# Gipiemme T3 wheels



## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

Recently bought a Cdale r500 for road training (usu ride mostly MTB XC club races). Only have a few hundred miles on the bike so far. Love the CAAD5 frame - feel right at home on the 58cm. Cdale brakes could be better (will try Koolstop pads). Read a few scary comments from some UK riders about the Gipiemme T3 wheelset (won't stay true, busted spokes, etc). I know those T3's are heavy (2100g), but are they that unreliable? Don't want to buy trouble, but should I start saving now for a new wheelset?
(I'm 6 ft & 170#).


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## SCW (Mar 19, 2005)

I have about 4K miles on mine, but I've hated them for every foot of it. Hit a pot-hole, plan on tuning. Don't hit a pot-hole, plan on tuning slightly less often. The first 500 miles required 4 tuneups, spokes were so far out of whack the derailer would tick on them, usually just one spoke at a time but still drove me nuts. To be fair mine finally settled down after about 2K miles and several tune-ups, never had to replace a spoke yet. I'm 180# and commute on them.

They are also heavy, I now have a pair of Xero Lites but not enough miles to give an honest opinion yet. They are definately lighter though!


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

SCW said:


> I have about 4K miles on mine, but I've hated them for every foot of it. Hit a pot-hole, plan on tuning. Don't hit a pot-hole, plan on tuning slightly less often. The first 500 miles required 4 tuneups, spokes were so far out of whack the derailer would tick on them, usually just one spoke at a time but still drove me nuts. To be fair mine finally settled down after about 2K miles and several tune-ups, never had to replace a spoke yet. I'm 180# and commute on them.
> 
> They are also heavy, I now have a pair of Xero Lites but not enough miles to give an honest opinion yet. They are definately lighter though!



Thanks for the feedback!
In my early experience I'm pleased with these T3 wheels for what they are (i.e. I accept the extra weight). No problems so far with staying true on my less than perfect Midwestern roads. I have a couple club/charity rides this weekend- we'll see how they hold up with higher mileage.


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

Did 75 miles today- inc. a 45 mi charity ride (15-18 mph ave) over some pretty rough rural pavement. The T3's came through fine- no flats or spoke probs & they are still true. I'll post again if they develop any problems as the miles add up.


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## gtavalanche (Jul 28, 2005)

I have a 2004 r600, with the Gipiemme T3 wheels. I pulled them apart: the rim weighs ~465 grams, not too bad for being 28mm deep. A lot of the weight is in the hubs, out of the way as far as rotating mass is concerned. When I got the bike, the spokes were so loose, they flexed into the rear derailieur.

What I don't like about the wheels, is that they can not be made round! At any tension, the length of the rim at each group of spokes is lower than that away from the spokes. Lateral truing of them is very difficult also.

I'm looking at a new set of wheels - a hand built, old-style set, that will be both light (enough), durable, and maintainable.


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