# Shimano RS80 C24 or Ultegra Tubeless 6700?



## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

Hi All.

New poster here hoping for some expert advice so I can by a happy puppy on the road. I've got a Javelin Titanium 9 spd road bike with Ultegra Components that came with a mix and match wheelset that I absolutely have to upgrade. Somehow after reading up on the Eastons and the Mavics I ended up with these two sets:

Shimano Ultegra Wheelset Clincher/Tubeless 6700 | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com

Shimano RS80 Clincher Wheelset C24 Carbon/Alloy | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com

I'm reasonably mechanically inclined, can sometimes take the bike out for 4 or more hours and would like to start getting out into West Texas where there is absolutely nothing by way of repair shops.

Would anyone mind offering me some advice so I can make a purchase that will make me happy on the road and feel like I got a good deal? I suppose my order of importance would be:

1. Ease of use
2. Reliability
3. Ease of fix in a bad spot.
4. Good handling
5. Comfort (I assume the bike will pick up some issues).

TIA for any help to a newish rider. Also, I should mention that I'm getting a bit tired with the flats every couple of months.

- Jon


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## triathlonandy (Feb 25, 2012)

I've ridden both of these wheelsets on my tri bike. These are the best prices I've ever seen online -- The Ultegras are light, quiet and responsive, however, I would pay the extra hundred bucks or so and get the RS80's. That's a heck of a deal and they're lighter than the Ultegras and very smooth! Not to mention, when I put them on my true stand they would spin foreeevvvvverrr.


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

Hi. Thanks so much for the help here.

Can you help me understand what I would be doing on these two by way of tubes and tires? I have thoroughly confused myself reading up on the forum but I guess I have the following options these days and I am totally confused as to what wheelset is giving me what setup:

"Tubular - aka sew-up. Tube encased in the tire and then the whole package is glued to the rim
Clincher - Tube and u-shaped tire as separate pieces. Tire hooks to rim via a bead.
Tubeless - pretty much the same as clincher tire (u-shaped, hooks to rim via a bead), but no tube required. Tire and rim create an air-tight system."

Also, I really need a hassle free ride (as much as possible with all the bonos out there) and do not want to get stuck out in the middle of nowhere. OTOH I do like the idea of making this ti road bike even more bomb proof. I think at one point I had a tuffy strip I put in and then I went with some Continental Tires (no tuffy) and in now thinking about it maybe the Tuffy strip setup seemed to give me less flats...

Also, is there a difference in availability of spokes on these bikes? I mean, I have only trued a wheel a couple of times but I am sure if I was in a pinch I could get things together if there was no shop in the area.

Thanks,

Jon


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## triathlonandy (Feb 25, 2012)

These wheels say "Tubeless" on them, but that just means they are tubeless compatible. These are clincher wheels. You can run them tubeless if you want, but if you don't want to you don't have to glue anything on them, just run them like regular wheels. That's what I do. Once you get the wheels, just put some rim tape on them to cover the spoke holes, get some regular 'ol tubes, put a tire on and you're good to go!


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

hi andy. thanks a ton.

so, just so i don't feel like a dinosaur here, can you help me figure out what /each/ of these can do? I mean the RS80's say "Clincher" and the 6700's say "Clincher/Tubeless". And am I correct in understanding that "clincher" is terminilogy for conventional tube-tire combo and "Tubeless" is some special deal where you lose the tube? Then "Tubular" is where everyone is talking about all the sealant business?

I mean, /ideally/ i buy something that I can convert to non-tube-tire if I feel like diving in on something exotic.

ALSO, do the both of these come with the Ultegra Hub or why don't I understand what is in the hub on both of these..?

