dvdslw

I've been holding out to buy a new set of wheels hoping someone will release something new at either Eurobike or Interbike but it seems like the same old selection with new colors so I'm hoping someone may have seen something out there or possibly heard rumors of something like a revised C24 or something similar? There's a few things the wheels must have, first is a tubeless wheelset with a sealed rim without the need for tubeless tape, second is a wide inside bead width of 18mm+, third is a set that is lighter than my current Ultegra's @ 1640g. They can be Carbon, Aluminum, or Hybrid? So far the only wheels I can find that fit my requirements are the new Zipp Course30's that look pretty nice on paper with a 25mm outside width, 21mm inside width, 26mm deep aluminum rim, 1570 grams, and have the same hubs as their 202's. Then there's the much more expensive Easton EC90SL's that are 28mm wide outside, 19mm inside, 38mm deep carbon rim, 1473 grams, and their new Echo Hub. Finally there's the one set I've drooled over since they were announced back in 2013, the Easton Aero55's that are the same build and specs as the new EC90SL's but with a 55mm deep wheel ans weighing 1580 grams.

All three sets I've listed have what I want and while my desire says get the Eastons, common sense says I can by two sets of the Zipps and a Garmin for the same price, plus I'm not totally against road disc brakes sometime in the future so it may be a good idea to not spend too much, that's why I'm hoping someone has seen something else out there to consider and remember wide, tubeless, and sealed rim. Thanks!

https://zipp.com/wheels/30-course-rim-brake-clincher/
https://eastoncycling.com/product/ec90slclincher/
https://eastoncycling.com/en-us/road/...o-55-clincher/

Mumonkan

iv e never heard of a sealed rim until now, how do you build it?

Marcus_Ti

You don't...they only come on prebuilt boutique wheels.

To build them you thread a magnet into each nipple and then drop it in the vavle hole and use a magnet to drage the spoke nipple to a spoke hole.

dvdslw

All Shimano, Campy/Fulcrum, and Easton Wheels are sealed with no exposed spoke holes inside the rim so there's no need for tape and nowhere for air and/or sealant to escape under the high inflation pressures of road tubeless applications.

Mumonkan

yeah no thanks.

thinking about having to change a spoke on those wheels just gave me a headache

dvdslw

Not exactly true, the spoke nipples can also be double threaded screwing into the wheel and spoke which is what Shimano and Easton use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAdO33oLvn0

Marcus_Ti

I haven't kept up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIGm7pKx3rs

redfooj

25mm smooth inside bed with tubeless compatible bead that's lightweight?


Far sports / wheels far

beatlebee 

^yeah get those and let me know how they work out. (seriously)



I just had a new rear tubeless Pacenti 23 built up and it is great, but you need tape.

dvdslw

Yeah, I'm not looking for cheap. I don't mind spending money on decent wheels.

CliffordK

Here was someone on RBR that built his CF no-holes wheels with Chinese rims.

Building a Carbon, Tubeless, Disc Road Wheelset - Need Advice

It sounded like an interesting process. I assume it is easiest with deep rims.

UnfilteredDregs

Sealed is completely unnecessary. Good tape is more than adequate.

anotherbrian

Having built three sets of Mavic UST MTB wheels, and Yellow taped more than that number of MTB and road wheels, I completely agree.

Any elegance in not having the spoke holes (and you still have the valve hole, which can be a point of failure) is lost in the hassle of fastening the spokes to the rim, and at least in the case of Mavic's XM819 and 823, the substantial extra weight of the rim/additional hardware.

redfooj

I have 2 pair of 23mm smooth bed tubeless-compatible wheels from them and very happy. Have not gone the tubeless route though - that will be experiment when my clinchers wear out...need atleast until next summer for that to happen

rpenmanparker 

OP consider what you would do if you broke a spoke or nipple. Who needs that aggravation?

