# I'm looking for some climbing wheels



## WAZCO (Sep 16, 2004)

I'm currently running on Kysrium SSL at around 1500 grams. I'd like to get a wheel set that's about pound less for climbing. My only concern is that after climbing on light wheel set, that's in the 1000-1100gram area, is that these wheel has to go down. You know, what goes up must come down. So my questions are
-Do I have to be cautious going down on light wheels? 
-What kind of speed should I not go beyond before they become a risk of failure?
-What kind of wheel should I be looking at? Clincher would be ideal but I'll settle for tubular.
I notice these guys uses Lightweight even Cipo the sprinter but I'm sure he was just using it for the mtn stages. Thanks in advance!


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## 2Fast2Furryious (Jun 11, 2004)

You lose. Think of when Cipo did a mountain stage...other than the Giro. Never. That pic you have is him on course to WINNING THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.

If you have money, buy Lightweights. If you have half the money, buy Reynolds Stratus ULs. If you have less than that...lose some weight.


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## divve (May 3, 2002)

Order the Lightweights from a European shop. They're about the same price as Stratus UL. The stiffness of Lightweights is unsurpassed. An excellent climbing wheel and only slightly heavier is the Hyperon by Campagnolo. Very stiff and light rim weight as well.


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## shokhead1 (Jan 21, 2003)

Lighter the wheelset,the more time you'll spend tureing them. Save your money and work on the engine.


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## homebrew (Oct 28, 2004)

shokhead1 said:


> Lighter the wheelset,the more time you'll spend tureing them. Save your money and work on the engine.


Not always, Lightweights can be purchased according to your weight and needs with different spoke counts. The are very strong from all reports. I hope to have a set by mid summer. I do not plan to race them in crits however and will stick to my KSSL as the cost is to much for me to replace. Will be great in the mountains I hope, just got to work on that engine


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## WAZCO (Sep 16, 2004)

*That coment is getting so old "lose some weight"*



2Fast2Furryious said:


> If you have money, buy Lightweights. If you have half the money, buy Reynolds Stratus ULs. If you have less than that...lose some weight.


I think you need to be a little more creative then "lose some weight". You must be really young. Like Shokhead1 said "work on your engine". Now that's better.
At 5'7" I weigh 135 lbs which is about in the right area for climbing. So losing weight is not a option. I get pro-deals (75%-55% off) on these wheels so paying retail is not a option either. I ride 8-9 mph on 8-9%grade in Boulder Co (flagstaff road). Which is not great but not bad either. I hope to get 10mph on lighter wheels and as well as "working on my engine". I just hope these wheels don't fail when i go back down these hills.


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## divve (May 3, 2002)

Lighter wheels aren't going to make you 1-2mph faster. Count on something like 10x less.


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## shokhead1 (Jan 21, 2003)

homebrew said:


> Not always, Lightweights can be purchased according to your weight and needs with different spoke counts. The are very strong from all reports. I hope to have a set by mid summer. I do not plan to race them in crits however and will stick to my KSSL as the cost is to much for me to replace. Will be great in the mountains I hope, just got to work on that engine


When we say lighter,i'm talk'n about 1200g or less so name some that you dont need to true once a moth or more.


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## burlguy (Feb 19, 2005)

*Tubular or clincher*

This is my first post here .... Anyway . I bought a set of Am classic 350 off ebay with ti quick releases for 405.00 off ebay . I weighed them with superlight tubes and Conti supersonic tires . I saved 15 ounces off the front and 17 ounces off the rear with a dura ace 12-27. I weighed these against k-equipe with specialized all condition tires and a ultegra 12-25 ? My point is this , with new clincher tires being superlight weight and am classic wheels (clincher) you dont need to go to tubular to get great weight savings . I am sure that you could get a set of topolinos off ebay that weigh 1100 grams and put a set of one race tires on them and keep the weight under 1400 total wheel weight . My wheel weight is some where around 1700 total with rim strips and tubes and tires and if I get a flat I can fix it and be back on with my ride and not have to worry about rolling a tire off at 40mph. Tubulars are nice and have there place and I am propably going to have to pick up a set.... I noticed no flex from the am classics and I weigh in at 170 plus more like 180 with gear . This was there first ride and I noticed the spokes seating in the first 10 feet of me rolling on them , no big deal . They only ran out .5 mm in 23 miles of potholes and birdge sections . I was out of the saddle cranking downhill with the wind against me doing 39 with the bike parrallel to the ground ( it sure felt like it ) with no noticable flex. 

