Wheel Advice
 

Guys,

I know this has been done to death and I hate to post another thread. I've already spoken to psimet about his wheels, but I'm not ready to make that purchase (buying carbon in a few months). I need a set of good training wheels, fast. Please stick to the list and give me your opinion on which is the better of the 4. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Reynolds Solitude
Easton EA50 SL
Williams System 30
Revolution REV-30

You're not going to be able to detect any performance difference at all between any of those wheels. Either go for the ones that look the best or the cheapest set.

It really makes no difference. At all.

Note that by "fast" wheels, you mean wheels that don't slow you down as much, and you're not going to get much appreciable difference there unless you eliminate a lot of spokes, increase a lot of rim depth, or both. Outside of long climbs, the weight differences will have minimal impact (including acceleration, which is way overplayed).

When you say you spoke to psimet about wheels, I have a hard time believing that you told him about your list and he didn't have a better answer for you from his shop.

Also, what wheels are you training on now?

No, I didn't mean I need FAST wheels. I meant, I need wheels fast, as in quickly. I am going to purchase a set of 50mm carbons from him, but not just yet.

I did not give him this list. I'm gonna contact him now and let him know. Thanks for your response.

Easton

Yeah, out of those I like the Eastons and Williams. Never rode Williams wheels but I like how they look and the price is right.

Ah, you need them quickly ;)

Craigslist have anything for you?

I agree that any of those would work, but if you are looking for a faster wheel then you are going to want to get something that is at least 50mm. You should look at Carbon Aluminum Aero Wheels. I have seen some that weigh less then the williams full carbon and are a hybrid construction.

I was out yesterday - just saw this and went to find your email. you have a response.

Since this is a training set, and I assume you're after longevity, I'd recommend the Williams. Although I hear good things about Easton wheels, longevity isn't always one of those things, and since they build most of their wheels with very high tension, it's tougher to replace a spoke or retrue those wheels. I believe the Williams are handbuilt and use traditional J-band spokes, so they are unlikely to go out of true or break a spoke, but easy to fix if they do.

I've heard some people complain about the Reynolds (I was ready to get a set), the reviews on RoadBikeReview are so-so, some people appear to have no issues, while others have had nothing but problems. I've also seen comments here that the rims aren't all that strong, I have no personal experience with them though. In the end, the negative reviews/comments were enough to steer me away from them.

What's the price difference between the EA50 SL, and the EA70s? The EA50 SL has fewer spokes (and a cheaper hub according to easton's site), perhaps the EA70 would be more durable but i'm not sure. While i'm a fan of Easton, i've read elsewhere that having them trued or repaired locally could void the warranty. Also if you're looking at Easton, Performance has an okay deal on older model EA90 SLXs, although the rims are shallower than anything else on your list.

I haven't looked at the Revolution wheels until now, but at that price, i'd suspect Psimet could build something similar with Sapim CX Rays, Kinlin XR-300s, and whatever hub they're using (Is it safe to say that almost all Niobium 30mm rims are probably XR-300s?!?).

Taking price into consideration, and using your list, i'd probably go for the EA50 SLs if you're getting them at a good price. If you are they would be close to half the price of the others there, if you trash them you can buy another set, and you're already getting a decent set of race-day wheels from Psimet anyway.

When I was looking for a set of training wheels, I went through the OP's list as well. I wound up with a set of Easton EA50 sl's. With a couple of discounts I was able to pick them up for dirt cheap. Much to my surprise, they have been great wheels so far. The roads I ride are not good and they have held up very well. They obviously aren't the lightest wheelset and I weigh 145, but they have definitely outdo themselves at their pricepoint. I am also looking to purchase a set of carbon tubies from Psimet this year, but if I weren't I would be getting another set of Eastons.

I have a pair of Easton Vistas, over 4 years old now, and as good as new. They are the previous generation of the EA50 wheels. I weigh north of 200#, and ride on crappy roads in eastern Mass. No problems at all, aside from trying to mount Michelin tires on them, which is a chore. Only time I ever had to true one, was when I dropped my front wheel in a storm drain. My fault, not the wheels' fault. Both the Vistas and the EA50's have j-bend spokes, and are as easy to true as any wheel out there.

What did you end up getting Nick?

I too messaged Psimet last week... still waiting to hear back on a set of tubies to use only it crits.