# Looking for an upgrade



## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

I'm looking to upgrade my wheels to a carbon aero wheel but I'm feeling confused by the many choices as well as my desire to keep costs as low as I can. Currently I ride a Trek 1.5 and my wheels are some open pro rims with 36 spoke Ultegra hubs. I got these wheels to be bomb proof when I was 230lbs. I'm now 185lbs and would like to get a more performance oriented wheel. It's pretty flat around here so I'm looking for a good all around wheel. 

As far as costs go, I'd love to spend less than $1000 for the set, but am willing to spend a bit more if it makes sense. I'm hoping to upgrade my bike in a couple of years, so if the wheels are in good shape and I like them at that point, I'd love to just use them on the next bike. 

Here's some of the wheels I was looking at:

RaceRim 46mm clincher - seems to be a Reynolds rim with a white industries oem hub. You can also get them with a WI hub for $250 more. RaceRim- Reynolds Wheels, Alchemy hubs, White Industires , CA $900

PlanetX CT45 - Planet X CT45 Carbon Clincher Wheelset / 700c / Black / 45mm Clincher / Shimano or Sram $700

Easton EC70SL - $850

Are any of these any good? What are some other good options to consider? 

I'm a total noob at this stuff for the most part. Like I said, I'd like to keep my costs down, but I also don't want to throw good money after bad by buying some crappy wheels. 

thanks


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## BlueWheels (Oct 17, 2008)

There are a number of decent wheelsets available in your price range, but I think you should consider possibly getting either a set of the Zipp 101s or the Dura-Ace C24 wheels instead of getting a set of cheaper carbon wheels. From my experience, I think that getting a set of high quality aluminum wheels will make you much happier than will lower quality carbon. If you are set on getting something deeper, my thought woudl be that you should spend time looking for discounts wherever you can. I really love my shimano wheels, so I would consider picking up these Shimano RS80-C50-CL Wheelset - Excel Sports, but you could also go to Nashbar or Jenson and find something there.


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## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

BlueWheels said:


> There are a number of decent wheelsets available in your price range, but I think you should consider possibly getting either a set of the Zipp 101s or the Dura-Ace C24 wheels instead of getting a set of cheaper carbon wheels. From my experience, I think that getting a set of high quality aluminum wheels will make you much happier than will lower quality carbon. If you are set on getting something deeper, my thought woudl be that you should spend time looking for discounts wherever you can. I really love my shimano wheels, so I would consider picking up these Shimano RS80-C50-CL Wheelset - Excel Sports, but you could also go to Nashbar or Jenson and find something there.


Thanks, I'm not really set on anything, but I was under the impression that if I wanted something more performance oriented, it was probably going to be a deeper carbon wheel. Are there aero alloy wheels? Also, I'm assuming I want an aero wheel as that will maximize my efforts since I'm mostly riding flats, correct? 

How long have you had those Shimanos? Any issues? They look pretty cool. A friend had recommended the Easton EC70 which is a similar concept - aluminum and carbon.


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## valleycyclist (Nov 1, 2009)

If you go the aluminum rim route, you can get a nice set for well underneath your budget. Kinlin XC-279 or Pacenti SL23 rims are "up there" in aerodymanics compared to most other aluminum rims. But even between them and a deeper carbon rim, the differences will not add up to much.

Keep in mind that whatever wheels you get, it is you that will make the bicycle go faster, not the wheels.


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## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

valleycyclist said:


> If you go the aluminum rim route, you can get a nice set for well underneath your budget. Kinlin XC-279 or Pacenti SL23 rims are "up there" in aerodymanics compared to most other aluminum rims. But even between them and a deeper carbon rim, the differences will not add up to much.
> 
> Keep in mind that whatever wheels you get, it is you that will make the bicycle go faster, not the wheels.


Thanks. I have no illusions about a magic bullet out there. I'm just looking to improve the tools in my toolbox.


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## dougrocky123 (Apr 12, 2006)

Its hilly around here so I didn't go with full carbon due to the stories of so - so braking. I went with Shimano RS80 wheels. 50mm deep with alu brake track. Around $800 from Merlin in the UK. On a windy day they can be a handful so keep that in mind if you ride in those conditions.


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## Wyville (Jun 19, 2013)

I'm in a similar situation. I've been thinking about replacing my stock wheels with decent aero wheels for a while now (due to circumstances I have had to postpone buying the wheels).

A few options that are high on my list:
- DT Swiss RC 46 Spline H, 46mm carbon alloy clincher. Seems to have everything I look for in a wheel. 
- Shimano RS81 C50, 2014, 50mm carbon alloy clincher. Has a good aerodynamic profile, but at over 1,900 grams are heavy.
- Mavic Cosmic SLS, 2014, 52mm carbon alloy clincher. Weighs less then 1,700 grams and a lot of triathletes have told me they are bombproof.
- Zipp 60, 58mm former 404 rim that has been strengthened and given simpler hubs (not the Zipp race hubs). 

Those are all relatively affordable and have an alloy brake surface. If I feel I can spend the money, I would certainly look into getting Boyd 44mm clinchers, Reynolds Assault SLG (2014), or have a custom set November Rail wheels built.

More affordable, the planet X wheels you mention seem pretty popular. Because I ride a Specialized I have also looked into the Roval Rapide SL35 wheels. Those are 35mm high, 22mm wide alloy clinchers. Zipp 30s are similar wheels and Zipp 101s are more expensive, but very aerodynamic alternatives.

