# wheel upgrade



## cornercarver78 (Jan 21, 2007)

I recently bought my first road bike, a left-over 2006 pinarello galileo. I like the bike a lot, but because of the price being a factor i sacrificed a little on components and bought it though it has 105 components and some cheesey "most" in house brand parts like crank, seat post, bars ect. I was planning on upgradeing these parts but as far as i can tell there isn't much of a real reason to do this from a performance standpoint. Which brings me to my question.
The bike came with base level Shimano wheels which are supposedly heavy. Would there be any point in getting better wheels (could i realy tell a difference) and if so, how much would i need to spend to see a real improvement? BTW, i'm about 145lbs, and am no athlete, but i hope to try my hand at a couple of races this season.

Thanks in advance


----------



## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

If you got wheels that are a pound lighter (which is a huge difference) then you'd be about 1/165 faster up hills. You can check the model on analyticcycling.com and use your favorite hill to compare on. Lighter wheels won't help on level ground but more areo wheels might help a little.


----------



## Dr_Doom (Oct 25, 2006)

Wheels can make a huge difference in feel. On my first I had Mavic Cosmics and I never gave wheels much thought because in their day, these were the wheels to have. I then bought a Fuji that came with some Alex wheels and I absolutely hated the ride until I bought some Reynolds Alta Race. I ended up buying Ultegra 10 cranks thinking it make the power delivery feel better and I got nothing 'til I bought a new wheelset. I'm also a light rider at 150lb and I never thought flex would be an issue.
http://www.blueskycycling.com/product2627_54_-Reynolds-Alta-Race-Road-Wheelset.htm
I think your bike might be campy, so here is an awesome deal on a campy compatible wheelset. http://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='5050-80'


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*What rims are they?*



cornercarver78 said:


> The bike came with base level Shimano wheels which are supposedly heavy.


They may not be that heavy. Unless they're particularly heavy, an upgrade is unlikely to make any difference you'd notice. You're new to road riding; I'd suggest you give it some time before you spend more money.

Post the rim model and the size and model of your tires, and people will be able to give you more specific advice.

How much does the whole bike weigh?


----------



## Dr_Doom (Oct 25, 2006)

Forget about the Campy thing I stated, I got lost in thought when I was writing.


----------



## cornercarver78 (Jan 21, 2007)

Thanks for the help guys. I have yet to weigh the bike, but from what i have found out from other owners the bike weighs a little under 20lbs (i've got a 54). The wheels are shimano WH550's (622 by 15c?) tires are m.o.st ewiva A.F (700 by 23c?) Lighter would probably be better because I climb alot of hills where I live and ride. I don't want to spend ALOT more, but i realy don't mind layin out a few more bucks if it would improve the bike. After all the money i've already spent on the bike and gear whats a little more right?


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*Personally, I wouldn't bother*

You'd spend hundreds of dollars to get wheels that are a few grams lighter. You have fairly light wheels there. Just ride 'em, is my advice, FWIW. You wouldn't notice the difference, most likely.


----------



## OneGear (Aug 19, 2005)

cornercarver78 said:


> Thanks for the help guys. I have yet to weigh the bike, but from what i have found out from other owners the bike weighs a little under 20lbs (i've got a 54). The wheels are shimano WH550's (622 by 15c?) tires are m.o.st ewiva A.F (700 by 23c?) Lighter would probably be better because I climb alot of hills where I live and ride. I don't want to spend ALOT more, but i realy don't mind layin out a few more bucks if it would improve the bike. After all the money i've already spent on the bike and gear whats a little more right?


Haha, thats where it all goes wrong.

you know what? you didn't get stuck with a **** rim, so unless its a major turn off, stick with em, and ride them into the ground, when they're done, keep em as training wheels. if you're really pining for a new wheelset you could always keep an eye on craigslist and maybe pick up a nice set of wheels used.


----------



## fbagatelleblack (Mar 31, 2005)

Instead of spending your time working overtime to get the money to buy new wheels, spend it training. That'll make you much, much faster. New wheels will only make you minimally faster, at best.

- FBB


----------



## cornercarver78 (Jan 21, 2007)

Thanks for the help! If i'm probably not going to be able to notice the difference, then i don't see the point. The next thing i should probably get would be a computer and heart rate moniter... but wheels have a way higher "cool factor". Well thats a subject for another day. Thanks again,

Ian


----------



## rgojr2001 (Dec 8, 2006)

I have 2 sets of wheels, 1 carbon, one aluminum. In all reality, the only places I get gains from the carbons are on hills and in acceleration. Granted, it does add up in a hilly race or in a sprint for the finish (initial jump). If you want to get light on a budget though, you can get custom built wheels for a much better price if you are willing to forgo the big name manufactures. Example: Girlfriend's wheels were $400 for 1440 gram set. How much for a set of the Kysirium ES?


----------

