Road Cycling - Gipiemme Techno 4.24?

I am thinking seriously thining about buying the cannondale R600, because the LBS just offered me a pretty good deal (10% off, brings it to around $1100) I was a little skeptical about the wheels. The spokes are clustered in packs of three for a total of 24 spokes. They look kinda sketchy, and I've never heard of "Gipiemme Techno 4.24" wheels before. Is Gipiemme any good? should I get the LBS to just switch the wheels with Open Pros w/ 105 hubs? I think that it might me a bit more, but maybe worth it. what do you all think?

I've had my 2003 R-600 since October. I've put nearly 2500 miles on it and everything is still stock, including the wheels. I'm no velo-snob but I have friends who are and they all compliment the wheels. I'm a 200 lb. guy and I've had no spoke problems, truing problems etc.

I've gotten the bike up to 40 mph and I've ridden it 100+ miles in a day. I love it and it's worth every dime.

Lou

The Gipiemme wheels are pretty darn heavy (though I don't have an exact gram amount). As far as their durability goes we haven't had enough people out of our shop riding them that I would feel comfortable passing judgement on that yet. I would be inclined to check out another wheelset, perhaps the ones you mention or if your shop happens to have a set of Shimano R535 wheels left (so you could get a deal, otherwise there's always the R540 wheelset). They're not going to be much lighter but I personally would have more confidence in them. Of course, this is all my very humble opinion.

Gipiemme is a very solid brand,

However I reccomend you have the shop swap them for a more traditional wheel.

I do not know of any real reputable distributor for Gipiemme now and this means when you have problems with the wheelset you may be out of luck.

But do ask the shop where they get the Gipiemme wheels and how solid is the representation here in the USA.

I am thinking seriously thining about buying the cannondale R600, because the LBS just offered me a pretty good deal (10% off, brings it to around $1100) I was a little skeptical about the wheels. The spokes are clustered in packs of three for a total of 24 spokes. They look kinda sketchy, and I've never heard of "Gipiemme Techno 4.24" wheels before. Is Gipiemme any good? should I get the LBS to just switch the wheels with Open Pros w/ 105 hubs? I think that it might me a bit more, but maybe worth it. what do you all think?


The bike may be good... but the Gipiemme wheels suck...I purchased a weelset off an Ebay vendor and they are just crap - poor design, poor materials, poor workmanship. I have not been able to take one ride on these wheels without having to work on them aftewards. The drive side has the cone and axle in one unit and the cone was destroyed in less than 500 miles. Buy Mavic or some other well known brand.

i also ride a 2003 r600 that has a good deal of mileage on it. i've never had any problems with the stock wheels

guy came into my shop today needing a flat repaired and he had these wheels. i promptly repaired the flat, complimented him on the wheels, he ignored me, then i asked how much pressure he wanted, then forgot to seat the tire properly and exploded the tube like, three feet from my ears. it sucked. i appologized profusely and was really nice about it. and he was cool with it, and all the other mechanics said it happens to everyone eventually, which i know, and i had been waiting for it to happen to me...it just sucked a lot, and afterward i was all jittery and jumpy and my ears were really hurting from it (i do sound art in my spare time, so i tend to pay a lot more attention to sounds than most people). anyway....i patched his old tube for him (since my shop doesn't have the long stem presta tubes) and we just charged him labor. i asked him how he liked the wheels and he was all "uhmmm...i don't really know, these are my first wheels." then i got a little irritated, like, wow, this guy must have money to buuuurn if he can drop that money on these wheels...but now that i know they came stock on his cannondale, i don't feel as irritated about it. he said he liked them though...

as far as i'm concerned, the wheels look really cool, and the rear seemed pretty light (lighter than my traditionally built wheels, anyway). they seemed pretty solid. the only thing i thought was odd is that the little cut-outs in the aero sections are just left open....so like, all the higher-profile aero sections are just aero tunnels...i think that would make for some seriously weird drag effects.

phatman, i'd try to get a little better hub than the 105. i use 105s, and haven't had any problems thus far, although i think i'm going to have to overhaul them sometime soon (if they're not cartridge bearings). i've had them for a little over a year now, and have started to notice a "sluggish" feeling about my whole bike. it might be the chain, or cogs, or cassette, or any number of things...but i like to place the blame squarely on the 105 hubs...because i want new wheels and i need a way to justify it. :)

anywho, the gipiemmes look like decent wheels, i didn't get a chance to play with them much, but i reckon they'll be at least just as nice as the 105/OPs... gipiemme was pretty popular "back in the day," at least with track components, but they seem to have fallen by the wayside as far as popularity goes...

sorry about the long post...

^
Shimano makes zero hubs with cartridge bearings.

^
Shimano makes zero hubs with cartridge bearings.

that's what i thought, but i read in another thread that they might be cartridge, and since i've never opened them up, i don't know...gonna overhaul them...uh....soon.

mmmm....phil's waterproof grease.....

I had no problems with mine but swaped them for Velomax circuits due to weight. I would like to use the Gipiemmes on a future cross bike built for commuting.

wow. this is an OLD thread! I bought my lemond alpe d'huez in april of 2003...and it had tiagra hubs laced to matrix auroras 32h, 3x.

thanks anyway for the advice guys, even if it was a tad late...I ended up upgrading to open pros/dura ace hubs