Best ~$150 Wheelset
 

I'm looking for a wheelset for commuter/grocery-getter/light tourer build. I'm on a college student budget of about $150. So far I've found these:

$135 Sun M13 Silver with Sealed bearing Hubs

$150 Weinmann DP18 rims w/36 holes & Shimano 2200 hubs

or Wheel Rear 700 x 25, WEI AS23 x , QR Alloy FW 5-7sp Silver Hub, 14g SS Spokes, 36H
with
Wheel Front 700 x 25, WEI AS23 x , QR Alloy Silver Hub, 14g SS Spokes Spokes, 36H
for about $105 shipped

Is there a better set out there for about the same price?

I'm currently leaning towards the niagara set because the lower price will let me squeeze in some nicer tires and the rims are 700c x 25c which should seat 28c tires better. What do you guys think? Are the ebay wheels noticeably better than the niagara wheels?

jchibante, The first two have very different hubs. How many gears do you now have and what make and model of bike?

Brad

Paid less than half that amount for a used Ultegra set, complete with tires, tubes, cassette and skewers. Best deals on wheels IMHO continue to be used ones.

Out of the lot I would choose the Weinmann/Shimano wheel set because the rims are double walled and the rear has a freehub that would accept a 7-9 cassette. The others appear to use a freewheel rear hub and have single walled rims.

If you're not set on buying new then take wrk101's advice and buy used. If you look hard/long enough you can buy a vintage bike with a nice wheel set, part it out and end up spending a helluva lot less than new.

They are going on a 1982 univega viva touring, originally a 12 speed. I did a complete tear down. I wasn't sure about the spacing on the weinmann dp18 wheels though.

I agree, I always look for used first but in my area I'm having a hard time finding some and on ebay the shipping usually kills the deals. I will keep an eye out for a donor bike, but I need this bike ready to ride within about a month.

I paid $100 for a never ridden set of hand-built mavic open pro's laced to 10 speed Campagnolo Chorus (alloy) hubs w/ wheelsmith spokes on craigslist.

Look around.

How close are you to San Ramon? I've got a few wheel-sets to choose from, hanging in my garage.

I'll be a blue moon when he finds a deal like that around here. They just don't come around that often.

Planet X model B is 149 dollars and around 1700 grams. I just ordered a set. can't comment on ride yet, but I have yet to see much that says they're not good.

The wheels are on my Guerciotti in my Sig. :D true story.

I'm in the Modesto area, so not too far. Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm just going to grab the wheels off a 94 Paramount I was going to flip and just use those because they seem pretty bombproof and look like they're period correct. Double-walled Araya rims laced to Shimano 600 hubs with a 7speed hyperglide. Now I just have to see if the original suntour VX can handle the 7speed cassette and I can take my time and look for a deal to replace the wheels on the paramount.

i saw a set of shimano acera hubs laced to inexpensive weinman rims with 14 gauge ss spokes at performance bicycle in walnut creek a few weeks ago... think they were about 90 bucks?

i have a similar pair on an old gary fisher. they are ugly, they are heavy, they are inexpensive, but they work just fine.

they were hanging up just outside the mechanics area.

huey

+1

I bought a set of 650b wheels, Weinmann zac rims, Deore hubs, DT spokes, from an ebay seller about 6 months ago for $90. Can't find the guy now, though, as it seems that ebay is only keeping 60 days of buying history. I ended up relacing them because some of the nipples were rounded, but still, decent wheels at a good price. I wish I could find another pair for the bike I'm building for my wife. He had a similar deal for 700c wheels.

Pete

I've been thinking of buying a set of these, make sure you write a review after a few hundred miles to let us know how they are working out.

Original spacing/wheel size on that would've been somewhere between 120-126mm and 27" right? Sun M13 and CR18 would work, both available in 27" and 700c.

http://www.velomine.com/index.php?ma...cq4kckic272ae7

I think these would be in your price range, pretty nice budget wheels.

I race on that wheelset (and have used 'em as daily riders last summer). Great wheelset for the money. Hubs spin forever and they ride pretty well for a stiff wheel.

I got a set of great condition Mavic Open Pro laced to Ultegra hubs w/ Ultegra 9 spd cassete for 120. off of CL.

I just received mine about 20 minutes ago. (ordered wednesday and they were here today. pretty impressive) They look great. I won't be able to comment on ride until the bike is actually finished. I'll post the review when that time comes. There are actually several parts on the bike people have asked for my comments on. So, I'll be doing a lengthy post at some point.

I'm really interested in these because they can come with a campy hub. Finding $150 shimano wheels is pretty easy to do as we've seen in this thread, but finding $150 campy wheels is more difficult.

Another plus for them... I didn't order skewers. It was a 20 dollar up charge for them. They came anyway. I've seen some other posts to the same effect. I think they're just already in the box and they don't want to deal with taking them out.

I got the Weinmann DP18 rims w/36 holes & Shimano 2200 hubs for almost nothing at an REI garage sale. It was what looked like a brand new take off, and I can see why. Thought it were perfectly straight when I put it on, it was completely out of true within ~50 miles. I've put maybe 250 miles on it total and have had to true it about 5 times. I do weigh 200 lbs but I thought 36 spokes, even on a lower-end wheel, would be able to handle that.

I have two sets of the Campy compatible Model B wheels. I have put quite a few miles on both sets and think they are great. Super smooth hubs and well built.
Both my sets came perfectly true and have stayed that way.

Jake

I had horrible luck with my old Weinmann wheels. I could not keep them in true for the life of me. I'd stay away from their rims in this price bracket! They looked cool, but that was about it.

I picked up a pair of Nucleons for $143.77 today...does that count???

I think those Planet X are the way to go...most likely Kinlin rims, relatively proven Novatec hubs and DB stainless spokes...seems like a no-brainer, even if you need to touch them-up!