Dreaming of "Nicer" Wheels

[AngryScientist]

zondas are great wheels, but will offer you zero improvement over what you have.

boras are amazing wheels, but even today, you'll be hard pressed to find a good condition set for under a grand. they have a cult following and hold their value reasonably well.

the good news is there are a slew of good carbon clincher wheels out there that are plummeting in value with the rim brake revolution. i have a feeling [unfortunately] with lots of people out of work and bills to pay, we may start seeing even more good stuff appear on the used market.

My current go-fast bike is outfitted with fulcrum quatro carbons, which are most of the peformance of the boras for a little less. since your bike is a shimano rig anyway, i think fulcrum would be more appropriate than campy wheels.

keep your eye out for a pair, and congratulations on sticking with the weight loss program. this corona quarantine has really wrecked my motivation so far and i'm in abysmal cycling shape!

[NHAero]

The hubs seem fine, very smooth, and obviously lightweight. You can find bladed spokes easily that aren't rainbow :-) and they'll cost way less. These wheels weigh less than any not-carbon option proposed in the two threads I started, and less than many of the carbon ones that are deep section. Like you, I'm not fast - I ride solo and was pretty happy last week with an 82 mile ride averaging 15.3 mph on a windy day, with only 3,000 ft of elevation. So I knew I didn't want a deep section rim, especially because it's frequently gusty here. These are light, stiff, and the braking is excellent without any change to the DA 9000 calipers on the bike.

Originally Posted by tuxbailey

Oh I remember those and Easton 90 SL are well reviewed here. Also with AL brake track I don't have to worry about brake pads.

How are the hubs for you? Not sure if i am a fan of rainbow spokes

Wheelset is right at the upper limit of my budget.

[echappist]

Congrats on the weight loss

As for the wheels, probably something like Bontrager XXX 6. Decently light (about the mass of comparable tubulars), and rather aero. If i were to get another wheelset, it’d be the one i pick (to replace my trusty Stinger 6)

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

zondas are great wheels, but will offer you zero improvement over what you have.

boras are amazing wheels, but even today, you'll be hard pressed to find a good condition set for under a grand. they have a cult following and hold their value reasonably well.

the good news is there are a slew of good carbon clincher wheels out there that are plummeting in value with the rim brake revolution. i have a feeling [unfortunately] with lots of people out of work and bills to pay, we may start seeing even more good stuff appear on the used market.

My current go-fast bike is outfitted with fulcrum quatro carbons, which are most of the peformance of the boras for a little less. since your bike is a shimano rig anyway, i think fulcrum would be more appropriate than campy wheels.

keep your eye out for a pair, and congratulations on sticking with the weight loss program. this corona quarantine has really wrecked my motivation so far and i'm in abysmal cycling shape!

You brought up some good points and i agree on the plummeting market because of Disc as well as economy.

[flying]

Originally Posted by tuxbailey

Thanks for the input, very much appreciated.

My question is if these are better than what I have now, RT440+Record hubs?

Hi sorry I did not note the weight of your current wheelset

Of course the record hubset is great but I am guessing 32 spoke?

Throw your wheels without tires on a scale
If your not gaining a couple hundred grams lighter benefit on the Zonda's then I would say not worth swapping to Zondas

Personally I dont think carbon ( if not needing aero) offers any advantage over alloy & especially in rim braking but that is just IMO

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by flying

Hi sorry I did not note the weight of your current wheelset

Of course the record hubset is great but I am guessing 32 spoke?

Throw your wheels without tires on a scale
If your not gaining a couple hundred grams lighter on the Zonda's then I would say no

Personally I dont think carbon ( if not needing aero) offers any advantage over alloy & especially in rim braking

Yes 32x32.

[colker]

NOw that you lost weight and you are in shape... why not try a lower and longer stem? And then you move down the brake levers. That would change the feeling of the bike.

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by colker

NOw that you lost weight and you are in shape... why not try a lower and longer stem? And then you move down the brake levers. That would change the feeling of the bike.

I do plan to do that. I had the fit done when I was at 210+ and I had a lot of flexibility issues. Now that I have lost 30+ lbs I have gained some flexibility as well as being able to keep my head high (less weight behind the neck.)

Currently the bike has a 17 deg stem. When I bought the bike it had a 6 deg stem. I plan to switch to that and see how it feels.

[colker]

Originally Posted by tuxbailey

I do plan to do that. I had the fit done when I was at 210+ and I had a lot of flexibility issues. Now that I have lost 30+ lbs I have gained some flexibility as well as being able to keep my head high (less weight behind the neck.)

Currently the bike has a 17 deg stem. When I bought the bike it had a 6 deg stem. I plan to switch to that and see how it feels.

Try a 110mm -5 degr. w/ a spacer. Level the tip of the brake levers w/ drop of hbar.

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by colker

Try a 110mm -5 degr. w/ a spacer. Level the tip of the brake levers w/ drop of hbar.

-5? That seems quite aggressive. Maybe when I do hit 165 I will try that

[Dino Suegiù]

Originally Posted by tuxbailey

Thanks for the input, very much appreciated.

My question is if these are better than what I have now, RT440+Record hubs?

No, Zondas are not better than your current wheelset, and not worth the expense of an upgrade. You have some excellent wheels already, especially since they were built for you by oldpotatoe.

If you are now looking for production versus handbuilts, Shamals perhaps, Boras definitely, would be true upgrade level, in Campagnolo. Fulcrum Racing Quattro, Speed 40C, or Racing Zeros in Shimano. CULT hub bearings are worth it imo.

[Dave]

It makes little sense to worry about aero wheels if the rider's position is not very aerodynamic. Short high rise stem probably equates to an upright position.

I'm 66, but I still use a 10cm saddle to bar drop. The zondas work great for me. I used to have fulcrum zeros, which are nice and similar to the shamal. I was over 10 years younger then.

[ducati2]

For that bike I would use Dura Ace 9000 C24. Can be bought for a song used. Light weight, cool looking, excellent hubs. Definitely my favs.

[tuxbailey]

Perhaps my initial post is a little confusing, but I am not really worry about the aero aspect of the upgrade since I will not be fast enough to make that a factor. A little deeper would be nice functionally as well as aesthetically.

But a new set of wheels that are lighter, make climbing easier, or roll a bit faster from a stop would be nice. That is if every other variables remain the same.

Also, this is a self reward if I can lose another 15 lbs. So weight is a factor if I am upgrading.

[eddief]

the weight of a bike and a half. you must be flying now. that's how i feel after losing just 10 lbs. a few hundred grams will be nothing compared to what you have lost. why not just enjoy the eternal lightness of being and leave a little weight in your wallet for something more obviously delightful.