68venable

I have a 2009 specialized allez. I had a pair of Kore Gradient II wheels for cheap so I put them on. Im not sure if they were any better than the alexwheels it came with but it looked a bit nicer. My question is, would buying a set of wheels like the roval fusee stars or similar priced make a considerable difference. Is it a difference I would feel? Im just curious really. Im not into racing and I dont care to spend what a racer would spend. Probably $1200 tops. Is it worth it?

knobster

I wouldn't think it'd be worth it for that bike. Isn't that about as much as the whole bike cost? I do think you'd feel some difference climbing and accelerating, but doubt it's worth the money. I'd ride what you have for a couple years and build up your engine. Then maybe upgrade the entire bike.

Slowrollin'

I've always been told that the first thing to upgrade should be the wheels. Knobster is right in that what you are looking to spend may be more than what the whole bike cost, but you can always get better wheels now and upgrade the frame and what not as you go. As far as wheels go, for that money I would have a custom set built like maybe some White Ind. hubs on Velocity Aerohead rims laced up with Sapim CX-Ray spokes; you will come in at that price or less and have a far better set of wheels.

Mike

echappist

if you don't go above 25mph often, no.

and don't get specialized wheels. for $1200 you can't get 7850 50mm or mavic cosmic carbone 52mm

Tribronc

No where near $1200, but I just upgraded from my Alex ALX 270's to Mavic Aksium Race. Huge difference in the smoothness between the two. The Alex wheels broke down and the bearings on the rear went bad. First ride on the Mavics yielded 1mph faster than my fastest ride on the ALX 270's. I don't race, so I didn't need to drop a bunch of money on new wheels.

68venable

Ive heard a few times that comment about my frame. Why is it that I wouldnt want to keep a frame that I'm really comfortable on and upgrade the components? Why would the price of a frame determine the price of the wheels? If I ever did want a different frame Id already have the wheels. I rode yesterday about 60 miles between 20-26 mph and the other guys seemed like they had an easier time and coasting much better than I. Is this likely moreso from their wheels or their frames?

timster

Neither

echappist

it's not about the bike

knobster

I think the main issue here is that you are saying you don't want to spend what a racer would spend, but $1200 is a lot of money for a wheelset. There are racers on here racing wheels that are much, much lower cost than this and are doing quite well. You'd probably see more "bang for your buck" by doing something that would provide more aero benefits. Light wheels will give you the benefit of acceleration which a racer would want for surges/sprints in a race and for hill climbing, but for general riding, lighter wheels will not be worth the cost. IMHO.

Want some cheap speed? Put some clip on aerobars on it. Just try not to ride them in a group ride.

68venable

Thanks for the response. Much more educational than 'neither' because it is definately either. I have the bars but I dont use them on group rides. I'm just intrigued by the fact that when we would all stop pedaling they would coast faster. My brake was not rubbing like I first had hoped

knobster

There are many other aspects that could account for that. Wheels would just be one. My wife coasts faster and further than I and my wheels are much higher end than hers. I block a lot more wind than she does however.