vintagerando 

I have an opportunity to purchase a set of Synergy wheels with Phil Wood hubs. I have limited info and have yet to view them in person. The price seems right at $160. The wheels are Synergy which i understand have mixed reviews. But for the hubs alone, the price seems good.
They seem to be an older model; maybe 8/9/10 speed cassette. The seller has little info and is supposedly "selling for a friend".
For those with Phil Wood expertise, how does the price seem?
Thanks.

canklecat

Seems fair. I'd buy them at that price if they fit one of my bikes. Looks like good sturdy rims/spokes.

vintagerando 

My plan was to use them on a touring bike. After some more research, I think they may be the "G Touring" model .

79pmooney

The good thing about Phil Wood stuff is that it doesn't matter what model it is or when it was made. They will support it. Your needs change? If that part can be modified, Phil can do it or supply you with the needed part, in stock or not. (If not, they'll just make you a new one. After all, they are a machine shop. That's what they do.) Phil isn't cheap. But being able to upgrade hubs on wheels you like without rebuilding can be a real savings. (I had Phil send me a new bolted axle (bolts that thread in to the acxle end, not a nut that threads over) to replace the QR axle on a bike I am using a Jahdd (sp) lowrider rack on because the Jahdd is sio stiff getting a QR through it for an on the road flat was a real pain. (Also slows theft a touch.

If you have a current use for those wheels. grab them. Even if things change and you go to sell them, you're not likely to lose much. And they may well find a new use on another bike years from now. I wish I'd bought a few pairs 40 years ago. They'd still be running. (They'd have been 5-speed FW spaced 120 but they would have upgraded easily to the 126 7-speed I use now.

Ben

wrk101

As an end user, I'd grab them.

vintagerando 

I am wondering if the rear is actually Phil Wood. The logo-band does not seem positioned right; if these are the "G Touring", the band in the center of the hub is not in the right position.

Spaghetti Legs 

vintagerando 

If I don't buy these wheels, it would end up a perfect example of "I should have bought that XXX when I saw it for sale last year."

I am going to view the wheels this weekend; if there are no condition issues, than I will get them.

Kabuki12

I have the old 3 piece type hubs on my 73 Windsor Pro and that bike rolls really well . The hubs have all the plating worn off as this bike was raced a lot and lived close to the coast , but the hubs roll like butter!

vintagerando 

Well, I picked up the wheels; final prices $145. But, I was a little surprised with the hubs: 48 hole. Umm, 48? Seller says the wheels came off a cyclocross bike. Wasn't sure what to think when I went to pick them up. My intended use is a touring bike in the future; so, I guess they will be more than enough for any type of touring.

repechage

Tandem.

Spaghetti Legs 

vintagerando 

Seller turned out to be connected to a shop mechanic.......the story left me saying "huh? ". The story was they came off a cyclocross bike. So, I should have done my homework, but the photos I got prior to going to view weren't great. So, I was surprised when I got there to look at them. Bottom line was I had to make a decision on the spot. At $140 I figured, what the heck. Now I know why they were so affordable; limited rim options. But, on the positive side, they are smooth, very smooth hubs. The wheels look like they were never used, frankly. I put them on the truing stand: perfect.
So, if they can be laced to 32 or 36, options would open up.

bargainguy

Just curious, what's the OLD? A rear tandem hub would be 140mm. Might not be so bad trying to shoehorn that into 135 spacing, but getting it into 130 or less would be interesting.

vintagerando 

The OLD is 135mm. So, maybe the seller's story about the wheels coming from a cyclo-cross bike are accurate. I measured with a caliper.
I wonder if a 135mm can be converted to 130mm.

dailycommute

135mm / 48 drill sounds like the classic tour hubs. I have a set of KISS that are also 135 but the are not avaialable in 48 drill....PW support will tell you right away if the hubs can be converted, when I asked about KISS they promptly responded----the KISS could not be converted, I ended up cold setting a classic 126 frame to 130 and can spread to fit in, now run as SS fixed commuter and must say the PW hubs really are bombproof and spin super smooth though a tad heavy.

vintagerando 

I plan to call PW and see if I can go from 135 to 130. this would open options for use of the wheels.

CycleCommuter

I realize this is an old post, more than a year and a half later, but did you ever find a use for those Phil Woods? I use a set of 48 spoke Phil Woods on my tandem, 36 spoke on my track bike, and looking for a used pair to build an unbreakable touring bike. Would be happy to buy them from you if you never used them.