Road Cycling - Wheel help / opinions

Looking for a wheel that is lightweight, but also pretty durable...


I've looked at everything from the open pros, to the cosmos, to the kyserium elites.. and a few others... Is going to a $500 wheelset going to benefit me that much more than a ~$300 wheelset? (i.e. what would the benefits be other than a little less weight? to going with the elites...)


Thanks

Bonty Race Lites. A good mix of both weight and durability. Theyre really quick once you get them moving too. I think that the extra money is worth spending because your wheels are the most important thing when determining how fast your bike will go. And if youre already spending a few hundred, whats a couple more for something you really want rather that something you will just tolerate because you saved a few quid...

Am selling one of my sets of Ksyrium Elite wheels. About 2500 miles and in excellent condition. They are excellent wheels and both of my sets have been bullet-proof. Send me a PM if you are interested. Mine or not, I highly recommend them for every-day use.

I put nearly 18,000 miles on a set of open pros. Had one spoke a half turn out of whack on both wheels. In all that time. Great daily riding wheels, strong, but get a decent set of hubs....I had Ultegra in mine.

Cosmos are basically open pros...very close.

Now I have the Ksyrium SSC SL's and a friend rode cyclocross on his set this winter and never had even a spoke get out of tune...these wheels are really stiff and strong and ride great.

Looking for a wheel that is lightweight, but also pretty durable...


I've looked at everything from the open pros, to the cosmos, to the kyserium elites.. and a few others... Is going to a $500 wheelset going to benefit me that much more than a ~$300 wheelset? (i.e. what would the benefits be other than a little less weight? to going with the elites...)


Thanks

I think that sometimes boreing is good. A wellbuilt set of Open Pros on Ultegra or better hubs for about $250.00 is pretty much the standard that everything else is measured against. Advantages are you can get replacement spokes anywhere. Anyone can true the rim or service the hub. You don't have to worry about an unreliable freehub body. If you're giving up anything in performance, it'd probably have to be measured in a laboratory.

You won't win any style contests but what are you trying to accomplish?

I have had great luck witth the Mavic Cosmos.

They might not be as nice looking as the Ksyriums but they have been incredibly strong and were standard equipment on my bike.

I still lust after a pair of K's but until these give me a reason to replace them I will continue to enjoy and use them.

I think that sometimes boreing is good. A wellbuilt set of Open Pros on Ultegra or better hubs for about $250.00 is pretty much the standard that everything else is measured against. Advantages are you can get replacement spokes anywhere. Anyone can true the rim or service the hub. You don't have to worry about an unreliable freehub body. If you're giving up anything in performance, it'd probably have to be measured in a laboratory.

You won't win any style contests but what are you trying to accomplish?


Good point. Now I have been told the cosmos are an open pro rim with mavic's hubs... would going open pro with ultegras be the better way to go? I think pricewise they are about the same... I just want some nice strong wheels that are going to shave a little bit of weight and maybe 'perform' a little better. (I am currently running matrix auroras with tiagra hubs (stock trek 2000))


Thanks.

The Cosmos are a manufactured wheel which means if you have a problem your more than likely going to have to send the wheel back to the manufacture for repair. The Mavic Open Pro along with Ultrega or Dura Ace (if you can afford them) are better in the standpoint that any LBS can fix them if needed. BUT if your seriously considering going the Open Pro route then why not consider Torelli Master Series rims? They are just as good, just as strong, just as light as the Mavic's but will cost about $20 per rim less.

Check out the Colorado Cyclist website. I've had two sets of Open Pro wheels built up by them and they not only have a competitive price they do a good job of standing behind their work. It is a rare LBS that has the skills in-house to do a good job of building wheels.

I have open pros with record hubs - love em

I think that sometimes boreing is good. A wellbuilt set of Open Pros on Ultegra or better hubs for about $250.00 is pretty much the standard that everything else is measured against. Advantages are you can get replacement spokes anywhere. Anyone can true the rim or service the hub. You don't have to worry about an unreliable freehub body. If you're giving up anything in performance, it'd probably have to be measured in a laboratory.

You won't win any style contests but what are you trying to accomplish?



Could get elites and not break any spokes and never need to be trued.

Just for comparison:

Bontrager Race Lite appx 3.6 lbs appx $ 499

DuraAce/Mavic Open Pro appx 3.6 lbs appx $ 390

Ultegra/Mavic Open Pro appx 3.8 lbs appx $ 248

Ksyrium Elite appx 3.8 lbs appx $ 549

There are significantly lighter wheels out there, but you get into real issues of price, reliability, repairability, and weight limits.


Compare the weight/price of the Ksyrium Elite to that of the DuraAce/Open Pro. Very bad economics.

Dont know where you buy your stuff from. Got my elites for 499 lastr year and i've seen the for 429,bit of a difference.

These are list prices, of course. Anyone with a little common sense can get them all cheaper, no doubt. But the basic comparison of Ksyrium Elite to a lighter DuraAce/Open Pro just makes no economic or functional sense. And how much of the Ksyrium's mass has to be in the rims to make the low spoke count stiff and stable?

Lighter isnt always better. All the listed wheelsets are good. I dont know about this mass,low spoke count or stabe stuff. The elites are boomproff and maintence free.The dont pop spokes and they dont go out of true.I'm 192 and over 2000 miles on mine and yhey are the same as the day they were put on. All i've had to do is clean them and if thats true for the others,then i guess it comes down to looks,right? Most of the time you get what you pay for.

Lighter isnt always better. All the listed wheelsets are good. I dont know about this mass,low spoke count or stabe stuff. The elites are boomproff and maintence free.The dont pop spokes and they dont go out of true.I'm 192 and over 2000 miles on mine and yhey are the same as the day they were put on. All i've had to do is clean them and if thats true for the others,then i guess it comes down to looks,right? Most of the time you get what you pay for.

I've had the same luck with mine; I put 3000 miles on them last summer, but I'm only about 138#, and I've hit pot holes so deep I was airborne from the bike, but they are still 100% true. I still think they are the best bang for the buck.

I've hit the same stuff at 192lbs with the same results.

And I've hit potholes the same way with my Elites at 220 pounds. So hard that I stopped to inspect the wheels, bike and me. And all survived without anything worse than a slightly sore butt. I've also done the same thing with my 36-spoke Open Pros in the past and they survived just as well. But I feel the Elites are faster and better climbing wheels. Can't go wrong either way so comes down to new versus old for me. And I prefer the cartridge bearings in the Elites.

Anyone have any experience with the Ksyrium Equipes?