- Jon


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## shokhead (Dec 17, 2002)

Go to shimano's websit and do a side by side.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

unless you really want to try tubeless, the RS80 has some real advantages over the ultegra wheels. The RS80 uses the same rim as the dura-ace c24, an alloy-carbon hybrid that weighs 380 grams. This gives you a strong, light rim with an alloy brake track. It's a nice riding wheel - my impression is that the carbon dampens road vibration. The one thing to consider with Shimano wheels is their low spoke count (16 front 20 rear). They are well-built and durable, but if a spoke breaks out on the road, the wheel is likely to go far out of true, and lower spoke wheels are trickier to true if you're doing your own work.


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

thanks. i see some helpful axon drawings and info on the 6700. 

but the main problem is that i don't really even understand a lot of the terminology so i was hoping to get some help with the questions on the post with respect to types of tires and hubs with respect to these two.

also, i am not finding info on the site on the rs80.
Product


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

oops. i take that back. the rs80 is under sport wheels i see. i guess this means they are more durable...?


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## shokhead (Dec 17, 2002)

I'm 205 and I'd say it's been half the shops or websites I've asked has said either 6700 or RS80 would be fine because shimano has no weight limit and the other half I've asked says I'll get brake rub out of the saddle and 20 rear spokes might not be a good idea.


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

hi. thanks man. am i correct in thinking the RS80 doesn't have an Ultegra Hub? I am sort of not up to speed on this and reading the specs on these for me is tricky.

I'm also 205 these days.

can you clue me in to why 20 rear spokes is an issue (not enough to support the weight I guess?) and what is the deal with brake rub out of the saddle? This is that the tire will sway when you are really rocking it?

THANKS


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## kevosinn (Feb 25, 2012)

rs-80s.....not even a question. Its a dura ace c24 rim with an ultegra hub. DO NOT go tubless


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

thanks man.


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## samh (May 5, 2004)

*shimano wheel*

No its stiff enough. i am 185. less spokes means less longevitiy since less spokes to carry load

I'm also 205 these days.

can you clue me in to why 20 rear spokes is an issue (not enough to support the weight I guess?) and what is the deal with brake rub out of the saddle? This is that the tire will sway when you are really rocking it?

THANKS[/QUOTE]


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## shokhead (Dec 17, 2002)

Rim Selection - Wheelbuilder.com


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## ddimick (Aug 9, 2011)

hotwheels22 said:


> hi andy. thanks a ton.
> 
> so, just so i don't feel like a dinosaur here, can you help me figure out what /each/ of these can do? I mean the RS80's say "Clincher" and the 6700's say "Clincher/Tubeless". And am I correct in understanding that "clincher" is terminilogy for conventional tube-tire combo and "Tubeless" is some special deal where you lose the tube? Then "Tubular" is where everyone is talking about all the sealant business?
> 
> ...


*Clincher *is your traditional inner tube plus u-shaped clincher tire. The inner tube holds the air and the tire protects the tube. Lots of choices of different tires and tubes. Some tubes even come with sealant but it seems to be rare that sealant is used with standard clincher/tubes.
*
Tubeless *is a u-shaped clincher designed to hold air without a tube. About 1-2 ounces of liquid sealant per wheel is typically used but is not required. As far as I know there are three tire manufacturers making tubeless road tires today; Hutchinson, IRC, and Maxxis.
*
Tubular *is a factory-combined inner tube and tire where glue is used to hold the entire unit to the rim. They seem to be less common these days than in the past. Generally speaking you toss and replace the whole thing when you flat. Sealant can be used to help mitigate this.

All tubeless rims can also be used with standard clincher tires with tubes. Basically they have a bead seat channel in the rim with tighter tolerances and no spoke holes on the surface of the rim facing the tire.

Standard clincher rims can be modified to run tubeless with varying levels of success, especially ones that already have a smooth inner surface that don't require tape (e.g. Ksyrium).

Tubular rims can only be used with tubular tires.


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## triathlonandy (Feb 25, 2012)

kevosinn said:


> rs-80s.....not even a question. Its a dura ace c24 rim with an ultegra hub. DO NOT go tubless


^^^ :thumbsup:


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## billysan (Apr 30, 2010)

triathlonandy said:


> ^^^ :thumbsup:


Another vote for the RS80's here.

