Wheels

[li10up]

I have a 2007 Ruby Pro that has Roval Classique Fusee wheels. Let me start by saying I know very little to nothing about wheels. I am wondering if these are decent wheels? What would they typically have cost in 2007? The reason I ask is because I have had several problems with the rear wheel. I have had a cracked rim and two broken spokes. When a spoke breaks the bike is no longer rideable. I like the looks of the wheels but don't like being stranded. Is there a good looking wheelset that is more durable? What are the things to look for or avoid?

[Aggie_Ama]

I don't know much about wheels. I know Specialized often has wheels made for them so you can't always just buy what is on the bike. DH's stumpjumper is this way, a model of DT Swiss you cannot find.

My husband's has Mavic Kysrium wheels (not sure which ones but his bike is all Dura-Ace so probably whatever was tops at the time). These guys have been bomb proof. They are rarely needing to be trued, I think only twice in the 3 years he has had them. Pretty light and aero. He has well over 10k on the bike and no complaints on the wheels.

[indysteel]

J, I don't know anything about those wheels, but I certainly hope your LBS is helping you deal with the issue.

In any event, I'm a big fan of custom wheels. A master builder will be able to build you a great set of bomb-proof wheels fit to your specification. He (or she) will take into consideration what kind of riding you do, what kind of ride you'd like out of your wheels, your weight, etc. In my opinion, while there are some great factory wheelset options out there, you typically get more bang for your buck with custom. Depending on what spoke you choose, they're also a lot easier to fix and service.

With advice from SadieKate, that's the route I took a couple of years ago, and I love them. There any any number of builders out there (wheels are easy enough to ship so you don't have to go local, although local is nice, too). If money is a concern, some Mavic Open Pro rims coupled with Ultegra hubs, while not the lightest or sexiest wheels in the world, will last you a very long time.

[Aggie_Ama]

I believe there are some custom wheel builders in Austin, kind of local. My husband probably knows someone he can ask if you decide to go that route.

[Bluetree]

I don't know about those specific wheels but I'm pretty leery of stock wheels on bikes in general. I find it's the place where cost-cutting first appears when manufacturers want to maximize profits. On higher end bike, it sometimes seems that the manufacturer deliberately does that, assuming the buyer will replace them anyway.

Personally, I like having a number of different wheel sets to turn to, depending on terrain, weather, distance, etc. It's the main reason I wanted a 700c bike instead of a 650c bike. Its amazing how different the same bike feels with different wheels.

So far, my favorite all-around wheel is the Fulcrum Zero. I also have a set of less-expensive Fulcrum 3s (they come in levels 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7) for bad weather training - aero, stiff and durable.

[li10up]

[QUOTE=indysteel;394112]J, I don't know anything about those wheels, but I certainly hope your LBS is helping you deal with the issue.

In any event, I'm a big fan of custom wheels. A master builder will be able to build you a great set of bomb-proof wheels fit to your specification. He (or she) will take into consideration what kind of riding you do, what kind of ride you'd like out of your wheels, your weight, etc. In my opinion, while there are some great factory wheelset options out there, you typically get more bang for your buck with custom. Depending on what spoke you choose, they're also a lot easier to fix and service.
QUOTE]

The LBS has replaced/repaired the wheels without charging me a cent. So I'm happy about that. It just takes several days to get the work done. I think I would be a bit intimidated going custom since I don't have any knowledge on what to base my selections on...other than asthetics.

A, I looked at the Mavic Kysrium wheelset. Nice, but I think $900+ is more than I'm willing to pay right now.

Maybe I'll just talk with the guys at the shop and see what they recommend. But, with the service I'm getting maybe I should just go with having to do a repair once or twice a year.

Bluetree - what do the levels mean?

[Aggie_Ama]

I would look for them online, I have seen some of them for a lot less than $900. If you find a year or two old that are new you can get a smoking deal.

[lunacycles]

If you want to avoid cracked rims, and you don't go with one of those ultra techy wheelsets like the Mavic Ksyriums (which are nice, but don't even ask me what the spokes are made out of...zirconium??), a great, strong, reliable (and less expensive) option is getting a handbuilt set of wheels using an "eyeleted" rim (like you will find on the tried and true Mavic Open Pro). Eyelets are reinforcements added to each spoke hole which vastly reduce the odds of cracking the rim. Add to that double butted spokes (which are actually stronger than straight gauge spokes) and some decent light hubs and you will be grinning!

A lot of wheelbuilders are into bladed spokes these days, but I think the feel of double butted spokes is nicer, more resilient, especially if you are light.

Wheels, imo, are the one place on your bike where if you make the investment, you REALLY notice it in both the quality of ride and the weight lost (assuming you get lighter wheels). Good wheels are the best upgrade you can make to your bike.