retro

hi,
forgive me if this thread has been done before.

anyway, i've been thinking of upgrading my wheelset and have narrowed my choices to either the ksyriums or the race x lites.

i'm sure many of you have experience with both these wheels and i'd just like to know what y'all think.

i currently ride a 2004 trek 5500 with ultegra gruppo. current wheels are rigida with conti GP supersonic tires.

thanks.

ovoleg

err

ovoleg

nevermind, I was thinking of just the basic Race wheelset.

Id still go with the SL's

https://cycleworldbikes.com/site/item...=39&sort=Price
^^ Thats teh X-lite which is $749.99 for the set

https://cycleworldbikes.com/site/item...=39&sort=Price
^^Thats the Ksyrium for $849.99

retro

i'm leaning partially towards the SL but there was this guy at the lbs telling me treks should go with bontragers

my58vw

Sure bontrager wheels have traditionally been used on the treks, mavic on everything else.

Both wheelsets effectivly weigh in about the same 100 or so grams less in the race x lite, the SLs have a semi areo rim though. Bontrager uses paired spoke technology, mavic standard spoke layout. Which one is better... IMO it does not make much difference either way, the SLs seem a bit easier to true.

Why buck the trend though and go with something else, like some Mike Garcia wheels at half the price...

Powerful Pete

Get a set of wheels made by your local builder, your favorite hubs, Mavic Open Pros or Ambrosio rims, and whatever spokes fit your weight and fancy.

If you are going for boutique wheels, you might also want to consider Fulcrums, made by Campagnolo to also fit the stuff from that Japanese company, and excellent value and quality.

EURO

I think those wheels are overpriced and people buy them because they get the biggest marketing push, not because they are the best wheels for the money.

retro

so what are the best wheels for the money then?

retro

the trouble is i'm in malaysia, and getting custom wheels ain't much of an option. and if you factor in the cost of shipping, taxes etc etc etc, it'll probably come up to the same price.

my58vw

Agreed...

EURO

A good rim, like Mavic Open Pro, laced to a good hub like Chorus/Record, Dura Ace/Ultegra via 32 spokes if you are over 150lbs or 28 spokes if you are under.

You'll need to find out who your local wheelbuilder is. The next noticable step up would be a carbon-rimmed wheel like the pros use, and they come in at thousands of dollars.

roadwarrior

I have SL's. We have two guys in our shop that ride cyclocross on them, they are that durable despite their low weight. I, after over ten thousand miles finally had a spoke pop on the back wheel. At about the fifteen thousand mile mark, finally had a spoke loosen a half turn on the front wheel. Even though they are considered a race wheel, I ride them daily.
The Bontrager's are also good. Here's the difference...I have put guys in the 180-200 pound range on the SL's without a problem. The Bontrager's needed service more frequently. For what it is worth.
The SL's despite being a higher end wheel, from the experience of riding them and have multiple people on them with varying riding habits and styles, hold up very well.
Hope that helps.

Hey, they were good enough for Gibo

Put Dura Ace on it and take the frame to 60cm and that's my bike.

I am laughing....I flipped to Velonews and lo and behold, found this on the front page of this morning's posting...nice wheels.

55/Rad

I've ridden both though I never owned the SL. If you are a bigger guy, say 200+, I'd go with the SL for their strength. Other than that, it's pretty much a tossup as both are excellent wheels.


If a word-of-mouth reputation is what you consider a "big marketing push", then yes, they may be overpriced and not the best wheels for the money.

I'd also say that Mike Garcia is reaping the benefits from a similar campaign. Are his wheels considered to be overpriced? What if he was the leading seller in the custom wheel category?

Oh, now you're thinking that it comes down to perceived value? Well, value is a subjective term, meaning different things to different people. Probe a sampling of X-lite and SL owners and see if they felt they got their money's worth and ask them if they'd buy these wheels again - you'll find that most buyers thought the wheels were a good value.

What's that? You don't like the fact that fat old rich farts will buy these wheels to put on their $7k bikes that they really don't deserve? Maybe, I wouldn't if I was one (maybe I am) but I certainly wouldn't go straight to the Open Pro w/Ultegra hub combo either.

55/Rad

roadwarrior

Hey, thanks for my morning chuckle....put a smile on my face...

audiojan

I have both wheels and the SSC SL's are clearly better (at least for me). Feels stiffer and has this weird ability to keep speed (can't explain why, but I can tell when riding...). The Race X Lite's spin up just a fraction faster... Still, as an all-round wheel, the SSC SL's are fantastic (marketing hype or not, who really gives a s**t if they work...)

704morris

55/Rad is right and so is everyone with the same experience I had with SSC SLs, nothing but good and it was one of the worst decisions I made to sell them. 8k on the ones I sold and I'd take them back, in fact, I got another set of 2005s. The marketing argument is a bit weak. The best marketing in the world can't sell a pile of crap, maybe initically but once the market has spoken, it's done. If you buy a bike and the wheels are OEM, that's one aspect of marketing. If you plunk down the cash for these wheels and own them for several years, it is a good value by any streatch of the term value, and this is not perceived but actual.



I have friends riding X Lite and love them. One friend forgot to lock his wheel on the roof rack. It went flying down the road and bounced off a trucks chrome bumper. He retrieved it, mounted it back on the bike, didn't seem to have an issue, took it to the shop, and it was cleared for flight. The whole brand matching thing bothers my fashion sensabilites. I have a hard time seeing the x lites on anything other than Trek brands. It's a little shallow but most of are one way or another. Who doesn't look twice at those that mix campy and shimano... yuk, sure it works but yuk anyway.



As far as Mike Garcia goes, he's a myth. I called, no answer, I left messages, no response; I emailed multiple times, and still nothing. Ended up buying a set of Williams System 19s and love them. I'm sure folks have had better luck than me and I've never had custom wheels and don't know what I'm missing I guess. I'm a light rider, 145lbs, and ride about 4 to 5k per year if that helps.

RiPHRaPH

anyone who would answer this thread without knowing
1)type of riding
2)type of roads
3)type of climbing/terrain

or you can just get the SSC SL's and never look back

Gluteus

Hmmm......

You replied to a thread that is > 5 years old.
I think the guy that you mentioned went out of business.

longbeachgary

It's a 5 year old thread.