Road Cycling - Yet Another Wheels For Clydesdales Post!

Today I stopped in to my LBS to look at the new bikes. I asked about how long it takes to get a Project One Trek delivered and about wheelsets. The owner said, just a minute, the Trek rep is here right now.

I asked him about replacing the stock wheels, Bontrager Race Lites, on the 5200 because of my clydesdaleness and propensity for breaking spokes. I had asked about getting Mavic CXP33's with 36 spokes. Well, he proceeded to tell me the physics behind the paired spoke technology, and the upshot was that Race Lites were fine wheels, but for a clydesdale looking for something near bulletproof, the Race X Lite Aeros were the way to go. And, it is only a $250 difference in price!

I am a "super clydesdale" at 270 lbs. He's right the Race Lights are a great set of wheels. 3000+ miles on them and they were still true. The only problem I had was in corners where I could feel some flex if I pounded it. I switched over to Mavic Open Pro's with a 32 hole rim. The flex is a thing of the past.
The CXP33's were what I was looking at originally but after some research I thought the Open Pro's were better for me (lighter and almost as strong).
If you are dealing with a "decent" dealer he should trade out the Bontragers for another set at cost.
While I agree the X-Lites are another good wheel you have to remember they are lighter than the Race Lights and make your choice accordingly.

I'm slowly piecing together a modern bike (I ride retros mostly) and I'm of Clydesdale proportions myself. I've just about talked myself into Ksyriums. My LBS, a group of guys I've found trustworthy, has put larger Clydesdales than myself on them and all involved seem quite happy. They claim to have fitted riders up to 275# on them.

My conventional wheels were built by the aforementioned LBS and feature 32 spoke Mavic OPs. They've held up under my 240# behind extremely well. There's 2 possibilities. As I'm sure you know Ksyriums are major coin even if you buy from Europe.

One of the guys at my shop just bought the new Cannondale with the new Mavics. I don't know exactly what model, but they look just like the silver Tour edition but without the yellow spoke and hub. He's 295 on a good day, depending on how many big macs he'll eat at lunch. He's an animal on the bike however. I just talked to him on Monday and he's already gotten 400 miles on his new bike. The thing he gleamed about the most is the new wheels. He felt they were superior to anything he's riden thus far. For whatever reason, I've never been a big fan of Mavic, but his testimony has certainly caused me to consider them. And I have to admit, they look incredible.

This is curious stuff for me, because I'm in the mini clyde area. 6 foot 2, and now 191 (loosing little by little). I've not had a problem on my al frame, but my steel frame does have this issue. I haven't broken any spokes.. I wonder why.

This is curious stuff for me, because I'm in the mini clyde area. 6 foot 2, and now 191 (loosing little by little). I've not had a problem on my al frame, but my steel frame does have this issue. I haven't broken any spokes.. I wonder why.

I started riding at 290 on my Allez Elite with stock Alx rims. Everyone told me I'd be breaking spokes left and right, but haven't lost one yet. I'm at 260 now with a goal weight of 240 - 10% bodyfat. I pound the pedals pretty hard, but I'm careful. I wonder too how so many people break spokes so often. I've been wanting new wheels because of this fear, but in the process of deciding which wheelset to ultimately buy, I noticed that I hadn't had any problems.

I'd like to know what makes one a mini-clyde....I'm 190 and would never consider myself to be anywhere near a clyde....

Anyways...more is better....more spokes etc...

As far as the Trek rep....do you really think the Pepsi guy is going to tell you Diet Coke tastes better than Diet Pepsi...???

i'm like 129lbs and i have no issues with wheels.

As far as the Trek rep....do you really think the Pepsi guy is going to tell you Diet Coke tastes better than Diet Pepsi...???

I didn't just fall off the turnip truck before I walked into the LBS and I do have a working knowledge of physics, as well as the ability to usually tell if people are lying or being honest. The guy appeared to be honest and explained the difference in how standard spoked versus paired spokes work.

This guy was straightforward, answered all of my questions without hesitation, and appeared to really know what he was talking about.

Thus far, all the responses I have gotten on this question on several different cycling boards and from roadbikereview.com bears out what he told me.

Further, he did not try to say that Mavics were inferior wheels, he just answered my question vis-a-vis CXP33's with 36 spokes versus the Race X Lite Aero for someone my size and style and intensity of riding.

i'm like 129lbs and i have no issues with wheels.

