bt

when on your deathbed do you think you're gonna look back and wish you'd have bought less carbon wheels?

dvdslw

I would have to agree with you on the design/execution aspect of a wheel build being just as important as the materials used and I'm sure the Zipps or Bontragers would be a step up from what I rode but also exceeding my budget by quite a bit. I was on the fence about going deep or going light and after my experience with the Reynolds wheels I started re-focusing on lightweight aluminum clinchers again. My new wants are 1400g +/-, good hubs, wide tubeless bead of 19+ (inside), and built for 220 +/-lb rider. So far its down to HED Ardennes+ FR, Industry Nine I25's, American Classic Argent's, and the new American Classic Sprint 350 which is now available tubeless.

dvdslw

Probably not, I love the way they looked and hope to be able to afford a set that will serve me well sometime in the future but at this time can't see the benefit. I'm pretty bummed about the whole thing because I made some sacrifices to come up with the cash for them, talked for weeks leading up to the test ride with the shop about how excited I was to take them out for a spin only to be disappointed with the whole process after the ride. There was no denying the feeling I had when I got back on the bike after they put my wheels back on and that matters more to me than how my bike looks.

bt

shhhhhh....

you're gonna mess up my whole system!

dvdslw

I won't tell! They did look sexy on the bike, I wanted so bad to like them!

colnago62

You sound like you are big guy. I would look at riding some Zipps and seeing how you like them. Then, find someone selling some on Craigslist. I found a 303 wheelset for $400.00 with little brake track wear. He was a 120 lb. rider. There are zero elite track sprinters riding aluminum rims, and sprinting is all about acceleration. Carbon wheels tend to not have the snap of aluminum, so you might have a 2 pedal stroke advantage with aluminum, but after that, it is all over. Take a look at any elite criterium, you would be hard pressed to find anyone riding anything but carbon.

dvdslw

So today I stopped in at the bike store where I tested the Assault/Strike wheelset last week on my way out to ride this morning. While there buying my usual drink and bar the shop owner greeted me and asked if I had any further questions or thoughts about the wheels I tested. I told him what I thought about them and said I would probably be looking to get something else at this point. He said that they had their other set of Assaults (front and rear) back in from demo and they'd be happy to swap them out for my ride today, I was hesitant but agreed not only to appease him but also to help settle my curiosity. I don't know if I was having a bad leg day when I tested the Assault/Strike combo or if the Assault rear wheel could possibly make that much of a difference but today's ride was one of the best I've had. I didn't notice the sluggishness or flex like I did before and the wheels felt very lively. My only gripe would be the noise they make under heavy braking, like a high pitched squeal. Under normal braking they sounded fine, more noise than aluminum but not bad. I also noticed that the rear hub on the Assault had a more defined click and was louder compared to the Strike which struck me as odd, maybe there was something going on with the Strike wheel? They were also setup tubeless with some Hutchinson Atom's and that may have been the biggest difference between the two? Whatever the reason I have a new found liking for the wheels and hope to pull the trigger this week. Here's a cell phone pic from today.