# Eurus v.s. Zonda: Ride feel?



## kbwh

Wanting to read impressions. 

Eurus: Aluminium spokes
Zonda: Steel spokes (and a ~80g weight penalty)

Any takers?


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## stlutz

If you did a blind test, I doubt you would find that riders would know the difference. It's really a weight vs. durability trade-off. Being a high-mileage rider, I went with the Zondas.


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## kbwh

Thanks.
Is there evidence of more problems with the aluminium spokes than the steel ones?

I have a set of old Eurus (2003, same rim front and rear, steel spokes, internal nipples), and they seem rather dead/stiff compared to my classic 32 spoke wheelset or my superlight FFWD F2R 240s. Anyway, they're bomb proof and will probably be doing gravel duties in the future.


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## bikerboy337

*Zondas*

Zondas are a great ride.... I use them for my "fast" training set (also have sciroccos) and they're just great wheels... have a few thousand miles on mine, no issues, never trued (i'm 175) and have been a great bang for the buck... i'd like to try the 2-way fit someday...


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## jpdigital

*Interesting you mention this.*

A couple of months ago I was deciding on Eurus vs. Zonda myself. I went for the Zonda and am more than happy that's what I decided on. 

_Based on absolutly no scientific evidence or tests_ (read: the following is just my opinion), I figured the steel spokes may have slightly more forgiving ride than aluminium; and the fat bladed alumnium spokes wouldn't be as aero as the slightly thinner steel spokes.

I weighed the immediatly upon arrival and the weight came in @ 1540 (they were advertised @ 1555, of course YMMV).

They ride nice, but are very stiff. But no other wheels I've ridden ride as _niiiiice_ as the handbuilt 32 3X on Record Hubs I put together.


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## cs1

kbwh said:


> Wanting to read impressions.
> 
> Eurus: Aluminium spokes
> Zonda: Steel spokes (and a ~80g weight penalty)
> 
> Any takers?


80 g = 2.82191 oz. That's about 1.4 ounces per wheel. Can you really tell the difference? I know I couldn't.


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## Salsa_Lover

my C-50 came with a set of Eurus, 

Yes they feel definetly harsher.

I set it up with Fusion 3 tubeless, they do feel much better.

However I am with jpdigital here, if comfort is what you are looking for, a set built on Record hubs 32x3 would be the best option.

I am waiting for the set I bought ( only $270 ) to arrive and I will build them with Open Pros/DT Rev/Comp for the C-50

The Eurus went to the Extreme Power.


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## Fignon's Barber

kbwh, zondas are nice value wheels, if you look at pics from the campag sponsored pro tour teams, you will see them training on zondas.
personally, I've always used eurus because they are good enough for racing and durable enough for every day training. currently have 2 sets: one with vittoria open pave that i use for training, one with vittoria 320 tpi open corsa (tires are light but too flat prone for training). my 60mm carbon sit in their bags. I would not recommend the 2 way. I experimented with tubeless, didn't like them, and the 2 way rim is trickier to avoid pinch flats when installing the tubes.


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## Eric_H

For sure the alloy spokes of the Eurus give a rougher ride. I have the alloy-spoke version of Eurus, plus a pair of Fulcrum R3 which are virtually the same as the Zonda. I have ridden both sets of wheels on the same bike, same roads, same tires, same pressure and there is no doubt that the Eurus transmit more road vibration and since the only significant difference is the spokes (alloy vs. steel), they must be responsible.

In terms of durability, I have one pair of Eurus from 2006 (first year of alloy spoke design) and I have ridden them ~30K km with nary a problem. They have been raced on some very rough roads, bashed across many gravel stretches, survived a few airline adventures....all with zero complaints. The only issue I have had has been some minor creaking where the drive-side spokes enter the hub body. This is only noticeable in high-torque, low cadence scenarios. A small amount of heavy lube like Chain-L or Finishline Cross Country silences them. Otherwise, fabulous wheels.


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