One thing to consider is that wheels can always be changed from one bike to the next, so you can consider it a first long-term upgrade.


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## BlueWheels (Oct 17, 2008)

ddave12000 said:


> Thanks, I'm not really set on anything, but I was under the impression that if I wanted something more performance oriented, it was probably going to be a deeper carbon wheel. Are there aero alloy wheels? Also, I'm assuming I want an aero wheel as that will maximize my efforts since I'm mostly riding flats, correct?
> 
> How long have you had those Shimanos? Any issues? They look pretty cool. A friend had recommended the Easton EC70 which is a similar concept - aluminum and carbon.


My experience has been that it flat vs. hilly matters less than who you are riding with and the duration of your normal output. Triathletes like deep wheels because they ride long, flat courses at a relatively steady tempo and they do it by themselves. The benefit of the deeper wheels is that they improve airflow around the bike and the downside is weight, but the weight penalty of a deeper wheelset is offset by the momentum of the wheels once they are spinning. The other side of that, though, is that lighter wheels spin up fast and feel more lively anytime you change speed (not just going uphill, but cornering, leaving stop lights, sprinting to that tree, etc). Some manufacturers, including Zipp with their 101, claim that they can shape an aluminum rim to give the aero advantage of a deeper wheel while offering the weight and reliability of an aluminum clincher. I'm don't know how true that claim is, but the 101 is definitely a nice wheelset. 

Personally, I have 3 primary sets of wheels, Bontrager SSRs which I use while training, Dura-Ace C24s which I 99% of the time when I'm out riding, and Zipp 303s that I use when racing. If I were in your position, I would get a set of the Dura-Ace C-24 wheels and know that I have bought a set of wheels that are good for everyday use which will last for years. Jenson has them on sale for $900 right now (Shimano WH-9000 C24 Tubeless Wheelset > Sale | Jenson USA Online Bike Shop). As I said in my last e-mail, there are plenty of decent options out there if you want something deeper, but I would probably wait until I had a budget of $2,000 or more to get carbon rims.

One last thought--a lot of shops offer demo wheels to give you a chance to try them our before you buy them. This doesn't really help if you are bargain shopping online, but if you want to buy local, stop in and see whether any of your shops have demo programs. The shop I like here takes $100 to demo any wheelset and allows you to swap between everything they offer then applies that $100 to whatever you purchase. If you can find a local shop with a similar program, it might be worth $100 to see what you like riding before you make a decision.


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## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

Ok, I think you guys along with some research the last couple days has me thinking about going the alloy route. I'm also considering the C24s but I'm not sure I'm seeing the benefit of the higher cost. 

Any opinions on ROL race SL wheels? These seem ideal and at $625 seem like a great price.


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## Wyville (Jun 19, 2013)

ddave12000 said:


> Ok, I think you guys along with some research the last couple days has me thinking about going the alloy route. I'm also considering the C24s but I'm not sure I'm seeing the benefit of the higher cost.
> 
> Any opinions on ROL race SL wheels? These seem ideal and at $625 seem like a great price.


If the Dura Ace C24s are too expensive, how about the RS81 C24? Essentially the same as the Dura Ace, but with an Ultegra level hub and only about 100 grams heavier. Should be just as durable. 

I don't know much about ROL, but those wheels along with Boyd's Vitesse seem pretty popular. There are a lot of choices in these types of wheels and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Hugely popular are Flo 30s, but I don't know if they are readily available yet. As far as I know they still require you to be very quick when the pre-orders are opened. (Too much of a bother for me personally.)

Good luck!


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## bermudachris (Dec 7, 2013)

Mate, planet-x make great wheels. Fantastically robust, fast and cheap. I've got the 80/120 deep section aeros and they are superb. Just about to order the CT 45's which are ridiculously good value for a 23mm toroidal. It's an alloy braking surface so they will actually stop as well. Can't comment on the others you mention as I don't ride 'em, but I am kicking the ass of team mates on Zipps with wheels one third the price. By the way, check out the UK PX site for pricing as well. They ship to the US and for some reason are often cheaper that the US site, even after shipping. Hope that helps.


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## 2Slo4U (Feb 12, 2005)

I have multiple sets of wheels...Enve 3.4, zipp 404, and the C24's. If I could only have one set of wheels they would be the C24's. My wife has ridden a pair for over 5,000 miles. I've currently got a pair that has about 2500 miles with no issues. They are solid, spin up fast, and seem to roll forever.


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## dkilburn (Aug 1, 2009)

Good Morning,
How can you compare the feel of the Enve to the Zipp and the C24?
I had a set of the Zipp 303 and Reynolds Assualts.
I like the feel of the Zipps.
Need to replace the Zipps as a car ran over them. Also need a new bike.
Thanks,


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## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

I ended up ordering a set of psimet carbon clinchers with white industries hubs. They came highly recommended by some friends and he's more or less local to me so I felt good about that. Will report back after I get a chance to ride them, although it could be a while given that the snow and cold seems to have finally come.


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## ddave12000 (Aug 16, 2013)

Got the wheels in a couple weeks ago and finally got them mounted on my bike. They look fantastic and I am super stoked about them. Now, if only it were not cold, windy, and icy I would go ride them too :mad2:

I have nothing but good things to say about my dealings with Psimet, everything was smooth and easy. Packaging seemed fine per my limited experience. 

w
View attachment 291059


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## changingleaf (Aug 20, 2009)

Great choice of hub with the White Industries.


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