Originally Posted by
DaveSSS
I'm relatively light at 135 lbs, but I've used nothing but wheels like the Mavic Ksyrium and Fulcrum Zero for many years. That doesn't mean that they aren't stiff, they are, but I don't find them overly stiff. A more common set of wheels like Mavic Open pros or DT Swiss RR 1.1 rims, 28H will ride better and cost less. I got a pair of PowerTap wheels built this year with 28H DT rims and they do soften the ride of the stiff LOOK 585 Ultra frame that they were on. I also compared the weight of the DT front wheel to my Fulcrum Zero and found that it was only 20 grams heavier.
Light riders can get by with lower tire pressures, so if ride comfort is an issue, try dropping down to 90 psi in front and 100 in the rear, with 700x 23 tires. Much less and the risk of pinch flats will go way up.
I've been advised to avoid overly stiff wheels not for comfort but for safety. I was told with how light the frame of my bike is and how light I am the bike could easily slip out on a turn on a down hill. The wheels like mavic have very high tensions in the spokes thus making them stiff I do not carry the weight to compensate for that. Many people have no issue with the wheels and stiffness. The wheels I have right now actually vibrate on a down hill at speed took me a while to not flip out when it happened. I initially thought it was the brakes had a couple of people look at the bike then when I started looking at new wheels I told a couple of builders about this back end issue. They think the wheels I currently have are way too stiff for me, and that a lower tensioned one will solve the issue. Of course the wheels I'm on currently are also exceedingly heavy.