Yeah, but I bet the wind plays havoc with you.

:D

P.S. I think I weighed 129lbs when I was in the 6th grade, way, way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and rocks were still soft.

ah hell just buy some Zipp 404 rims and build them into some Chris King hubs, 3 cross the spokes, have'em tied and soldered and voila, a wheelset thats strong enough for a clydesdale light aero and probably only costs about 3/4s of your bike :D

i'm like 129lbs and i have no issues with wheels.

Lightweight! ;)

I started this season off at about 210 and used my normal light wheelsets until now and they ar not even significanlty out of true. It depends on how you ride I guess. If you try to hop stuff rather than bombing into and over it then wheels will perform better. I'm 187 now but it took since May to get here.

I bought a new 05 specialized robaix Al/carbon with the Alx-290 wheelset...broke a spoke at about 400 miles at 37mph down a hill...talk about nervous...so I searhed and searched and found the mavic open pro/ultegra wheelset for 189 on supergo.com and then had my lbs match it!! Let me just say I could feel a big difference...way smooooth and noticibly quicker...shaved 2 mins off my daily 10 miler (could have been excitement?) but still worth every penny.

I had a bad experience with Bontrager's Select Wheels. These came originally on my Trek 1500. My LBS said they were very rugged wheels. I was typically having the rear trued every ~200-300 miles. Finally at about 3000 total miles I pulled 3 spokes out of the rim. My LBS talked to Trek and they sent another Rim and spokes and he rebuilt the wheels with the old Hubs. I put another 300 miles on them and I broke a spoke (while coasting). My LBS talked with a Trek/Bontrager wheel engineer, he claimed it was impossible :roflmao: (I love comments like that) they did however offer me a set of Race X-lite Aero for little more money. I wound up going with the OP/ultegra option however. They have been perfect and haven't been touched for truing yet.(~600 miles) I have run them thru some very serious potholes too. Its tough too beat the way a 32 spoke 3 cross rim distributes stress. By the way I run between 250 and 260lbs.

I know a lot of folks on here do not like my wheel set and some do. I am one that likes them. The bike came with Campagnolo Ventos and I now have 3100km on them over the past 5mo and the spokes still have proper tension and I have yet had to true the wheels. They support me just fine and if they ever do fail me I will upgrade.

When I bought the bike my first question was, "Will these wheels support my weight?" The owner of the shop called Campagnolo and asked them. They told him, "Are wheels are built for riders and will support his weight as long as he is not abusing them such as going off curbs, jumping speed bumps, etc." Also, the owner of the shop had sold 3 other 928's with the Ventos to 3 other Clydes that make even me look small at 280lbs and they have had no problems either. All three of them range between 305 and 335lbs.

With the technology that is around these days, if you get decent parts and have a quality builder build your wheels you should be fine even with a lower spoke count. On my old OCR I had the stock Campagnolo Proton and never had a problem with those either all though I did swap them out for some Rev-X's at about 1000km.


DBD:beer:

It seems almost Regal to belong to a group so affectionatley labeled "Clydesdales".

Magnificint, hard working, elegent, animals that they are. ;)

I have 400+ miles on the stock Alex rims that came on my Trek, I started at 260Lbs and I am around 240.
I ride on mostly rough farm to market and county roads, I do avoid potholes and the like. So far so good.

I have not had any issues with any of my wheelsets. I weigh 215-220 depending on the day/time. I have several wheelsets that I rotate. I have Velomax Circuits, Ksyrium SSC SL, and Ksyrium Elites. They are all great wheels and have never needed to be trued. I don't baby them but I also don't curb hop, bunny hop, and I avoid pot holes. I just got a set of 36 spoke Velocity Deep V's but have not been able to ride them yet. As soon as they arrived I mounted tires, put them on the bike then dropped the bike off at the LBS to have the shifters rebuilt. I will have it back on Thursday and will be able to do a test ride on them Thursday. The only wheels that I have owned that were kind of flexy for my weight were American Classic 420's. They were great but while turning hard, I could feel them flex and hear them rubbing the brake pads.

i'm like 129lbs and i have no issues with wheels.
he must've thought it was the wheels for waif men post.
In the 6th grade I fasted to be under 125 lbs so I could play football