grantman18

I'm looking at new wheels to use for fair weather road riding and racing. It would also be nice to race cross on them if possible. I'm looking for something around $1200 retail and I'm considering the Ksyrium SL Premiums, DT Swiss 1450 Mon Chasseral, and ZIPP CSC Training Wheels. They are all relatively close in weight and I have heard that the hubs on the DT Swiss and ZIPPs are awesome, and I know the Ksyriums are known to be bombproof. I'm about 5'10" 170 lbs and I'd like a nice stiff wheelset good for sprinting, but also light enough for climbing.

I was wondering if anyone has ridden on more than one of these sets of wheels and can make a comparison between them. I'm leaning towards getting the Ksyriums and buying the MP3 protection so I can use them for racing cross with no worries.

Any thoughts/recommendations?

phallenthoul

Get Fulcrum R Zero or Campy Shamal..

grantman18

ehh, a bit too pricey

phallenthoul

Eurus then..

jrennie

I'm getting a set of niobium 30's, DT aerolite spokes and 240 hubs which can be had very resonably. They are strong, aero and fairly light at 1440g.

waterrockets 

PowerTap?

ravenmore

+1

grantman18

I hadn't really thought about a powertap, but I guess if it's in the budget it couldn't hurt. How much performance would I lose if I added a powertap and kept the wheels at this price point?

stevesurf

I'd go for the closeouts, that are still going on over at Nashbar:

Ksyrium ES Rear Campy (they have over 100 in stock and the price will go down again; just get a freehub and convert to Shimano)...I got these for $270, down from $400, down from $600+ retail, or just go for the Shimano version now

Currently, the Ksyrium ES Front are $375, but I say they'll go down again in price.

I wound up getting a set for around $550 after discount code and the sale.

waterrockets 

You'll lose the teeniest bit of performance due to weight, but you have the potential to gain so much power it's just sickening. I've been riding for 17 years and racing off and on for that whole time as a Cat 3. I got a PowerTap in December, having hit a fitness plateau in October sometime.

Now, in March, after three months training with power, my FTP has jumped from 306W (3.78W/kg) to 350W (4.32W/kg). I'm tossing it up with Cat 2s in the M35+ races, and continuing to improve at about 4-5% every month! I know it can't continue forever, but I have set a goal of 400W FTP by the end of next season. I think I can be to 375W by the end of this season.

So, would you rather have 44 more watts available, or save 400g on your wheelset?

That doesn't even account for my improvement in the other durations. For instance, my 5s power has gone from 1450W to 1550W, and my 1m power from 680W to 740W. 5m power from 385 to 436. It just goes on and on.

You can get a used PT SL for $600 unbuilt, and use $500 for the build and get some premium parts (DT or White front hub, CX-Ray spokes, and some Niobiums, for instance). Use the last $100 to buy TrainingPeaks WKO+, and you're flying. You can check Racing and Training with Power out from the library (but do read it).

It doesn't come for free. I've been carefully studying this stuff, and working hard on my weaknesses, but I'm still just under 8 hours/week of training.

My name is waterrockets, I train with power, and I approve this message.

FWIW: I built USCSwimming some PTap wheels: https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/381303-powertap-wheelset-pr0n-diary.html

USCswimming

Oh yes he did. I have about a 1,000 miles on these wheels so far, and man, these things rock. Excellent build so far(not like much can go wrong at this point). Thanks Mike!

Surferbruce

how about some flashpoints?

waterrockets 

glad to hear you're piling the miles on them.

vic32amg

Reynolds DV46

grantman18

I slept on the idea of a powertap, and decided against it. While I do race, it's mostly for fun. I know that if I did decide to start a strict training plan, it would be a couple years before I plateaued and warranted the use of a powertap, heart rate should work just fine for me. I just like riding as much as I can, and I like those rides to be fast and fun.

So what do you guys think. Should I get the Ksyrium SL Premiums, MP3 them and beat the crap out of them for 2 years riding road and cross, and then send them back to mavic. Or should I get the DT's and keep them on the road?

michaelmc

Well, the advantage of the DT Swiss wheels is that you never need to send them back for repair--your local wheelbuilder can just fix 'em for you for the cost of some spokes or a rim or whatever plus a few bucks labor, because they're built with readily available DT Swiss parts. I've got a set of the RR1450s (not the Mon Chasseral version), and I love 'em. Great, well-built, durable, and fairly light. And handbuilt in Switzerland. If you do go that route (which I recommend), I'd advise the regular RR1450s over the MCs. The switch to Aerolite spokes over the Revolutions gets you some extra stiffness for the expense of a few grams.

SushiJoe

Powertaps are definitely intriguing. I'm having decent gains just training with an HRM but might invest in a PT hub for a set of training wheels. Decisions, decisions...

waterrockets 

+1 The Mavics are tough as hell though.

vic32amg

I trained with powertap for some time. while it did help in consistencies for me it made me think to much about numbers and not enough about riding. I would never just ride, I would ride watching numbers and then come home and review the info. I would go out ride, try to sustain efforts etc.. come home review info etc.. overall it is a great training tool but for me it became a problem. I was obsessed with it. I sold it and have since enjoyed the bike much more. and when training i believe I am just as fast, perhaps faster. But certainly if you want to train it can be very useful. But I believe it to be unnecessary for everyday recreational cyclist. It's not t say it didn't help. It did. but it took more away frm the ride than it helped. JMHO

mp123

I really like my RR1450s but as a side note thought I'd mention that even though they are built up with RR1.1 rims and 240s hubs they are a special color which isn't readily available. In other words the silver colored RR1.1 rim used in the 1450 wheelset isn't the same color as the silver RR1.1 rim that you can buy seperately, the decals are different too. Same with the 240s hubs. Sweet wheelset but it does make it a little tricky if you want to replace a part and keep things looking the same.

waterrockets 

I'll have to re-read this after I finish reviewing my ride data. Hang on

Yeah, I felt like I was going that direction after only a couple rides with the PT. I was able to correct for it. I'm still concerned about the data, but I really enjoy the rides themselves. Everyone reacts differently to the information overload.

vic32amg

I would agree. I think everyone has a way of responding to it. Now i have gone back to Garmin and it's more than enuff for me. and it keeps it's simple even tho i am still paying attention to HR and VAM it is not something that is overwhelming or even something that distracts me during riding. In my particular situation, i am in an area that doesn't have much for weekly road races/crits. I am in a area that we have a groups of people that are broken into categories but not by any real determination. Group A / B / C etc.. these rides get competitive but they are not constant enuff for me to merit the Powermeter. I do travel to AZ But often times I cannot make the schedule for a race.

regardless, I am not the type of person that does anything in moderation. no soy tranquilo.

grantman18

I totally agree with you vic. As a chemical engineer I'm a data fiend, so my Garmin is enough. I think that if I had a powertap, riding would be more of a chore rather than a vacation.

It seems everyone is in favor of the DT Swiss stuff. I have to admit I like the look of them better. I knew they would be easier to get repaired, can anyone comment on their durability vs. the Mavics. Would they be suitable for cross racing? My instinct says that the regular 1450's might be better.

Thanks