kaljr82

I am very new to cycling. I jsut bought my first road bike ever and am looking to upgrade my wheels. My bike is a 2008 Fuji Newest 3.0 and it came with Alex rims. The guy at the LBS told me the rims were good enough but I would likely want to upgrade them (along with the derailleurs ..Sora).
I don't have a whole lot of money to spend on new wheels but just wanted yoru suggestions so I could start looking. If It matter, I really like the way the wheels look that have fewer spokes.

cheers and thanks in advance for you help.

Nick29

Easton Circuit, EA70, EA50 SL, and Vista SL are all decent wheels and can be found on Ebay for ~$350 or less. The Circuit is the older version of the EA70 and the Vista SL is the older version of the EA50 SL. The Circuit/EA70 are a higher end model than the Vista SL/EA50 SL

idcruiserman

I just got a set of EA70s on Ebay for $350 shipped. Highly recommended.

n00bL35

www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.com

You can get a set of Mavic Open Pro rims, with Ultegra 6600 hubs for $190. That's nigh impossible to beat. You may also look at getting a nicer crankset and bottom bracket combo, because you'll probably see a difference there. I really don't like the stock bottom bracket and crankset that came with my Giant. A nicer set like the Shimano Hollowtech, Sram or Truvativ GXP, and FSA MegaExo are good choices. You can find them on eBay for ~$100.

kaljr82

Thanks.
As I said, I am very new to cycling (less than a month) and I want to get the most out of my bike. so any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
I will check out the wheels suggested thus far as well as the bottom bracket and crankset.
Also, and particulat tires better than others, in your opinion?

Cheers.

Homebrew01

Spend your money on comfortable shoes, shorts and/or bibs, jerseys, helmet etc.... And a professional bike fitting.

Those items will make a much bigger difference in your enjoyment of cycling. Get fitter and gain experience. Swapping out parts here & there will do nothing for you. Down the road, maybe you'll want a new bike, so save up for that instead.

kaljr82

Had my bike fitted when I bought it.
already have shoes, bibs, jerseys and a helmet.
But thanks.

Homebrew01

Good .... make sure you have spare tubes, pump or CO2 and know how to use them.

kaljr82

Thanks man. I actually don't have more tubes yet, just a patch kit. And the damned presta valve was the most confusing thing I ever encountered the first time I tried to air up my tire.
went and bought a new Presta compatible floor pump and portable bike mounted pump.
Do you recommend a new tube over patching the old one?? Havent encountered a flat on the road yet thank god.

rydaddy

Riding your current wheels into the ground will get you the most out of your bike.

Seriously, you've only been at it 1 month, which means in 3 months you'll regret whatever hasty decision you make right now. Believe me, I've done it.

kaljr82

You make a very valid point folks.

Homebrew01

I prefer to carry 2 tubes, either new ones or properly patched ones. Then I'll patch the flat one later. Patching on the road is time consuming, and might not work well if it's raining.

It might be good to practice it at home. Take off the wheel, tire & tube and then put it all back together.

mrvrsick

A pro fit I hear is the bees-knees...
Aside from that, the search for the perfect saddle would be next on my list, even before upgrading sora