Best bang for buck lightweight wheelset?
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Best bang for buck lightweight wheelset?
What is the best bang for buck wheelset I can get right now? Just bought a new Pulsium 500 with Aksium wheels (~1800g) and common knowledge on the forums is that my new cf bike will assplode from trying to spin such heavy wheels.
Chinese carbon wheels seem to come in around ~1500g for around $400 but I want to see if I can't do better with my money.
Chinese carbon wheels seem to come in around ~1500g for around $400 but I want to see if I can't do better with my money.
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Fulcrum Racing 3 if you are looking for a very good clincher for a reasonable price.
Racing 3 (clincher/2 way fit) - Road Bike Wheels
~1500 grams for about $400 or cheaper if you look for sales. Probikekit and Merlin Cycles has them for about $375
Racing 3 (clincher/2 way fit) - Road Bike Wheels
~1500 grams for about $400 or cheaper if you look for sales. Probikekit and Merlin Cycles has them for about $375
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Corsa Lite which can be had for around $200 when Nashbar is doing 20-25% off (which is at least once a month) and 1550g. I had a set that I put about 5000 miles on with no issues only got rid of because I sold the bike. They were well built and true out of the box and never had to true them when I owned them. Only downside is they are 19mm wide
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I just got these: https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Produc...0052_566773_-1
I'll post a review when I get a few miles on them
I'll post a review when I get a few miles on them
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Thanks for all the recommendations! The Vuelta Corsa SLR seems to be the best option I've seen. ~1470g for low 200s. Reviews seem kind of mixed on the Vueltas though... even one thread recommending the Aksium over the Corsa Lite when it comes to durability?
I'm 145lbs max so I'm not putting a lot of weight on these wheels.
Could I find anything even lighter under $500? Anything approaching the 1300g mark for <$500?
I'm 145lbs max so I'm not putting a lot of weight on these wheels.
Could I find anything even lighter under $500? Anything approaching the 1300g mark for <$500?
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If you're mechanically inclined, and have several hours to spare, build your own. I laced up a set of Pacenti SL23 rims to some BHS hubs in a 24f(2X)/28r(3x) configuration for <$300 (granted I did get the rims for under $100 for the pair). 1450g without skewers and rim tape. Great experience doing the work, and therapeutic too.
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Shimano WH-6800. You can find them for about $300 pretty easily. 1,640g, bulletproof, great freehub and some of the best bearings sold.
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I run the Vuelta SLRs and I'm happy with them. I also have a set of Vuelta Corsa Pros that I use as my gravel wheels.
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Still haven't seen anything posted that is more "Best bang for buck lightweight wheelset" than Vuelta. Everything that posted that is the same weight is basically $150 more and the SLR can be had for about $100 less then the next cheapest wheels posted and are 100g lighter
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Another vote for the Vueltas ....
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S2.0
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That's pretty tough to find. If you lived in Singapore these would be an option, but stateside, it'll set you back $610.
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It seems like the Vuelta's will be my best bet, since I don't ride anywhere near a competitive level. $200ish for <1500g wheelset sounds like a fair upgrade over the stock Aksium (410g weight reduction).
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Shimano WH-RS81 C24... Bomb proof wheelset that feels great and rolls fast!
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You can get a pair of BHS/Kinlin/Sapim wheels that weigh 1,250 g for $375 including labor that you have to arrange. I would certainly build them for you for that. I ride wheels like that and love them.
Last edited by rpenmanparker; 05-24-16 at 03:19 PM.
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+1
Corsa Lite which can be had for around $200 when Nashbar is doing 20-25% off (which is at least once a month) and 1550g. I had a set that I put about 5000 miles on with no issues only got rid of because I sold the bike. They were well built and true out of the box and never had to true them when I owned them. Only downside is they are 19mm wide
Corsa Lite which can be had for around $200 when Nashbar is doing 20-25% off (which is at least once a month) and 1550g. I had a set that I put about 5000 miles on with no issues only got rid of because I sold the bike. They were well built and true out of the box and never had to true them when I owned them. Only downside is they are 19mm wide
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Nashbar website says rim width of 18mm for the Corsa SLR. Is that internal or external? It seems awfully narrow. I do want to ride 28mm tires on there eventually.
That seems like a really good value. What parts are you looking at to get to that weight? I may try my hand at building a wheelset myself if the value is that good.
That seems like a really good value. What parts are you looking at to get to that weight? I may try my hand at building a wheelset myself if the value is that good.
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How do you build that set at 1250g? I have a Tune/Pacenti/CX Ray (20f/24r) wheelseet which is just over 1350g. Looking at the weights for those parts, that's pretty much as low as I've seen for something not underbuilt and scary fragile.
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I've got the Corsa SLR's and they're best bang for buck if you just want to shed weight off the bike. I'm 180 pounds and have ridden them for about 1.5 years now, have yet to break a spoke (even riding them down curbs).
Only 3 cons I can find:
- Their width is narrow and they're difficult to mount tires on. I have no doubt I would have sold them if not for my steel core tire levers.
- I can feel them flex quite a bit under full throttle sprints but I am heavy..
- The rim strip they provided me is a bit too narrow. So much so that it might (when pushed to the edge of the bead) expose an edge to the tube.
Only 3 cons I can find:
- Their width is narrow and they're difficult to mount tires on. I have no doubt I would have sold them if not for my steel core tire levers.
- I can feel them flex quite a bit under full throttle sprints but I am heavy..
- The rim strip they provided me is a bit too narrow. So much so that it might (when pushed to the edge of the bead) expose an edge to the tube.
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I've got the Corsa SLR's and they're best bang for buck if you just want to shed weight off the bike. I'm 180 pounds and have ridden them for about 1.5 years now, have yet to break a spoke (even riding them down curbs).
Only 3 cons I can find:
- Their width is narrow and they're difficult to mount tires on. I have no doubt I would have sold them if not for my steel core tire levers.
- I can feel them flex quite a bit under full throttle sprints but I am heavy..
- The rim strip they provided me is a bit too narrow. So much so that it might (when pushed to the edge of the bead) expose an edge to the tube.
Only 3 cons I can find:
- Their width is narrow and they're difficult to mount tires on. I have no doubt I would have sold them if not for my steel core tire levers.
- I can feel them flex quite a bit under full throttle sprints but I am heavy..
- The rim strip they provided me is a bit too narrow. So much so that it might (when pushed to the edge of the bead) expose an edge to the tube.
What size tires do you ride? Have you tried 28c?
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#25
SLJ 6/8/65-5/2/07
Bought a set of Vueltas for my wife from Nashbar a few Christmases ago and she's been very happy.
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