Ultegra 6800 wheels best $300 wheels?
 

Is the ultegra 6800 wheelset the best ~$300, plus or minus a few bucks, new wheelset on the market?

sure. oh wait, no. why not?

I ride them - I have about 1.5 seasons on them and the rear is just starting to show signs that it is very slightly out of radial true. Lateral true is pretty much perfect on both. FWIW I weigh about 212 lbs and I try not to abuse the wheels. They are plenty stiff and strong, even with the low spoke counts, and you can run them tubeless if you want. The only thing is that it is a BEAR to get the tire bead over the rim, and shimano recommends not using tire levers with these. I got a flat yesterday on the front tire, and my hands are sore from muscling the bead back over the rim. That gripe aside, the wheels are great. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

I'd say a 16/20 spoke count wheelset is probably not a good choice for a Clyde. I know Shimano doesn't put a weight limit on these, but it's common sense that you likely need more spokes.

This I totally agree with. Mounting any tire on these rims is a total pain.

The WH-6800 has fantastic hubs, high tension spokes, high quality finishing and comes in at a reasonable weight. Downsides include the proprietary spokes and aforementioned tight tire fit.

I ride them and have nothing bad to say about them. Reviews are stellar across the board. A real bargain. They look the part as well. I weigh 175, so can't speak to the spoke count debate.

Haven't had a flat yet, but wouldn't hesitate to use a lever if necessary even if its not recommended.

I believe you'd also get some votes for Campagnolo and Fulcrum wheels in this price range.

[QUOTE=Hiro11;19541695]I'd say a 16/20 spoke count wheelset is probably not a good choice for a Clyde. I know Shimano doesn't put a weight limit on these, but it's common sense that you likely need more spokes.

I disagree- but I am not here to start another debate about spoke count. The wheels are plenty strong at the current spoke count, unlike the Mavics I previously had, which had a higher spoke count.

No Campy Zonda C17 for $250 is the best

I have a set and love them. They've been super durable for me. If you want to run tubeless they are definitely the best bang for the buck.

I have a set that I run tubeless and they've been great so far. My only complaint is that the freehub is just a smidge too quiet. If silent is 0 and "swarm of angry bees" is 10, I like mine at about a 7. The Ultegras are maybe a 4 or low 5.

$250 is cheap :)

the ultegra (and dura ace 9000/9100) are good, but they are 15C rims. Many would rather have 17C rims.

If you are going 25mm and up tires, 17C would be nice. But I think wider rims will actually increase the width of tires as well, I don't know if that would fit into older frame.

Where can I get them that low?

I use a set on my #2 bike and also on my wife's road bike, they look great and ride perfectly. You can get wheels that are easier to mount, that are lighter, and that don't have proprietary spokes but you would have to pay a lot more. Good value factory wheelset if you ask me...

The cheapest I'm seeing them right now is $280 from Jensen:

Shimano Ultegra 6800 Tubeless Wheelset > Components > Wheels > Road Wheels | Jenson USA

FWIW, the only tire I've mounted on my Ultegra wheels so far went on very easily, but it was a used tire (Michelin Pro4 Endurance V2). They roll nicely, but if I could get Zonda wheels for $250 I would go that route.

There is no best wheel at any price. There are only wheels that do what you want them to do or not. You may want lighter or more durable or more aero. The best wheels for you are the ones that come closest to doing exactly what you want. So what do you want the Ultegras to do for you? If you have no answer to this, why are you buying new wheels?

No. Vision Team35, 24.5mm wide, 35mm deep, wheels spin forever, decent weight at 1780 grams for the pair.
- 25mm tires fit so well on these tires, nice smooth transition, no bulbing bulge.
- Got these for $250.

I've used Shimano ALU wheels in the past, and these Vision spin better on the hills. Shimano may like cup bearings, but now I'm a fan of these cartridge bearings. They feel smoother.

I've had multiple Hutchinsons go on with no problem- Fusion 5s (garbage, BTW) and Intensive (very good).


I just switched over to some Panaracer Evo 3s and those were a real *****. Many F-bombs were dropped while putting those on. Probably the tightest tire/rim combo I've had in almost 15 years of doing this.


I hadn't heard that Ultegra wheels were known for this, and I'm still not sure if that's BS or not. I was blaming the Panaracers.

Continental 4 seasons and gatorskins are really tight on these wheels. Maybe just continental tires in general....I hadn't tried other brand on them yet.

Where are you getting that width? I've only seen sources that say 22mm:
https://www.bike24.com/p2172312.html
https://www.probikeshop.com/en/gb/vi...ck/115360.html

Fulcrum Quattro LG's are the same depth but lighter (1725g) and wider (23.2mm). Also ~$250.

Also, agree with the poster who mentioned Campy Zonda C17s. Trading off depth for weight compared to the Fulcrums, so it just depends on what you're going for with your build.

I have a set of ultegra 6800's. They're solid, smooth and light. No complaints other than the aforementioned tight tire fit. (Getting a brand new set of GP4000II's on them was a challenge)

I've used them as a backup/training wheelset on my CX bike too. They have taken a fair amount of abuse with no signs of wear.

I can't imagine finding a better bang-for-the-buck wheelset right now.