Road Cycling - Spinergy RevX Aero Wheels

After I get my new bike with the aero frame, and some aerobars, Iwill be looking at aero wheels for Time Trialling. Due to the price of these wheels I will most likely be looking at second hand stuff.

Here in NZ you can pick up Spinergy RevX Carbon aero wheels as a pair for around $500NZD. A used set of trispokes set you back about $1300NZD (new Trispokes are around $1800 - $1900NZD)

I have heard some bad things about the Spinergies "exploding" and being prone to cracks and nicks in the blades. I am very wary of getting these wheels ( I will be using them for time trialling, but there are some Metric centuries etc that would suit aero wheels) I am thinking that using these for some minor road racing would be dangerous due to the high speeds? Would tri-spokes be a better all round performer?

Please let me know, as if I see a really good deal on either wheelset I might pounce on it before I even have my new bike (would that be logical?)

In the future I will also be looking at some deep rim wheels for windier conditions and all round road racing.

Brendon

Edit: P.S do Spinergy still make the RevX? and would it be wise to only look at a rear RevX that still has the spoke protector on it?

TIA

Are these the spinergy wheels you are talking about?

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=4349

This guy got this wheel on ebay pretty cheap.

I don't know if it is as strong as the tri-spoke or not...... I run the tri-spoke on my bike while my friend Don uses that 4 blade spinergy wheel.

http://groups.msn.com/BicyclingForumPicPost/trainingsetuppics.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=5009

http://wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/racing2003/arlingtoncrit/Racer3.jpg

I know the weight distribution would be different on my bike vs an upright Time Trial bike, but so far the hed-3 has been pretty indestructable. Don hasn't had enough hours on his spinergy yet to know how durable it is yet.

Those are the RevX's... you can get some that look different though. Not quite that flash.

Brendon

The REV-X is no longer produced. They have a spotty history, and I wouldn't buy them used unless I could look at them first to make sure there are NO nicks on the blades. Any damage to them weakens them. They also have a pretty strict limit on rider weight. There are alternatives that seem to be stronger and better manufactured. I'm not trying to bad mouth the company by the way. I have a set of Xaero-X's on my Bianchi, and I love them.

DEMON

The REV-X also has a problem on the rear hub. Sometimes they will break free from the hub. The wheel does not collapes but all of the sudden the drive train is not able to put power into the wheel... The inner hub (freehub) is spinning free inside the carbon part of the wheel.

I've seen this happen twice over the many years to different riders. The last time I saw it happen the guy was going up a steep hill in a 1/2 ironman (trial run) and all of the sudden there was a snap and his legs started spinning like a sewing machine until he just started rolling backwards and fell over!

I think the REV-X were actually pretty good wheels for their time... But I don't think I would buy used ones...

Oh, having said that, other Spinnergy such as the Xaero-X or Xaero-lite or Tiliums are just fine.

Ok so I will say no to the Spinergy RevX....I shall look up those other spinergy wheels.

Thanks EagleEye for the link to those Tri-spokes.... indeed I can buy them cheaper online than second hand here!

Brendon

Those Tiliums might be good for road racing, yes? Or would I be able to go a deeper rim perhaps? Or use a Tilium and put on a Tri-spoke at the rear if I am able to? (that would only be legal in a charity century?)

What deep rims are RR legal?

Brendon

So far we have:
Aero wheels (trispoke, 5spoke, disc)
HED (Road Disc (http://www.hedcycling.com/discmain.htm) and Tri-spoke (http://www.hedcycling.com/h3.htm))
Aerospoke (5spoke (http://www.aerospoke.com/index.php?id=401))
Mavic (Road Disc (http://www.mavic.com/servlet/srt/mavic/tria-prod_fiche?product.id=54&lg=uk))

Aero Wheels (deep rims, bladed spokes etc)
HED (Alps (http://www.hedcycling.com/alps.htm) and the Jet series, coming in 40mm deep (http://www.hedcycling.com/jet40.htm), 60mm deep (http://www.hedcycling.com/jet60.htm) and the 90mm Deep rear wheel (http://www.hedcycling.com/jet90.htm))
Mavic (Cosmic Carbone SSC (http://www.mavic.com/servlet/srt/mavic/tria-prod_fiche?product.id=53&lg=uk) and the Ksyrium (http://www.mavic.com/servlet/srt/mavic/tria-prod?lg=uk) range.)
Spinergy (Tilium Carbon (http://www.spinergy.com/tiliumcarbon.htm) and the Tilium Carbon (http://www.spinergy.com/carbonss.htm) and the Xaero Lite (http://www.spinergy.com/xaerolite.htm))

So many choices! and there are others out there, I know!

Comments anyone?

just a reminder that I will be getting some time Trial wheels and also some road racing ones etc.

Brendon

I have been looking around....I've been thinking get some Spinergy Xaero wheels and use them for TTing and RRacing, then when I can afford it get a Disc for TTing...

thoughts?

Brendon

See if you can find a shop that will let you test them out. I didn't like the feel of the PBO spokes, they were a little springy on a fast start. I prefer the bladed metal spokes of the Xaero-X.

I didn't think the PBO were springing... Can't see how that is possible either. If they are under tension then they can't stretch more? They are rated at 10x the tensil strength of stainless steel spokes.

But dcycle is right see if you can find the wheels and see if you can try before you buy.

I love my PBO spokes but that doesn't mean they are for everyone! ;)

P.S. I don't know if the Tilium is RR compliant. Of course at this moment in time I don't know what RR means. I think they are UCI and USCF certified. I think the Tiliums are IRON-MAN certified.

The REV-X is no longer produced. They have a spotty history, and I wouldn't buy them used unless I could look at them first to make sure there are NO nicks on the blades. Any damage to them weakens them. They also have a pretty strict limit on rider weight.
Agreed. I almost picked up a set until I saw a front wheel blow apart in a crit...and the wheel was 2 months old. Do a google.com search on all the wonderful broken jaws and assosted injuries these have provided. There are better altrenatives out there.