Whatever feels right for your bike and you can afford . Iam trying to get my Roubaix comp to sub 15 lbs. Right now its at 15 3/4.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

shokhead1 said:


> When we say lighter,i'm talk'n about 1200g or less so name some that you dont need to true once a moth or more.


I think it can be a bit confusing using the words lightweight when describing wheels. Of course, at least one of us here was describing the "Lightweight" wheels, seen here at PezCyclingnews. They are a one piece construction, so not only can they not go out of true, but if you busted a spoke, you'd be buying a new set! All for only 3500 USD. Enjoy,

Silas


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## 2Fast2Furryious (Jun 11, 2004)

WAZCO said:


> I think you need to be a little more creative then "lose some weight". You must be really young. Like Shokhead1 said "work on your engine". Now that's better.
> At 5'7" I weigh 135 lbs which is about in the right area for climbing. So losing weight is not a option. I get pro-deals (75%-55% off) on these wheels so paying retail is not a option either.


I apologize if you took offence; this 22 year old has read so many posts asking roughly the same and in the six months you've been a member appearantly you have as well.  You want to lose bike weight, and wheels are touted as the best place to do so; but with every gain there must be a sacrifice-- bikes are not immune from opportunity cost.

You get a deal on wheels; what kind? Not Lightweights, I assume, because only Competitive Cyclist sells them in the US and they have traditionally been purchased at full price by even the best-- check out the wheel everybody from Cipo to Lance to Jalabert signed below seen at Interbike. CarbonSports (the company that makes them) now sells the "Uphill Only" wheel seen under Georg Totschnig at the Alpe 'd Huez TT in last year's Tour, but you can't go downhill on them because the resin matrix doesn't dissipate heat well enough. I also remember Indurain used a clincher front wheel while climbing and descending because he was afraid of rolling a tubular due to the same reason.

So what are your "pro-deal" options? List them and we'll see what's the best. Also...not to flog a dead horse but many of my friends and teammates who train with a PowerTap or SRM increased their climbing radically or at least noticiably. Finally, Merckx trained with a 44t inner ring uphill...combined with new Ti/Carbon knees you'd drop people AND pounds.

EDIT: One more thing-- that LS Tuscany ain't the lightest thing out there either.


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## shokhead1 (Jan 21, 2003)

Do you win a prize if its sub 15 or its just something you want to do?


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## burlguy (Feb 19, 2005)

*Yeah I will win a prize*

Not to highjack this thread . The local specialized rep came by bragging he got his down to 16.5 and well Iam a weight weenie at heart ,so I couldnt be outdone . God be willing it, Should be down to 14.5 Next week.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

burlguy said:


> This is my first post here .... Anyway . I bought a set of Am classic 350 off ebay with ti quick releases for 405.00 off ebay . I weighed them with superlight tubes and Conti supersonic tires . I saved 15 ounces off the front and 17 ounces off the rear with a dura ace 12-27. I weighed these against k-equipe with specialized all condition tires and a ultegra 12-25 ? My point is this , with new clincher tires being superlight weight and am classic wheels (clincher) you dont need to go to tubular to get great weight savings . I am sure that you could get a set of topolinos off ebay that weigh 1100 grams and put a set of one race tires on them and keep the weight under 1400 total wheel weight . My wheel weight is some where around 1700 total with rim strips and tubes and tires and if I get a flat I can fix it and be back on with my ride and not have to worry about rolling a tire off at 40mph. Tubulars are nice and have there place and I am propably going to have to pick up a set.... I noticed no flex from the am classics and I weigh in at 170 plus more like 180 with gear . This was there first ride and I noticed the spokes seating in the first 10 feet of me rolling on them , no big deal . They only ran out .5 mm in 23 miles of potholes and birdge sections . I was out of the saddle cranking downhill with the wind against me doing 39 with the bike parrallel to the ground ( it sure felt like it ) with no noticable flex.
> 
> Whatever feels right for your bike and you can afford . Iam trying to get my Roubaix comp to sub 15 lbs. Right now its at 15 3/4.



