Road Cycling - Wheels on my new Cannondale

Hi
I just bought a European spec Cannondale R500. The 2003 version had Mavic CXP wheels, however when I got delivery of the new 2004 I discovered that they had replaced this with a wheel called Mach 1 CFX. I asked my dealer whether they were the equivalent and they said they were. I am just checking with the forum whether anyone has had experience of this wheel, or have cannondale cheapened up the specification of their European entry level bike with crappy wheels, which I would need to replace.

Thanks

dunno. they put gipiemme's on their higher end bikes this year, which appear to be good wheels ...

You did not give the number of the CXP wheelset, but I assume it is CXP 21 since you have an entry-level road bike. In a number of threads here, you can read about the grief folks, me included, have had with that wheelset. The jury is still out, but it comes down to whether the rims are structurally bad or if it is poor factory building of the wheels. I don't know anything about the replacement wheels, but you're not missing anything by not having CXP 21s. An important consideration is to find out what brand of hub is on each wheelset. I'd be really concerned if the substitute wheelset also included a hub downgrade.

Rich

You did not give the number of the CXP wheelset, but I assume it is CXP 21 since you have an entry-level road bike. In a number of threads here, you can read about the grief folks, me included, have had with that wheelset. The jury is still out, but it comes down to whether the rims are structurally bad or if it is poor factory building of the wheels. I don't know anything about the replacement wheels, but you're not missing anything by not having CXP 21s. An important consideration is to find out what brand of hub is on each wheelset. I'd be really concerned if the substitute wheelset also included a hub downgrade.

Rich

What problems are people having with the CXP21's??? I have a set with about 500 miles on them and probably a 1000 or more from the person I bought them from. They are pewter with Ultegra hubs and black spokes. I'm not sure if they are from a prebuilt bike or if they were made but I will contact the guy I bought them from and see. Although I have had no problems this worries me :(

The complaints stated here and on Roadbikereviews.com are about spokes breaking. In just about all the cases, the wheels were machine built, as were mine. I also think it has to do with the structure of the rims. I got a broken spoke every few hundred miles. When I discovered that my rear wheel was radially out of true, I bought a new CXP 21 with Ultegra hub at a LBS. The new wheel went out of true in a couple of days. They had to retension that wheel 3 times. After the third time, a spoke broke and I decided to give up on CXP 21s. They refunded my money and sent the wheel back to Mavic. The shop also noted that it is difficult to keep the spokes, near where the ends of the rim are joined, true. BTW, I weigh 165 pounds.

Because your wheels have custom spokes, zman92atl, I suspect they were hand built. If they have not gone out of true yet, they might avoid the problems that others have experienced with machine-built stock wheels.

Rich

Because your wheels have custom spokes, zman92atl, I suspect they were hand built. If they have not gone out of true yet, they might avoid the problems that others have experienced with machine-built stock wheels.

Rich

I contacted the guy I bought them from and they are indeed prebuilt. They came off of his Specialized bike and he put 1500 miles on them before I purchased them. I'll keep my fingers crossed.