Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - new crank or new wheels?

i have to do something with this tax return so id figured it time to upgrade my pretty much stock pista to give it some credit, so crank and wheels.. but what to do first? I would probably go with the sugino 75's for crank and i was thinking deep v's for rims.

That's what I have for mine.
I did wheels first and then cranks much later.
Looking back on it, though, the cranks definitely offered the more apparent difference in ride/quality.

Yup go with those, can't go wrong. What kind of hubs are you going to go with? Just reuse your old ones?

I'd go for the wheels, but I wouldn't get deep v's. Heavy.

Cra-danka-danks. Unless you're going blingy wheels, i.e. phils, DA's, etc.

Wheels, those stock hubs have always looked sketchy to me.

I'd say wheels. - rolling mass.
+ wheels usually cost more than cranks.
So it'd hurt less when you go upgrade your cranks later w/o the help of your tax refund.

I'd go for the wheels, but I wouldn't get deep v's. Heavy.

People keep bringing up how heavy deep v's are, but I honestly don't think it's as big a deal as it's made out to be. AFAIK they're 260g heavier than a pair of aeroheads - about 10 ounces. I beleive this should be a non issue for a bunch of people who, for the most part, ride with 2000 cubic inch bags. Frankly, I feel that the weight issue is blown out of proportion in the same way that the crosswind issue was. They're stiff, fast and incredibly durable rims that catch (too much) flack for being popular.



to the OP: go for the cranks. 75's are fantastic.

I'd say wheels. - rolling mass.
+ wheels usually cost more than cranks.
So it'd hurt less when you go upgrade your cranks later w/o the help of your tax refund.

++ if you got help now, go for whatever's more expensive.

on a somewhat related note, i've been thinking about picking up a set of deep vs and shopping around i've found one of the better prices for a built set is IRO. and not to hijack this thread completely so PM if it's going to take this OT too far, what do people have to say about IRO hubs? i don't got the bling for phills or whatever and i'm too lazy to re-use the hubs i have, so whatcha say?

again, IRO hubs are made by formula and they are the bread and butter of all hubs.
They are work horses that take a beating w/o complain or fail.
If you want the best price to performance, these hubs win.

whats the best deal out there on a decent wheelset?? any links or places to look online?..thanks

People keep bringing up how heavy deep v's are, but I honestly don't think it's as big a deal as it's made out to be. AFAIK they're 260g heavier than a pair of aeroheads - about 10 ounces. I beleive this should be a non issue for a bunch of people who, for the most part, ride with 2000 cubic inch bags. Frankly, I feel that the weight issue is blown out of proportion in the same way that the crosswind issue was. They're stiff, fast and incredibly durable rims that catch (too much) flack for being popular.



to the OP: go for the cranks. 75's are fantastic.

while its true that it matters less to a non-racer, weight near the rim slows you down far more than weight anywhere else. Also, deep v's are overkill for most utility cycling needs, so why not go for something lighter?

I spent my income tax refund on both wheels and crank.
I can feel the difference in the wheels but not in the crank.
Get the wheels.
I got the Crane Creek Volos Track wheels and they changed my Pista for the better more than any other single component (and I have no original parts except for the frame).

while its true that it matters less to a non-racer, weight near the rim slows you down far more than weight anywhere else. Also, deep v's are overkill for most utility cycling needs, so why not go for something lighter?

Wouldn't hurt to invest a little extra to get rims that are more bomb proof, would it? Besides, they look cool!

get a new seat, your ass will thank you.

Go with the wheels deep v's are a little heavy but they realy are super strong. And for serious rotational mass is noticable, try comparing some open pro's to deep v's then say you cant tell a difference. Wheels are just about the best upgrade you can do for a pista.

Lots of people have been hating on deep V's recently. To each his own, but I ride seriously long distance on my IRO/Deep V's and I like them a lot. They are not the lightest, but they are stiff and they are fast. I will say that I was not 100% satisfied with the wheel build though. Tony is great, but he sends the wheels out to be built and there was a whole lot of variance in the spoke tension and they weren't completely true. Nothing that I couldn't fix on the stand, but still.

Having said that, I wouldn't hesitate to buy wheels from Tony again.

The first expensive parts I got for my Pista were the wheels. The wheels on the Pista are one of the major areas that Bianchi uses to keep the price down. I've heard of a few folks that have had no problems with the stock wheels on the Pista, but the majority of the info points to the contrary.

On the other hand. The stock Sugino RD cranks are perfectly fine. They're no 75's but I have heard nothing bad about them.

My verdict is to go with the wheels first, especially since you got the extra dough.

I got the wheels for my Pista built by Gene at Spicer Cycles. The price was the best I could find and gene is one of the nicest most helpfull guys you will ever have the pleasure of dealing with. I have Deep-V's laced to Phil's with DT Competition spokes. The weight gain is marginal, but the trade off is a gorgeous wheel set that I could ride through a brick wall.

well thanks for all your input.. i went wheels! just got back from the shop, went deep v's laced with phil, went all out bling.

oh shiat.
good job man. your wheels are going to last longer than you.

well thanks for all your input.. i went wheels! just got back from the shop, went deep v's laced with phil, went all out bling.

color? machined? we expect pics soon!

hey....where'd u go for the wheels?

Whats a solid price for a deep v setup with phils....

I've been debating this myself lately, and can't decide whether or not i want the IRO hubs, or to splurge the extra money and get the phils...........

i did Black machined with black spokes, black nips, i was gonna go black phils, but i had to go classic chrome phils, besides with my chrome frame, it will make them shine in that black surrounding. Can't wait!!

it'd probably run you around. $400 - 600.
depends if you can build wheels or not.