# Vuelta Corsa, yea or nay, which model lite/super lite/slr?



## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

Hi, I just started biking this year, mostly doing mountain biking, but just bought a road bike.
(I am 6'1 170 pedaling flats on a 56cm 2013 Tarmac mid-compact, complete with DT Axis 1.0 wheel set at 1950g)

I've been reading about possible wheel sets to ask Santa for. Seems like the vuelta corsa line is a good fit for something lighter that isn't crazy expensive. 
Are there any pitfalls with these wheels a newb like me needs to know?
What model is a good fit for me?
is there a comparable brand I should be looking at?

thanks


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

SpeedNeeder said:


> Hi, I just started biking this year, mostly doing mountain biking, but just bought a road bike.
> (I am 6'1 170 pedaling flats on a 56cm 2013 Tarmac mid-compact, complete with DT Axis 1.0 wheel set at 1950g)
> 
> I've been reading about possible wheel sets to ask Santa for. Seems like the vuelta corsa line is a good fit for something lighter that isn't crazy expensive.
> ...


nope. i have two pair (corsa lites) with over 3k on them. never a problem. well, the stickers are ugly (and i peeled them off, but otherwise...)


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## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

Thanks for your reply dnice. 
How did you choose lite vs super lite?


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## Rusted Angel (Sep 19, 2010)

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/wheels-tires/vuelta-corsa-lite-road-wheelset-197981.html

I just got a pair of lites myself but i only have put about 60 miles on them.


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## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

Early impressions?


Thanks for the thread reference.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

I have no firsthand experience with the Vuelta's, but they seem to have a good rep. 

Might want to check BWW out as well. Here are some recommendations for riders under 190 lbs.
Road Under 190lbs

Congrats on the bike, BTW. Nice choice.


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## Social Climber (Jan 16, 2013)

SpeedNeeder said:


> (I am 6'1 170 pedaling flats on a 56cm 2013 Tarmac mid-compact, complete with DT Axis 1.0 wheel set at 1950g)


If you are pedaling flats you should be looking at clipless pedals and shoes before wheels. Much bigger performance improvement.

Also you might want to try posting in the wheels and tires forum for more recommendations.


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## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

PJ352 said:


> I have no firsthand experience with the Vuelta's, but they seem to have a good rep.
> 
> Might want to check BWW out as well. Here are some recommendations for riders under 190 lbs.
> Road Under 190lbs
> ...



Thank you PJ352. The BWW specs look pretty good, though I couldn't really find any photos of their wheels on that site? 
I think I made a good choice on the bike, not the lightest for the price, but the fit and feel was better than any other bike I road (about a dozen different bikes). The Sora stuff has worked flawlessly until my last ride, I guess the new cables are breaking in and I will have to figure out how to adjust them soon


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## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

Social Climber said:


> If you are pedaling flats you should be looking at clipless pedals and shoes before wheels. Much bigger performance improvement.
> 
> Also you might want to try posting in the wheels and tires forum for more recommendations.


Thanks for your input Social Climber. I have read several threads in the wheels sections, but thought I should post my newb questions here, so as not to offend anyone with my incompetence!

As far as the pedals go - I know I'm being square when I stay with the 'test ride pedals', BUT that's what I ride on my MTB, and I'm just not comfortable with the idea of attaching my feet to the pedals YET. I suppose one day I will try the awesome but DANGEROUS clipless pedals, but I don't think I'm ready yet. (humor intended on that last part)
My original intent was to have something to ride when the trails are wet (I didn't like my trail bike on the pavement so much). However, just the ease of taking off out of my garage and going is quickly addicting to me as it cuts out all the load/transport/unload time. This is great for weekday riding! I still love the trails, though this will probably be mostly a weekend activity for me at this point. So should I ride clipless on a road bike and then flats on a mountain bike? I don't know about mixing the two, and I'm no where NEAR comfortable with the idea of attaching my feet to the pedals while I dodge trees and work hard to just to stay on the trail (single track stuff by my home).


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## jmpsmash (Jun 22, 2009)

SpeedNeeder said:


> Hi, I just started biking this year, mostly doing mountain biking, but just bought a road bike.
> (I am 6'1 170 pedaling flats on a 56cm 2013 Tarmac mid-compact, complete with DT Axis 1.0 wheel set at 1950g)
> 
> I've been reading about possible wheel sets to ask Santa for. Seems like the vuelta corsa line is a good fit for something lighter that isn't crazy expensive.
> ...


I got a pair of corsa lite that have around 1k miles on them. Still perfectly true. Decently light. Yes I also peeled off the stickers. Great deal. u can find them for $200+ if u r patient.


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## Social Climber (Jan 16, 2013)

SpeedNeeder said:


> Thanks for your input Social Climber. I have read several threads in the wheels sections, but thought I should post my newb questions here, so as not to offend anyone with my incompetence!
> 
> As far as the pedals go - I know I'm being square when I stay with the 'test ride pedals', BUT that's what I ride on my MTB, and I'm just not comfortable with the idea of attaching my feet to the pedals YET. I suppose one day I will try the awesome but DANGEROUS clipless pedals, but I don't think I'm ready yet. (humor intended on that last part)
> My original intent was to have something to ride when the trails are wet (I didn't like my trail bike on the pavement so much). However, just the ease of taking off out of my garage and going is quickly addicting to me as it cuts out all the load/transport/unload time. This is great for weekday riding! I still love the trails, though this will probably be mostly a weekend activity for me at this point. So should I ride clipless on a road bike and then flats on a mountain bike? I don't know about mixing the two, and I'm no where NEAR comfortable with the idea of attaching my feet to the pedals while I dodge trees and work hard to just to stay on the trail (single track stuff by my home).


