BigSean

Oh yeah, its not a real healthy hobby. I smoked and drank all the time while fishing.

voltman

Sounds like RC car racing.

BigSean

Always more to buy. All hobbies seem to work that way.

Mo'Phat

I took my son (3 years old) to a Model Railroading Trade convention (at the Shrine Hall in Kearny Mesa) over the weekend...you talk about a useless, expensive, time-consuming hobby. The kid loved it (loves trains), I was bored out of my skull and just couldn't comprehend the devotion of these people.

voltman

I wanted a setup for the longest time when I was a kid. I imagined having a whole room devoted to a train scene, then I would have run track all around the house along the way to make a full circuit. It was fun to think about.

roadfix

So did I......but somehow I got involved in model airplanes.

voltman

I think I'm going to start a wheel poll in the road forum. I hate polls.

EDIT: Not a poll, just a thread.

voltman

My final answer:

BigSean

Not much you can buy for a bike these days for that little amount of money. Good choice. How much do those weigh? Im guessing around 1800 gr.

voltman

I didn't weigh them, but that sounds like a good guess. They felt about the same, if not a little lighter than the new 550s I exchanged. These are the standard Open Pros without the ceramic or CD stuff.

voltman

Of course, the shop guy says these may require more truing than the 550s because the spokes cross. We'll see.

BigSean

My back up wheel set is the Nuevation SL28. Lighter then my primary set of Bontrager's, but Im too lazy to change em. I gotta put a cassette and tires on em so I can just change em quickly.

herbm

My lbs showed those to me....really nice and light..but they scared me because of the low spoke count...
I got OP/Ultegras also now...cant wait to ride em!!
They were a bit over 1/2lb lighter than my Bontragers...that also includes new cassette weight!! the ultegra cassette weights less than the sram on the bontragers

Tiffanie

Low spoke count? What's a 'standard' or typical spoke count?

Mo'Phat

The only train I ever wanted (and still want) is that one from Silver Spoons that you could ride through the living room.


Then Alfonso Ribiero could be my friend.


And I'd have a race car bed.

voltman

Typical is like 32 front, 36 rear. My new ones are 32, 32. I think your Campy wheels are like 16, 20 or something.

Tiffanie

Thanks. So what's the concern with a low spoke count?

herbm

Typical?? You got me...

My stock wheels were 20/24 (20 front 24 rear)
My OPs are 32 I believe
The Nuevations I saw were something like 16 or 18/20

There are lots of threads on spoke count and good/bad etc...

You can have more spokes and still not have great wheels...the rims have alot to do with it...as well as who built them...custom vs machine...

Touring wheels usually have more....
Us clydesdales tend to ride with more...but i have heard from others that have low spoke counts!

Mo'Phat

What, if I may ask...did you end up paying for the U/OP's? Performance says $199 for the set.

voltman

No, the Campy Ventos are 24, 27.

Mo'Phat

Two concerns (that are mostly nullified through engineering and build quality): more spokes distribute the force along more parts of the rim, which could help keep the wheel true and make it feel more solid. and if a spoke happens to break, it's theoretically better and safer to break 1 of 32 than 1 of 16.

herbm

Excellent point Mo!
thanks

Tiffanie

Ok thanks. So basically, if I break a spoke, there's a good chance I'll be eatin' asphalt?!

voltman

I paid the $199 minus the 15% for Team Performance members. I think that's around $170 +tax.

voltman

Not a good chance. It's not usually catastrophic failure as far as I know, but more about the wheel going out of true and being unrideable faster.