Believe I'm overthinking my first wheel purchase
 

I have a 2009 Trek 2.1 with stock wheels. Listed as Bontrager SSR (43cm: Alloy hubs w/650c Alex rim) on the Trek website. I wanted to upgrade wheels for $300-$450. The bike way I ride here is pretty smooth with some decent bumps where the bridges are. The two charity rides I did were smoother than expected as well but did have a few short stretches that were bumpy. I weigh 160 lbs and am still a beginner but am starting to ride more aggressively.

Right now I'm trying to decide between two wheelsets. Open Pro/Ultegra Hub build that everyone says is a great first wheel set and extremely durable. I like hearing that because I'm paranoid about denting a rim and having to frequently true. Price varies on these wheels across websites. $409 on BWW with Ultegra hubs, brass nipples, and DT Comp 2.0/1.8 spokes.

I also like the Vuelta Corsa Lites. $279 on Nashbar and about 400 grams lighter than the Open Pro build. 20 spoke front and 24 spoke rear compared to 32 spoke for the Open Pros. The Open Pro weight rating is a lot higher than the 160 lbs I weigh and may be overkill for me. The Vuelta's do have alloy nipples tho and are just listed as "Vuelta hubs"

I guess really what I'm asking is if the Open Pro style wheelsets are overkill for a 160 lb rider. I've read very few reviews on the Vuelta Corsa Lites but the ones I have read were very good. Also I am not heart set on either set. Thanks in advance for any replies.

Go for the Open Pros/ Ultegra wheels. No, they are not "overkill" at your weight. If you are concerned about denting rims, the 32H lacing will resist better than the low spoke count Vuelta wheels. Also, Ultegras are a superior quality hub and the alloy nipples are not a worthwhile "feature" for the use you intend.

I don't think I would consider it "overkill". The Ultegra/Open Pro/DT combo is a proven, durable, sensible wheel set that if built properly should give you no troubles.

I suppose anything's possible, but my research on the 2009 Trek site shows the 2.1 with 700c wheels. Most road wheelsets available on the WWW are built with 700c rims. (571 vs. 622mm BSD). That's roughly a 2 inch difference in diameter.

Make certain of what you actually have because if you really have 650c- 700c might cause some fit-up issues.

BTW- I'd do the Ultegra- Open Pro setup every time.

I saw the 650c notation too and it kept me from several other wheel recommendations that are available only in 700c.

If the bike really requires 650c wheels (the OP says it's a 43 cm frame so that's a distinct possibility) than 700c are certainly not going to fit.

The bike is a 54 CM size. I got the info off the Trek site. http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2009/archive/21
I guess it means that the 43 cm model fits 600c but mine most definitely uses 700c. I just copied and pasted what was listed under wheels.
I am open to recommendations because I have not heard great things about the paired spoke wheels that are currently on the bike.

Also fitting in my price range are the Mavic Ksyrium Equipes. They come in white also which I know wont help performance but I think it would look cool on my bike. =)

The fact they are 700c opens up a huge range of possibilities. My recomendation is Mavic CXP-33 rims on Ultegra hubs 32H, laced 3X with either DT 2.0 plain gauge or 2.0/1.8/2.0 butted spokes. Colorado Cyclist offers them for $384 a pair with 2.0 spokes and adds $14 for the db spoke version. Look here: http://www.coloradocyclist.com/product/display/25350/

The CXP-33 rim has a bit deeper cross section than the Open Pro so it's stronger and a bit more aero.

For the type of riding you describe, forget the boutique and low spoke count wheels.

Why upgrade the wheels at all? For light recreational riding, or even hard recreational riding, the ones that came stock on the bike are fine.

Not criticizing, just asking what your upgrade goal is. If it's speed, or comfort, the dollars might be better spent elsewhere.

+1

Those Vuelta wheels are meant to look racy and cool. The reality is that they are far less durable than a conventional wheel. Costs are cut on the cheap off brand hubs. Avoid.

+1

Until your current wheels start to crap out, why get new ones? I suppose you could sell your current wheels on craigslist or something.