American Classic 350s are great. They are a little bit flexy even for my 145 lb. weight but my latest set with Sapim bladed spokes is very nice and quite stiff.

The Conti supersonics in my opinion are useless. They will last about 100-200 miles and even at that, they are most susceptible to flats.

francois


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## bsavery123 (Nov 8, 2004)

I second the American Classic 350's with sapim cx-rays 1273g and I haven't found a stiffness issue (165lb). Also get them completely silver... they're gorgeous!


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## The Human G-Nome (Aug 26, 2002)

SilasCL said:


> I think it can be a bit confusing using the words lightweight when describing wheels. Of course, at least one of us here was describing the "Lightweight" wheels, seen here at PezCyclingnews. They are a one piece construction, so not only can they not go out of true, but if you busted a spoke, you'd be buying a new set! All for only 3500 USD. Enjoy,
> 
> Silas


Unless you're a pro, those wheels are just stupid. There are so many better options.


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## The Human G-Nome (Aug 26, 2002)

bsavery123 said:


> I second the American Classic 350's with sapim cx-rays 1273g and I haven't found a stiffness issue (165lb). Also get them completely silver... they're gorgeous!


I owned the AmClassic 350's with Sapims. I loved the wheels until I taco'd both of them in a race. My teammate did the same thing. They're great wheels, but they will collapse if you so much as look at them the wrong way.


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## The Human G-Nome (Aug 26, 2002)

WAZCO said:


> I'm currently running on Kysrium SSL at around 1500 grams. I'd like to get a wheel set that's about pound less for climbing. My only concern is that after climbing on light wheel set, that's in the 1000-1100gram area, is that these wheel has to go down. You know, what goes up must come down. So my questions are
> -Do I have to be cautious going down on light wheels?
> -What kind of speed should I not go beyond before they become a risk of failure?
> -What kind of wheel should I be looking at? Clincher would be ideal but I'll settle for tubular.
> I notice these guys uses Lightweight even Cipo the sprinter but I'm sure he was just using it for the mtn stages. Thanks in advance!


Here's my recommendation: https://www.nimble.net/ Get the Flys.


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## blurry (Mar 4, 2004)

2Fast2Furryious said:


> only Competitive Cyclist sells them in the US and they have traditionally been purchased at full price by even the best


hi-techbikes.com sells lightweights


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## Angelracer (Dec 12, 2004)

Anything that goes works, its all in the legs but if you feel as if spending money on is works all up to you...Cipollini definitly is on steriods...


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## Max-Q (Feb 6, 2004)

divve said:


> Order the Lightweights from a European shop. They're about the same price as Stratus UL. The stiffness of Lightweights is unsurpassed. An excellent climbing wheel and only slightly heavier is the Hyperon by Campagnolo. Very stiff and light rim weight as well.


Do you have any links to some European shops? I've been trying to find a set for a while and I just can't see paying the $3,700 for them here in the states. 

I should have bought them last year when they were $2,300. I was warned that the price was going up but I waited too long.  Damn exchange rate!


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## split (Mar 22, 2004)

Has anyone tried the new AmClassic Magnesium wheels, around 1200g, "race only" wheelset with ceramic braking surface?


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## divve (May 3, 2002)

Max-Q said:


> Do you have any links to some European shops? I've been trying to find a set for a while and I just can't see paying the $3,700 for them here in the states.
> 
> I should have bought them last year when they were $2,300. I was warned that the price was going up but I waited too long.  Damn exchange rate!


http://www.ildiavolo.de
http://www.starbike.com


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## Max-Q (Feb 6, 2004)

I just ordered a set of Lightweights from starbike this morning. They should be done in October. Great prices on the wheels and saved a lot of money. I'm so darn excited now  I better get out and ride so I can be fast when they get here.