dvdslw

Taping a wheel does work well for mtb applications using lower inflation pressure but when you pump up to 80-100psi for a road application it becomes problematic as the air is always trying to escape somewhere. All it takes is one place inside the rim to have an issue, the tape will lift, and you're scratching your head wondering what happened. Lets say you bought a deep carbon rim and it has an uneven surface inside where the tape sits or the tape hasn't adhered properly then as you inflate the tire air is escaping under the tape and into the hollow rim cavity through a spoke hole, then you add sealant which follows the path of the escaping air that also fills the hollow rim cavity, not inside the tire where it should be leaving you unprotected from a puncture. Look, I know many are taping wheels without issue and obviously if it didn't work then big manufacturers like DT, Reynolds, and Hed, wouldn't sell their products to work as tubeless but taping will never work as good as a true "Certified" Road Tubeless wheel with a sealed rim, never. I've been riding with a set of Easton Haven's on my mtb for 5 years and Ultegra's on my road bike for 2 years both sets have sealed rims, both trouble free! I bought some Reynolds Assaults that claimed to be tubeless and had nothing but problems with two different sets so I found out first hand where the trouble lies and because of those problems choose to find rims that are sealed. I love my tubeless tires and what they have to offer but don't want to go through what I experienced again with tubeless tape.

dvdslw

I just don't worry myself with breaking a spoke, not sure why so many here do? I've never broken a spoke before in my life, never. If it does happen then I switch to my backup Ultegra wheels until it's fixed, no worries.

Trsnrtr

And, I've gone through that aggravation. Besides having a hard time finding proprietary spokes, they're expensive. Break one on a tour and you're pretty much screwed.

Marcus_Ti

Same with pretty much any bizzarro part that is proprietary or otherwise ultra-uncommon.

First time in 20-25 years on Tour de Nebraska this year we had a rider unable to finish this year. They brought a folding bike (Can't remember if it was a Bike Friday specifically or not), well JRA through a parking lot SAG stop....the front fork cracked and they were done. Just one of those bizarre happenstances. Injury wasn't the problem, the problem was you cannot find a local replacement for a Bike Friday-sized front fork for love or money just about anywhere in the entire State AFAIK.

redfooj

let the shop worry about it

Marcus_Ti

LOL...you've never had to wait 1+ calendar weeks for bizzarro proprietary wheel parts to be ordered because they are never stocked locally.

Or as is the case on a tour...you are done riding.

redfooj

i dont think tour riders are exactly the kind shopping for low weight, high performance plastic wheels....

neither should be the other category of spoke-breakers: clydesdales

Marcus_Ti

You'd think not...OTOH lots of rec riders like the look and therefore have the carbon-wunder-wheels, and most people only keep one set of wheels they like.

This year on Tour de Nebraska there was someone who brought 60mm carbon rims on our 5-day camping jaunt...and I could not help but cringe every time I saw that steed parked, due to the great plains winds we get. And being a very short and light sort, I'm amazed they didn't get blown off the road into North Dakota at a minimum.

redfooj

caveat emptor :-D

WalksOn2Wheels

If you are worried about tape as a weak point, check out Bontrager TLR wheels. I know that it may seem weird to have "Trek" wheels on a non-Trek bike, but in terms of tubeless wheels, they are some of the best I've ever worked with and ridden. It's a standard style rim, so you do need to cover the spoke holes, but Bontrager makes this awesome molded plastic rim cover that drops inside the rim and instantly seals everything. I've had it setup on my bike for months now and haven't had a flat or any loss of air beyond what I experienced with tubed tires. And I've set up several different style of rims while working in a shop. Outside of a sealed rim like you see on some Mavic MTB wheels, the Bontrager has definitely been by far the easiest wheel to set up.

Also, if you don't want to spend much, you could get their mid-level alloy set, the Race Lites, and not be in it for too much. Plus, they have standard style spokes any shop is bound to have and the hubs have DT Swiss internals, which most shops have on hand, or can easily acquire. And if you want to go nuts, they now have their carbon wheels with the TLR tech. Same standard spokes and DT Swiss internal hubs. Light and very aero.

EDIT: And if you go nuts and go carbon, but don't like the huge Bontrager logos, they peel right off.