Time for wheel upgrade..?
 

I'm riding a Trek 1500, 4 years on original components (minus tires). Wheels are stock Bontrager Selects with the wonky double-spoke pattern. In the last 500mi, I've had to readjust a wobbly front hub twice, true the front wheel twice, and have had rear spokes suddenly loosen and send the rim out of whack. The front wheel feels like its flexing side to side on aggressive climbs; I can even see where the tire has rubbed on the inside of the fork.

They've been good wheels for the past 4 years (I've lost 58lbs since I bought this bike!), but is it time to upgrade to something newer/lighter/stronger? What are some moderately priced options? I see lots of Ksyriums and Eastons lately.

Thanks

Yes. Who needs reason to upgrade? In your case it sounds like you earned an upgrade.

Couldn't coin it better. Upgrade well deserved. Keep it up.

Please let us know your current weight so we can help you with wheels. Also, do you ride on rough or smooth roads, lots of climbing or flats, etc.?

It was discussed on BF the inherent suckiness of paired spokes. A wheel change is needed.

Eastons are nice, and so are Mavics...Psimet is highly recommended.

If you are on a tight budget, take a look at Neuvations.

I just put Fulcrum Racing 3 2-way (clincher/tubeless) on my bike yesterday with Hutchinson Fusion 3 tubeless tires. If you're buying new wheels, tubeless might be something to consider. I can't personally endorse them, yet. Not enough time/miles. I'm optimistic, though. Fair warning, mounting the tires is a b***h.

Thanks for the replies.

I'm 168lbs right now, and the roads I ride on are typical West Virginia... stuff. All hills and "rolling hills", very few fast flats where I am. And some of the backroads are pretty chewed up, so I'd need something fairly durable.

At your weight you have lots of options, but it is probably better to be a little conservative since you ride on poor roads. Maybe an all-around wheelset with 27mm rims (24f/28r) spokes will be a good compromise (fairly light, reasonably aero, reliable but not considered bombproof). Or you can consider a 32 spoke wheelset with Ultegra hubs and rims such as DT Swiss RR465, Velocity A23, etc which will be very solid.

I'm partial to handbuilt wheels, so others will probably chime in on acceptable factory built wheels.

As previously mentioned, you may want to try the stock wheels first. They may work out just fine, but if they do not you will probably have a better idea on what you want after putting some miles on them.

+1. Very happy with mine (~1500 miles on them with no problems).

Spend $335 bucks on this http://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-Dura-Ace...item20bb4e663a

Yes! What's the budget?? We can help.

If on a very low budget agree with neuvations.

You can get an even better buy on the same wheels by buying the Performance Forte Titans. I got my last pair for under $125 (for the set!)

From what I understand they are re-branded Neuvations. I have pairs on two different bikes. They are great wheels for the money and look good (even better that the stickers peel off easily).

I never understood those silly bontragrs and rolfs

Ideally, I'd like to spend around $500. Just trying to extend the life of this 105/ultegra bike for a few more years before its time for a new bike altogether.

I see these online, in that price range- Easton EA90SLX, Ksyrium Elite (2009), Ksyrium Equipe, Soul 2.0 or 3.0 (whats the difference?).

Thoughts?

Just about to spring for a set of Psimets for my new Felt Z5. Rob offered me a variety of options based on my weight and riding style/conditions. I've settled on his first recommended option and can't wait to finalize the order and get the wheels.

I would lean towards a solid build with 32 spokes and Ultegra hubs over those other wheels. When it is time for a new bike in a few years I wouldn't be surprised if you put these wheels on your new bike. For fitness riding these cannot be beat and they are also within your price range.

Wow, a 32-spoke wheel? I know 170lbs is "heavy" in some circles, but is it THAT bad? Wouldn't a "solid 32 spoke build" be heavier than what I'm running now? The selects on my bike are 1855g.

I come in at 178 and 32 spoke wheels are where its at, The last 2 days of riding have included climbs, decents black top roads, crappy black top roads, fresh chip and seal old chip and seal freshly spread grave on a dirt road and a couple of plain dirt roads. Averaging around 20mph for both rides. Never have broken spoke on this set of wheels. Wheels have never got knocked out of true.

Many low-end bikes come with 32 spoke wheels which are poorly built and are prone to problems, but a nice set of 32 spoke wheels are great for training/daily riding and will outlast other wheels. In Lance Armstrong's Comeback 2.0 book you can see lots of pictures of him and Astana training in 32 spoke wheels, and those guys are definitely not clydesdales. They are the best wheels to use when you want to minimize the chances of problems on the road.

Depending on the build, you can get a reliable set that weighs about 1500 grams.

+1

You could probably get a little nicer hub for that kind of $, although the ultegras are fine. A DT 465 rim would be my choice. If you want to go bang for the buck, you can pick up a set up Openpros with ultegra hubs for around $200 when Performance Bike runs specials. Some people question the build quality by Performance, but you can have them re-tensioned and trued if you want (you can't buy the parts cheaper seperately). The only thing I didn't like on my Performance build is that they use alloy nipples (at least a couple years ago they did). Makes for a lighter build, but they get corroded very quick if you ride in the rain. I've since swapped them out for brass.

You can always save a little weight and go 32/28 or 28/24, but I seriously doubt you will feel the difference (I can't). Others will disagree.

What about factory Shimano wheels, notably the Ultegra 6700 ($400), and the RS80 ($550ish)?

Ditto. About 300 miles on my Neuvations; so far, so good.

As others have said, 32H wheels are a very good choice for durability and comfort. You can build them to a lighter spec, as noted.

I use 32H Open Pros and 18/20H Easton EA90 Aero wheels, and find the Open Pros are just a very cushy ride compared to the stiffer Eastons. While the Eastons are a few hundred grams lighter, there is questionable aero benefit to the 28mm/31mm rim depth, so it just may be a wash in performance in the end. The Eastons look cooler, though! :)

I'm after something either lighter, or comparable to, the stock 1855g Bontragers I have, with more reliable hubs. I'm seeing the DT-RR465's are 1886g, and the RR585's are 2116g, on ultegra hubs. I'm sure they're durable, but they're also heavy. I still don't understand the 32h deal, I guess. Just seems likes excess metal... I want to climb hills, not invade Poland.