First, wheels are much more durable than people think. Unless you are heavy and ride or terrible roads, wheels hold up a long, long time. I weigh 160 and them ride Zipp CF wheels ona daily basis for the past five years. I've never had to touch them once.

Second, Open Pro's are generally good but for some reason, many people experience cracking around the spoke holes. Do a search and you'lll find some complaints.

Third, it's really hard to dent rims. If you hit a pothole, you mist likely will knock the wheel out of true. That's easily fixed with a spoke wrench.

Finally, those Bontranger twin sopke wheels are not good.

A hand built wheel will be better than a machine built wheel , if only because
I have never seen a machine built wheel that lubricated the spoke threads
before it was laced up.
a lubricated spoke will let the nipple turn smoothly so it pulls
rather than torques the spoke.

then the torqued spoke unwinds in use, and the wheel goes back out of shape.

28 wide tire at 100+ psi will keep you from bottoming out on the rim..

you need another 650c sized rim , you should know..
its smaller than a 700c rim.
they are not interchangeable.
a 43cm frame, it got smaller wheels, was part of getting the bike to fit short riders.

Edit .. N/M.. :innocent:

+1 At 160, you shouldn't be putting too much stress on your wheels even on crap roads. I ride cheap, low spoke count wheels on my commuter and I've got a good 60+ lbs. on you plus another 10 lbs. of stuff. I bomb over RR tracks several times a day and have yet to dent a rim. And with all of that, they stay trues quite nicely.

If you want new wheels, go for it. But, at your weight, you don't need heavy duty wheels. Just good components that are built well.

At the moment I am leaning toward the CXP-33 rims with Ultegra hubs and DT Swiss Comp spokes 2.0/1.8 but I am not sure of the length. I heard 295 mm. They will be laced 3 cross. How do I determine spoke length? DT Swiss has a calculator that is a little advanced for me the moment. I thought about purchasing the parts and then having them assembled locally.

Also considering Mavic Ksyrium Equipe. Heard good things about Mavic hubs, I do not know how they compare to the Ultegra hubs though. They are, however, 20 spoke front and back compared to 32 spokes on the CXP-33s.

The Equipes are a lot lighter than the CXP-33s but I am not racing just doing long rides of 40-60 miles and working up toward 100 miles but damn they sure look cool in white lol.

If you having an experience local builder assemble them for you- let them spec the spoke length.

For my money I'd do the Shimano hubs before the Mavics. I know some do, but I don't like the machine gun like soundoff of teh Mavic hubs in coasting mode.

You missed it several posts above. The bike is a 54 cm and the wheels are 700c. The OP was mis-quoting from some Trek literature.

If you're going with something as common as the Open Pro/ Ultegra build, you'll do far better for yourself just buying a complete wheelbuild somewhere and then worrying about 'tuning' them later, if necessary. Buying wheel components and building your own usually costs you more than buying a complete set (especially in this pricing/quality realm). The real reason that people still buy parts and build their own is to do their own quality control on the building part. If you want your local shopt to do the building, you can buy a complete set of OP/Ultegras built, tear them apart and then take them to the shop to do the building. This would still likely be more affordable than either you or the shop buying the parts and doing the build. Something to think about at the very least.

And chances are good that the complete wheelset, purchased on line, would be well built enough for you that going through the trouble to have them rebuilt by the shop wouldn't be necessary. Just buy the set, ride them and don't look back.

*I also agree with the comment above about riding the SSR's until they fail. The complaints about paired spoke wheels is that they eventually crack, not necessarily that they are terrible wheels to ride. There's little reason not to ride them until they fail, and THEN order up some new ones. It's not like they fail catastrophically. The failure will be small cracks by the nipples, and the wheels going slightly out of true. You can safely ride them until that happens and have plenty of time to order new ones while continuing to ride the SSR's.

-Jeremy

N/M .. fwiw ,
Ive still got 30 year old Mavic E2 rims , and they still are OK,
I do believe the OP is over-thinking it , as their topic heading suggests.

If they want a different wheel set than the OEM specified,
to hit the 2.1's target price point, .. go for it..