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## divve (May 3, 2002)

$1100 discount goes a long ways


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## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

Keep an eye on ebay for American Classics Mag 300 wheels. There were three sets that sold for $560 last week. All brand new, and that is half off.


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## JerryZ (Dec 25, 2001)

I also have Kysrium SL's and have pondered this very same issue. I bought a set of Topolino clinchers. They are 205g lighter than the K's (1405 vs 1610) and it is quite apparent especially while climbing. They seem to be just as rugged as the K's as well. The added bonus is they really soak up the road buzz and they are much less bothered by crosswind even with a much higher spoke count. It must be the elliptical shape of the carbon/kevlar spokes. The only down side could be that the K's are stiffer. 
If this is not enough weight loss, I think you'll have to go to tubulars where you have several good choices as suggested already.


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## poshscot (Dec 14, 2004)

if you can afford either

lightweights http://www.carbonsports.com/

or 

ada http://www.ada.prorider.org/index.html

then i say go for it - you will be the envy of every cyclist who recognises what they are...


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## Triphop (Aug 19, 2004)

*Bontrager Race XXX Lites*

Clincher or tubular? I had the opportunity to ride Bontrager's new XXX Lite carbon clincher wheels, currently riding Ksyrium SLs...they are light, stiff and accelerate like nothing else. A climbers dream. Saved over a half pound from the Mavics. They weigh something like 1250g, and the tubulars are around 1100g I think. The ride was better than the Mavics and just as stiff laterally. Braking was good too. If I had $2500 to spend on wheels, these would be a top consideration.


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## chris2002 (Aug 10, 2005)

Angelracer said:


> Anything that goes works, its all in the legs but if you feel as if spending money on is works all up to you...Cipollini definitly is on steriods...


Huh? Is that a joke?


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

SilasCL said:


> I think it can be a bit confusing using the words lightweight when describing wheels. Of course, at least one of us here was describing the "Lightweight" wheels, seen here at PezCyclingnews. They are a one piece construction, so not only can they not go out of true, but if you busted a spoke, you'd be buying a new set! All for only 3500 USD. Enjoy,
> 
> Silas



But the fact is that no one has ever broken a spoke on Lightweight wheels except in a wreck and even then the company claims they can fix the wheel.


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## fctd (Jul 27, 2005)

*Just switched*

I changed from the older black Kysrium SSL to Rolf Elan Aero wheelset. After 300 miles I LOVE the Rolfs. No problems yet with them and much lighter.


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## CARBON110 (Apr 17, 2002)

*hhmmm*

Being a wheel junkie and having owned more wheels than anyone on RBR take my word, no wheel is worth more than 1000$ I have the money to burna nd yes I have spent more than 1k on wheels far to many times BUT ladies and Gents I speak the truth, nothing much will be gained by spending extra coin on XXX lites, Light Weights, ADA or Reynolds. 

Now what you might want to consider is-if your a clincher only man, Rolf Elans beat any other wheel for money per gram except Reynolds clinchers which you can get off ebay for 800-1000$ 

If you want tubies, you really can't go wrong with any wheel except Mavic wheels

Good Luck and God Speed


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## GarbanzoBeanSnafu (Jun 27, 2005)

Nobody has said much about descending and durability issues.

I live in Salt Lake City where there are many 3,000' descents and climbs. I weigh only 135 (could lose 5 more pounds on the trainer this winter) and race sport cat 3-5. 

I am currently a beginning road rider racing on my 25 lb cyclocross bike. I'll be building a (fetish Cycles) new bike this winter. A bike that weighs nearly ten pounds or so less seems frighteningly fragile to me. I suppose I'm fortunate to be a little guy, but descending on a light wheelset at 40mph seems scary.

What is everyone's experience (all body weights!) with these high end wheels, in particular the Rolf Elan. Also, what's it like descendng on a lighter frameset? Are the new carbon forks "noodley." I know that's a loaded question, as all bikes are different, but maybe some olde-schoolers can give me some perspective on this question. The bottom line is: Do I need to worry (more than I should anyway) about catastrophic wheel failure while speeding 35-45mph down 8% grades?


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