Team Fab

Hi All

Just wondering about some opinions.

I purchsed a tandem that came with a Campy grouppo. The wheels are White Industries hubs with velocity rims and Campy style hubs. I have converted the tandem to Shimano 6703 so the wheels will no longer work. The wheels look to have no more than 200 miles on them(the brake pads barely had a scratch on them).

Are these wheels worth the effort to switch the hub internals to a Shimano compatible set up(and get the spokes dished appropriately)(cost approx 250). Or should I just sell them and buy new set of wheels(if so what are they worth to sell)?

Opinions welcome. Thanks.

specbill

I think you have a good set of wheels to begin with, because...after many years of being a Phil Wood zealot, our new'ish '10 C'dale came with White Ind. hubs. We put a few thousand miles on them and were impressed. So we decided to upgrade our other Tandem to disc's and we went with a White industry Hubs and Velocity Fusion wheels for that Tandem. We've put over three thousand miles on that new set, plus a few more thousand miles on the original C'dale set. So far both sets of WI's have provided trouble free service. At this point we really like the WI's, especially for the money. So again, you have a nice set of wheels in hand.
Given that, if your wheels are as new as they appear to be I would spend the $250 and do the conversion.
If you choose to sell them, my guess is that it will cost you time and money to sell them on Ebay or CL for $350-400. Then it will take more time and money (Taxes-Shipping??) for you to find a new set of like wheels at a price that would save you any money over the $250 rebuild option....I guess if you really worked at it and got lucky on the sales proceeds and the new buy price, you might be near break even but I don't thing the time and risk is worth the effort. Good Luck with your decision.
Bill J.

Team Fab

Hi Bill

Thanks. The most important part of the decision was what are these worth if i sell them.

I guess I will switch them over then.

Craig

Ritterview

Well, if it is opinions you seek, mine is that you shoulda stuck with the Campy!

Team Fab

Not enough Campy around here. To hard to get parts.

Also, not sure how to get a 30 front and 36 rear with Campy as we like to climb some big hills and we are not light.

Ritterview

A component cornucopia is available on the internet thing you're on.

There is no 36 cog Campy compatible cassette, true. IRD makes a 12-32, however. If you switched your inner triple ring from 30 to 28t, you'd be close in ratio to 30-36.

Carbonfiberboy 

We run a 26T inner ring, a Salsa I think. Just a simple ring, doesn't need anything special. Our middle ring is a 39T, a little tricky to upshift, but not bad once we got the hang of it.

Ritterview

More tangential to topic: My triple now is 53-42-30 (cassette is 12-29). I'd like to get a 28t inner ring, but do not know if shifting will abide the 28 to 42 jump. Maybe I should get a 40t or so middle ring, but the jump to the outer ring now is the most problematic, and I don't want to make that anymore difficult. Any advice would be appreciated!

chichi

In the vain of "if it's advice you seek"

Hill intervals!

Ritterview

Hill intervals, eh? How's this? It is while pitched at 15% grade that I got the idea for the 28t inner ring!

Team Fab

With 15 solo bikes and one tandem(now two) with Shimano and SRAM, I really did not need another type of group. Also, yes while it is all available online, if I have a breakdown I do not have to want to wait for parts. Also, I would need more tools(not necessarily a bad thing).

Campy is also more expensive in general.

I can walk into any bike shop and get Shimano or Sram, but Campy maybe one in ten.

As a bonus I was able to sell my 2006 Campy group for enough to get brand new Shimano.

waynesulak

Now the second half of that looks like a blast!

waynesulak

All of the above is the reason some riders use those wonderfule Campy Shifters with Shimano chains and Cassettes. All the wear parts are cheaper Shimano.

rdtompki

+1. I love my Campy shifters.

Philly Tandem

To answer your original question, White Industries hubs are generally very well regarded and are pretty high-end, up there with Phil and Chris King (although arguably lesser known). I don't have them on my tandem, but do have a set on my MTB and also a set of touring wheels with a WI rear hub. I've been pleased with them so far, and the build quality is excellent. I'm not as keen on the tiny set screws they use for disassembly of the hubs, compared with the easy 5mm disassembly offered by Phil Wood and similar hubs. WI has been very helpful the few times I've called them with questions.

mrfish

I think there were much simpler and cheaper solutions than ditching the Campy altogether - use a shiftmate. But since you're already shimanoed-up, I would get 10 speed shifters and cassettes. Then shimano and campy cassettes are near identical and cross-compatible, barring minor RD adjustment. No need for crazy 'conversion' cassettes and such like with 10 speed.

Finally the other easy option would be just to change the cassette body and buy a wheel jig, dishing stick and spoke wrench - re-dishing isn't rocket science, and as long as you take your time I it's an easy home job.

Team Fab

Bought 6703 shifters, brakes, FD, but the rear is xtr 9 spd to help take up the triple chain length.

I had thought about doing the change myself but do not trust myself to get the wheel straight. Will do cassette body myself.

jnbrown

We use 50-39-28 and 11-28