I don't see the issue with clipless on the road bike and flats on the mountain bike, although I understand your wanting to stay in your comfort zone. All I can say is that for road biking I highly recommend clipless. They will make a much bigger difference (improvement) in your riding than new wheels. They do take some time to get used to, and you may fall once or twice, but they are well worth the effort. 

By the way there are pedals available that are clipless on one side and flat on the other, so you can go clipless when you want and also just wear sneakers or whatever at other times.


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## uberculture (Feb 26, 2013)

I went clipless nearly a month ago, and am totally digging it. One or two hairy moments, but haven't fallen yet. Oh, and I got the 'clip in on one side, flats on the other' pedal so I can just run a quick errand in sneakers if I want. I don't think I'm any faster, but possibly more efficient (better distance, stamina, etc).


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Don't believe the alarmists who claim that clipless pedals are DANGEROUS (humor also intended). They're not. Platform pedals can be just as dangerous. Have your foot slip off a platform pedal while standing and hammering a climb, and you're likely going in to the body shop for stitches. They can also slip off when pedaling a high cadence in wet conditions---this is especially true of the nylon or plastic "test ride" pedals.

Clipless pedals are like ski bindings--they're designed to release in a crash. Sometimes they won't, but most often, they do. If you forget to release at a stop, you'll fall over at the whopping speed of 0 mph. 99% of the time, the only thing that will get hurt is your pride.


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## jmpsmash (Jun 22, 2009)

jmpsmash said:


> I got a pair of corsa lite that have around 1k miles on them. Still perfectly true. Decently light. Yes I also peeled off the stickers. Great deal. u can find them for $200+ if u r patient.


turns out you don't need to be that patient. they are on sale at $199.99 right now at the usual site.


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## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

uberculture said:


> ...I don't think I'm any faster...


What's the point if they don't make you fastar!!!! (note my forum name)


mpre53, maybe my LBS has a test pair of pedals.... though I would still need some fancy shoes!

If they make me faster, I'm interested - I will have to do some more research on the topic.


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## taralon (Sep 1, 2011)

I'm 170lbs and ride a pair of Corsa Lites that are now just over a year old. I've put around 3500 miles on them so far this riding season, rode them on the trainer over last winter (for untracked mileage) and all of last summer season as well. (about 6000 last season). I got them off off nashbar for $250 shipped, and had them tensioned/trued when they arrived at which point the shop said they were perfect. I took them in February to have them checked for true/tension, and the shop couldn't find a thing wrong with them still. They seem much stiffer than the stock wheels that came on my bike (cxp33s) with much less flex in the rear wheel. The flat spokes aren't as nice as round in a crosswind. I think for the money you'd be very hard pressed to find another pair of wheels nearly as good, which was why I bought them in the first place. I really like the way they've held up, and I've had only one problem, namely I can't use the short valve stem tubes in them, which isn't much of a problem at all.


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## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

jmpsmash said:


> turns out you don't need to be that patient. they are on sale at $199.99 right now at the usual site.


Darn them! I promised my wife I wouldn't spend any more money on bikes this month 

Would love to have the SLR's just to say my wheels are under 1.5kg!


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

sorry, speed, i have no reference on the slr's. never even gave them consideration.


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## AndrwSwitch (May 28, 2009)

OP, I just skimmed your thread. Wheels won't "faster" you much, and only if you're already carrying a lot of speed, unless there's something actively wrong with what you've got.

Test ride pedals are a pretty awful way to ride a mountain bike. While I prefer clipless, there's also a world of difference between test ride pedals and flats that people buy on purpose for MTB or BMX. So you might consider some pinned platform pedals for your MTB, and maybe some shin guards. Or two sets of matched clipless MTB pedals and some XC shoes, then you can "faster" both bikes at once.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

SpeedNeeder said:


> What's the point if they don't make you fastar!!!! (note my forum name)
> 
> 
> mpre53, maybe my LBS has a test pair of pedals.... though I would still need some fancy shoes!
> ...


Don't expect miracles. They won't make you faster overnight, but they will help you develop a more efficient pedal stroke. I know that I can't turn a high cadence in platform pedals and keep my feet in place. Maybe some people can. I'm not one of them.

You also don't need to spend big bucks on shoes. You can get a decent pair of road shoes for under $100. Make sure they fit. Sizes vary among brands, and it pays to buy your first pair from your LBS and get a good fit.


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## SpeedNeeder (Aug 19, 2013)

AndrwSwitch said:


> ...you might consider some pinned platform pedals for your MTB, and maybe some shin guards. Or two sets of matched clipless MTB pedals and some XC shoes, then you can "faster" both bikes at once.


Sorry I didn't explain well - I have alloy platforms on my MTB. 
Thanks for your input - good advice on potentially matching pedals on both bikes.


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