Old 01-21-25 | 05:36 PM
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surak
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Joined: Nov 2017
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From: Seattle

Bikes: Specialized Roubaix, Obed Boundary, Canyon Inflite AL SLX, Ibis Ripley AF, Priority Continuum Onyx, Santana Vision, Kent Dual-Drive Tandem

There is an entire extensive thread on Light Bicycle wheels already in Road Cycling: Light Bicycle Wheels

I have a LB combo wheelset with a WR50 front wheel that's been completely trouble-free over thousands of kms. I specced mine with a flyweight Carbon-Ti hub and CX Ray spokes, and I run it with a 28mm GP5K S TR and a Vittoria Air-Liner Road insert after being spooked by the latest ETRTO recommendation for 29mm+ nominal width tires on 25mm inner width rims (regardless that the WR50 is hooked and not hookless, so blow-off probably isn't as big of a concern). When it's time to replace the tire, I'll probably go with a 29mm Continental Aero111, or whatever new comes out that would also be a good fit. On the WR50, my 28mm S TR is just about flush with the rim -- I don't have calipers so can't be more precise. Crosswinds aren't a big deal even as a very light rider; in fact they feel far less twitchy in crosswind than my crappy shallow and narrow Hunt alloy rims. But generally the narrower the front tire is to rim width, the stabler, so if you have any concerns about crosswind stability, you should consider what tire you're going to run, with the Aero111 being the only one I know of that is specifically designed to both increase stability and be inside the ETRTO guidelines for a 25mm i.w. rim.

I didn't feel the need to buy a WR50 rear wheel since tire to rim width matters less and LB has cheaper alternatives with minimal downsides. It was easy to ask for what the LB rep called a mullet wheelset (but not what their shop officially offers as a mullet, for MTB) with an AR56 in the back. Other than a shorter warranty, I did find seating a S TR tire slightly more difficult with the AR56, whereas I easily managed to install one without tools on my WR50.
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