cosmic carbones that could be removed for climbing or windy condtions? you could hve the same rim with removable sections for box, semi, or deep v aero on the same wheelset! and what about new tubeless tech?
michelin has moved in this area without much fanfare in the U.S. at least.








I
I had Mavic rims forever and they are pretty good, but the modern wheels have requirements which are not being met (IMHO) by Mavic today. They want people to buy their Ksyria and Carbones. Their bread is not being buttered by the Open Pro market, so they don't develop it.

[saab2000]

My Nucleon tubulars are fast becoming my faves. This was predicted by the jerk.

[chrisroph]

Love my nucleon tubulars with nos vittoria cx/cg;
Love the 28 records with nos ssc paris roubaix's and clement tt (cheap but pretty good training tubulars. They were fun to build and are very nice for the money. I'm sure they will be superb with some top flight tires.);
Nucleon clinchers with front vittoria open cx front and conti grand prix rear (best set of clinchers);
Love the 303's with conti comp 23's for special occasions (these babies are really fast at 35mph + but I'd hate to have to rebuild one given the cost of the rims. Contrary to some, I find they corner well having done well in some crits on them);
A little dissapointed in the ksyrium sl clinchers. They are ok but not really special in any particular way.
Campy 32's with open pros are a little disappointing in that the rims tend to make funky noises over time.
Love the shamal front and zipp disc rear that I use for special track events.

[Ahneida Ride]

For Big Galooth's and normal chiped and potholed roads, it's hard to beat the
Mavic CXP-33's.

One probably would not want the CXP-33's as a Racing rim though.

[CarlosContreros]

Aren't the Campy Hyperons like $3200. for the set?????
I think that's the price at Colorado Cyclist..and they also
list some Zipp wheels at $1500. for the set!!!!

Mannnn!!!....I don't see those wheels in my near future!

I ride Mavic "Open 4 CD's"..(no chuckling!..OK!!..)
they have 36 spokes front and rear...and they support
my 195lbs. very well.
I think the bike-shop tech mumbled something about them
and roaches would be the only survivors of a nuclear war!
Hmmm.....sounds a little sarcastic to me!! :D

And if I may ask a question???????????
Do the wheels really affect "ride quality" much??

Seems to me every bike rides the same(harsh) when they are atop
my Mavics!!

[William]

I ride Mavic "Open 4 CD's"..(no chuckling!..OK!!..)
they have 36 spokes front and rear...and they support
my 195lbs. very well.
I think the bike-shop tech mumbled something about them
and roaches would be the only survivors of a nuclear war!

Hey, I'm not laughing. I still have a set of 36H 04CD's from the mid 90's laced to DA hubs. Bomb proof is correct! Also, 36H Campy Omega V's on DA hubs built by Dave Thomas....still living. Both sets where built by good wheel builders and have endured my arse....many other wheel sets have long since been crushed and discarded. :bike:

William

[Bradford]

Hey, I'm not laughing. I still have a set of 36H 04CD's from the mid 90's laced to DA hubs. Bomb proof is correct! Also, 36H Campy Omega V's on DA hubs built by Dave Thomas....still living. Both sets where built by good wheel builders and have endured my arse....many other wheel sets have long since been crushed and discarded. :bike:

Big wheels for big boys.

William

One on my wheelsets, which I really like, is 36 spoke CXP 33 and DA hubs. They take a lickin' and keep on ticken' :banana:

[gt6267a]

i have open 4 cd's with record hubs on my crl and love them. without question, when riding with almost anyone else, they have to pedal when i am coasting to keep up.

the only bling wheel that i've ridden are the rolf series and i'll never ride them again. they made a steel bike (zurich at the time) feel like my old cannondale. i put open pros on and it rode real nice. so, yes, wheels do make a difference.

[Needs Help]

I only figured out recently that fancy wheels are important after getting a nice set of open pro's with record hubs. Being the fool that I am I got Neutrons and Zondas too. They are actually all nice wheels.Love my nucleon tubulars with nos vittoria cx/cg;How would you characterize the ride of the neutrons? Stiff? Comfortable? Would you use them for a century?

I got a set of Campagnolo Nucleon tubulars which I really am starting to like. They are comfy and solid.Where were you able to find Nucleons?

Thanks.

[CJV]

Ambrosios from World Cycling, with Hugi hubs, built up by LBS. Rock solid in spite of these season's potholes.

[saab2000]

I got my Nukes from the Classified board here. Also, check on Ebay or the classifieds at Roadbikereview. They do not cost less generally than Neutrons. I got really lucky.

[chrisroph]

Rode the nucs 75 today. They are smooth enough, comfortable enough, stiff enough and strong enough. They would be great for a century. I think they feel a lot like a good set of cross 2 or 3 28 or 32 spoke handbuilts but they are lighter, more aero and stronger.

[scrooge]

I have Mavic Ksyrium Equipe's--not the fanciest thing in the world, but I was just thinking today about how much I appreciate them (of course I don't know any better--these are the nicest wheels I've ever owned). After 2-3 thousand miles and many potholes and hard hits, they're still spinning nice and round (haven't even had to true them!). I also haven't managed to break a spoke on these yet, which I've struggled with before. So they all 230 pounds of me happy!