I put about 7k miles on one of the original sets in pretty horrid UK weather and they didnt miss a beat.

On DA's now, but do sort of wish I hadnt sold them.


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

kevosinn said:


> DO NOT go tubless


Sure you can go tubless, as for many of us showers work just fine.

Insofar as tubeless option, I find it the best of my tubular and tube riding experience. 

Those that toss out a "do not try" assume you're an idiot who'd accept their blanket proclamations. Strange to think anyone would consider such "wisdom" from strangers.

Some good LBS shops will have various programs that will allow you to try out wheels and tire set-ups. For me, I found a shop that allowed some wheel and tire tests. Ended up with shimano 7900 c24's.


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## reznic (Mar 11, 2012)

OP think you might find them cheaper on merlin atm.

I'm strongly considering these against a set of more slightly more expensive EA90 sl.

I would only go tubular if you race.


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

hi all. i just wanted to give a big thanks again to all who replied here. it was a big help.

can i just take the liberty of asking if anyone has any suggestions on whether i should take reznic's suggestion to buy from Merlin? I am in the US and got put on a list to be alerted via email at Chain Reaction and they show up as being expected 02/04/2012 which was over a month ago.

Shimano RS80 C24 Wheelset | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com

These are priced at 550 and it appears that at (349 BP) these are 460 U.S. on Merlin - but somehow I am imagining that it would not be a good idea to ship them to the US from the UK. Am I wrong and can I pull the trigger with no worries on these/

I and the bike really earned them at this point...

- Jonathan


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

oops. meant to post the link to the wheels at Merlin...

Shimano RS80 Carbon Laminate Wheels - Pair - Merlin Cycles


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## gyllborgm (Aug 12, 2008)

If you use the currency converter on Merlin cycles the cost in USD is 565.


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

did i do this wrong? I used a converter online and 365 BP got me 462 US. 

for some reason i wasn't able to move forward with the "BUY" button on the site and it just stayed on the same page so I couldn't continue through to a purchase. 

is the currency converter somewhere specific and/or did i do my conversion wrong?

in any event - do folks in the US order stuff like this from MERLIN with no issues? I mean, can I buy these if the price seems right?

THANKS


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## simnorm (Jul 12, 2008)

planet-x-bikes.co.uk has the best deal on rs80 right now.
Should be around £280 with shipping


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

oh, man. thanks so much.

so i can just order these for my 9 spd javelin and have them ship to the US no worries?

Shimano RS80 C24 Carbon Wheelset (Pair))

looks like $411 US, which would be great...


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## hotwheels22 (Mar 7, 2012)

thanks to all for the help on this thread. i /really/ appreciate it.

also thanks to reznic and simnorm for the recommendations.

i bought from Planet-X and i'm sure i wouldn't be riding them if it weren't for the pricing and the store recommendations.

psyched to now be riding these. it's a huge step up from where i was at.

THANKS


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## RJP Diver (Jul 2, 2010)

hotwheels22 said:


> psyched to now be riding these. it's a huge step up from where i was at.
> 
> THANKS


Congrats - Ride them far, fast, and safely!

I think the RS80's (bought well) are the most overlooked wheel in cycling. As a "day-in, day-out" wheel, it's hard to beat them for the ~$400 price. (Got mine for $385 shipped.)


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## neilcrumpton (Aug 5, 2010)

Curious to know's selling these wheels for $385 shipped - care to share?


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## simnorm (Jul 12, 2008)

most likely at merlin cycles They had 10% off the few past weekends. Maybe it will be back this weekend too...

Price is adjusted once you checkout, EU taxes are removed, shipping is free. With the 10% off, they have the best deal on RS80


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## intence (May 23, 2010)

YES! 10% OFF AGAIN! Didn't do the math, but around $400 shipped ... GOOD DEAL AT MERLIN!


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