Originally Posted by
rmfnla
Who says every component change has to be to a more expensive part?
A while back my rear Mavic Ksyrium SSC developed the dreaded rim crack, so I tossed on a set of Shimano WH-R550s I had lying around just to keep me on the road until I could shop for a set of "good" wheels.
Many miles later I find I am quite happy with these wheels and don't see any reason to not continue using them.
Saving a few bucks doesn't hurt, either...
Funny you mentioned Shimano WH-R550's -- two days ago I took off this exact wheelset off my bike and replaced it with some Rolf Elan wheels. It rained that same night so i wasn't able to ride. The next day i went out for a test ride, THEY FELT EXACTLY THE SAME.
Butt-dyno was super confused.. 1800g claimed weight vs 1250g claimed weight and no difference in feel at all. Except now I can't abuse these new wheels like i did the Shimanos (hop off curbs, ride straight through bumps/cracks/bad pavement)....
Now I believe Shimano WH-R550's are actually very very good wheels..