Help with Wheel ranking
 

Which is the better wheel:

1> Bontrager Race

or

2>Mavic Open-Pro w/ carbon spokes

Better for what?

Best for an old guy to ride centuries with and not humiliate himself. I have the mavics on my current bike and thinking of switching them w/ the wheels that come on a new Madone 5.2.

More expensive = "better". :innocent:

Not just expense...even though that always plays into the equation. Which one would be better to keep as a superior wheel compared to the other? or is it 6 to half dozen either way?

So you're getting the madone? When you do, try them both on the new bike and see what you like better.

Wise counsel

Carbon spokes? Doesn't that scare anyone?

Open Pro with carbon spokes? Are those those carbon spokes from the mid 90's that sucked horribly? If so, I'd say sell both sets and get a decent set of wheels.

Mavic Open Pro with Carbon Spokes? What are you talking about? Who makes that? Which is worse, its aerodynamics or its durability?

Carbon Black spokes as in color to match the black rims....my bad.

Mavic OP's on a decent hub is pretty much the industry standard for reliability, durability, do-it-all-ity. They're not the lightest, they're not the sexiest, they're not the most aerodynamic, but they do what they do. Kind of the Honda Accord of wheelsets. *









*This assumes they are properly built and trued.

Don't buy any Bontrager Race wheels till you PM me. I've got a brand new 2011 set that I'm going to sell.

Ahh, in that case, stick with the OPs.

That is what most likely I will be doing as well

The Mavics have Ultegra hubs

Fixed for appropriate emphasis.

this used to be true, now the more recent OPs have a reputation for cracking at the eyelets. i have a set i built from the 90's and their doing great. if i were building a new set i would go with the wide velocity a23's, one of the kinlin rims or one of the dt rims

I would ask your dealer to skip the Race wheels and knock off $200 or give you $200 in store merchandise. I have a set from a few years ago - they're not terrible, but basically they exist so that you can roll your new bike out of the showroom. I'd be a lot happier if LBS's sold higher end bikes without wheels and saddles, so I could pick my own.

If you're stuck with the Race wheels, put some tougher tires on them (like Gatorskins) and use them for crappy weather / trail riding.