im looking into getting a new set of wheels preferably ones with bladed spokes and a low spoke count. im willing to spend no more than 500 bucks for a set. i want them in black and shimano compatible. i currently have a set of shimano r500. anything that's lighter than those would be nice. got any suggestions? thx in advance for any help.

Check out campy wheels, they're low spoke count, and I believe they're bladed.

+1...you should be able to get Zondas for just about that price. Great wheels.

i actually found a pair of Mavic Ksyrium Cosmic Elites for 449.99. do you think they're better than my Shimano R500? the mavics are 16 grams heavier than my shimanos.

Yes, but they are not Shimano compatible.

Campy wheels can be purchased with Shimano hubs. Not that many people do it though, and that's a good reason why Fulcrums are now available.

55/Rad

We've come across the issue of shimano 9 speed not working with Fulcrum. Not sure how that would work with Campy being it's the same company.

Survey says? XXX

Zondas may be tough to find for that price. I was looking last fall for a set of Zondas for under $500, and sunrise cyclery ended up having a pair of shimano-compatible Zondas, but unfortunately, their website said they were in-stock, but their warehouse begged to differ. So I ended up getting a set of lightly used Ksyrium SLs for $450 on ebay.

Zondas may be out of your price range, but look around and see what you can find. If not, the next Campy step down (can't remember model name) will certainly fall in your price range, and are really good wheels from just about all accounts.

FWIW, I ride on some really horrible roads (gotta love Boston roads) with my SLs, and so far they've held up rather well.

I think thats only one the 1s and maybe the 3s.

neuvation R28 Aero3

1600g, $349 direct. Available in black or silver.
https://www.neuvationcycling.com/whee.../r28aero3.html

RBR Review

I have a pair of WH-R600's that I'll sell you for a lot less than that. They have < 500 miles on them. They're low-spoke count, have bladed spokes, and are shimano compatible. Plus right now, they're just sitting in my garage.

Me want neuvations!
Having trouble deciding between m28 aero and r28 aero...
M28's much more durable, but r28s are much lighter.

I only weigh 145-150 though. Hmmm...

A quick check shows there are several pairs of Mavic Ksyrium Elite's on eBay for under $500. Not the sexiest choice if you want to say off the beaten path, but bombproof.

I'm interested in this... I have a set of 5's on (back)order from GVH Bikes and I was considering ponying up the extra bucks for the 3's. Since I have a 9 speed Shimano (105) bike I will wait until I can find out more. I have searched high and low and it seems like good info on the Fulcrums is hard to find.

I would recomend Easton wheels. Some on here don't like them or the Company but I have found mine to be great. I have the Circiuts since I need a 650c wheel and its the only model they make in a 650c. Part of the reason I went w/ eastons is that they use normal nipples so you don't have to worry about not having the right tool to true the wheels. They have good quality sealed bearings that are easily replaceible, use steel spokes which can be had anywhere as long as the shop has a thread cutter, and are as light as the Mavic ES's for 1/2 the cost. (sorry long sentance). The are a deeper profile rim than the ES, have a smaller footprint in the wind (the hub is smaller, the spokes are smaller, and the rim is taller) all for 1/2 the cost and about the same weight.

Not a sexy, but functional, strong, and relatively light. Some may pooh-pooh, but they have worked out very well and I have no complaints.

I'm amazed that nobody has mentioned mike garcia yet.

oddsandendos.com

Or Spinlite cycling.

Been hearing that Mike has too much business and is not returing calls or getting back to people in a timely manner. No direct experience, but Lyle @ spinlite was great and turnaround was perfect. 800 miles on my wheels from him and they are still 100% perfect. It is really cool when you get a wheel and ping each spoke and they all sound the same.

I talked to Mike a while back (6 months) and his prices were about $100 more than Spinlitecycling and I could ascertain no appreciable difference in others experience in build quality.... so I went with Lyle.

YMMV

Tried to reach him twice - no returned calls. I'm sure he's a great builder and that he's just busy, but I prefer to do business with people who want to do business with me.

it's cool folks, i just got a set of Mavic Ksyrium Cosmic Elites for 449.00 with free tubes and free tires. i chose the Vredestein tricomps 700x23. i got em from www.brandscycle.com. no shipping for anything over 50 bucks and no sales tax unless you're in NY. sweet deal!

what i do want to know is how deep the rim is....i can't seem to find the specs for the ksyrium cosmic elites. can anyone find out for me?

They aren't Ksyriums...just Mavic Cosmic Elites. Pretty heavy (1900g) so not great climbers, but supposedly quite aero and stiff. I think the rim mimics the CXP33, roughly 27mm deep maybe? Similar to the Neuvations above.

(EDIT: taking second look, they appear a bit deeper...but it's not spelled out.)

Let us know what you think after you get a few miles in. Don't hear much about that particular wheelset.

https://www.mavic.com/ewb_pages/p/pro...ute&annee=2007

https://www.lickbike.com/productpage.aspx?PART_NUM_SUB='5059-50'

Mavic Ksyrium Elite - $477.88

Low spoke count, bladed, Shimano, black. I have had a set for about 5 or six months and have never had a spoke wrench on them. Not bad at 195lbs.

Those '06 Elites can be found much cheaper than that because of the redesign for '07. Nashbar had 'em under $400 until their stache ran out.

E-mail Troy

ligerowheels.com

Here is part of an email that he send a few months back:

"It sounds like a semi-aero set work better for you. They are not that much heavier and and should help some on the fast sections.

Here is a build suggestion that is right in the middle of your price range at $600.

White Industries hubs 18f/24r
30mm tall niobium rims
Sapim cx-ray spokes

That build should weigh 1410 to 1420g for the pair and be more then strong enough for everyday use. You can get the hubs in polished and black anodized, the spokes you can also get in silver or black and the rims are black only. Here is a link to a picture of the exact build but with polished hub and silver spokes https://www.flickr.com/photos/ligerowheels/236160074/in/set-72157594473291689/"

Having custom wheels lets you get stronger, lighter and better wheels for a lot less than machine built stuff.