himespau 

While I have spent a lot of time on old school mountain bikes (no suspension) both on light trails and the one that I put drop bars and racks on that I commuted on for a number of years, I've never actually owned an honest to god road bike. Figured it was about time to change that. Since I like tinkering with things and working on my bikes in particular, I decided to build up from a frame rather than buying something already built up (which is probably cheaper). I have campagnolo levers (10 speed Centaurs), FD, and crankset that I'd originally been planning on putting on my commuter paired with 8 speed shimano RD and cassette for the classic Shimergo setup so I could try it out, but I figured I might as well use it to build up the new bike as it had me halfway there (the cheap half though).

So that brings me to the question of wheels. Trying to find something decent but relatively inexpensive with a campy freehub. Anybody have any good suggestions?

I'm trying to keep things in the $2-300 range (cheaper is better). Oh yeah, I'm also a but of a chunky dude. I'm working on getting my weight back down to where it was when I was in college (180's) but right now I'm in the 220s and am 6'2. So I'll need something fairly strong to support my fat ass.

Is there a good pre-built wheel I should be looking at? I've built my own wheelset before and am not opposed to doing it again (especially if it's what's necessary to keep me on budget), but if there's something already built and I just have to true it, that's even better.

Does something meet my needs (probably 28h or 32h, campy freehub, less than $300)?

Would I be better off grabbing a hubset (maybe these?), some cheap rims (Weinman DB18s?) and just throwing something together myself?

Or is my best bet trying to grab one of those Chorus/Open Pro wheelsets I see popping up on ebay every week or two for $200 or so and just repacking/adjusting the bearings and going with that?

Thanks so much for any and all suggestions.

thirdgenbird

Campy/fulcrum pre built wheels are very nice and you have a number of options in that price range. (Depending on where you buy)

$200 for a chorus/open pro set sounds great as well but are you sure thry are 10spd? The chorus 10spd hubs are great. The only difference from record is the mising lube port.

Campag4life

I have ridden Campy wheels for years and never the high end stuff. For a recreational rider..look no further. They are also strong for bigger guys...I am in this club as well.
For 300 bux shipped off ebay...or you may find them out of the UK for the same prlced shipped...Fulcrum 5's are excellent...my training wheels.
According to Campy literature...these wheels are 'hand' built at their factory.
For Campagnolo name brand...Vento, Scirroco or Zonda are very good. Vento = Fulcrum 7 Scirroco = Fulcrum 5 Zonda= Fulcrum 3 ...Zonda and 3's will set you back about $4-500 a set. I love Campy wheels and hard to be for the price...never go out of true...decent fast and look good.
I personally recommend the Fulcrum 5's.
Enjoy your build.

himespau 

The Fulcrum 5's I see are 20/24. Is that really strong enough for someone who weighs over 200?

Pug

Fulcrum Racing Quattro for $304.

Campag4life

I would say yes...but maybe 220 would be pushing it and be best served with higher spoke count.
Mine have never gone of true which I am pretty astounded by because I have ripped some really rough roads on them.

thirdgenbird

You can get into scirocco 35s for about $300 too. This or the Quattro above should be fine under you. I saw a loose reference to a 240lb limit but Campagnolo USA could tell you.

edit: fulcrum lists all their wheels with a limit of 240. I think parent company Campagnolo is similar:
https://www.fulcrumwheels.com/en/faq/wheels

RollCNY

Ribble is 10% off, and have Khamsins for $140 and Scirroccos for $220. They are 27 spoke rear wheels. I am debating a set as back up wheels. Shipping looks to be about $50 to US.

Total Cycling has slightly higher prices, but lower shipping.

Drew Eckhardt 

That's a good idea. When you wear out a brake track or crash a wheel you'll be able to get replacement rims. Open Pros keep getting more expensive (my last one was $70) although that still beats a new wheel and I've been told Velocity Aeroheads/ A23s share the ERD ($50) and come in classic silver.

Campagnolo (and Shimano) cup and cone hubs are high quality with features like coined spoke holes that are absent on many boutique hubs. Small parts like freehub springs and pawls are available. You want a pair.

You could find a used set to build a set of wheels around, although you'll spend more than if you just buy a used wheel set.

Campagnolo 8 speed freehubs (shallow splines in black coated steel) are different animals than 9+ (deep splines in aluminum). Avoid them.

9+ speed hubs come in three flavors:

Cartridge bearing. The non-drive side has a big wrench flat instead of the usual cone and lock nut with thin flats. While better than cheap imports (the C-Record forgings are the sexiest ever made and they still have coined spoke holes) they don't have cup-and-cone bearings that seem to last for ever.

9/10mm steel axle. Traditional cone and lock nut. C-Record forgings, very classic. Cup and cone availability may become an issue like it is for first generation ergo small parts.

Hollow aluminum axle. There's a big adjuster with a lock screw on the non-drive side. They use the same cups, cones, and axles (sort of - in 2007 Campagnolo dropped the separate pawl carrier and changed the rear axle. You can put an old freehub on the new axle, need to do a little grinding to put a new freehub on an old axle, but otherwise can swap things around) as the best current production Campagnolo and Fulcrum wheels. Get some.

Differences between group levels are subtle enough for most people to ignore, although price does increase moving towards Record which often commands a substantial premium.

Centaur/Daytona/Chorus/Record over-sized hubs are identical apart from skewer, group name printed on the preload adjuster, 10g saving titanium pawl carrier on pre 2007 Record (after that you could only buy Record hubs and their freehub body doesn't use a separate pawl carrier), and grease ports for Record which double the disassembly interval.

1997-1998 9 speed Chorus and Record rear hubs are identical except Record get sa different skewer, titanium axles, and 7/32" front hub balls or front adjustable cartridge bearings). Athena and below use the same bearings, same forgings sans grease ports, and got different axle + freehubs.

eja_ bottecchia

I am currently at 205#. I have a set of Fulcrum 5 that came with my Bianchi Infinito. I rode the fulcrums with my problems at all until I bought a set of Campy Eurus. Fulcrum are great wheels. In fact I bought a set of Fulcrum Zero for my Colnago. If you want to know more info, please PM and I will fill you in the details.

himespau 

Wow, that's a lot of good info. Thanks. So if it's got a black freehub, stay away? That's a simple enough rule for me to figure out. Not sure I have the eye to pick out the other differences, but will keep looking and trying, thanks. I think you're right that it's cheaper to buy a used wheelset than a used hubset and other parts to build up the wheels myself. Heck, I've seen the hubs going for the same price as wheels.

Campag4life

eja...the book on the high end Fulcrum 0's is...they are a lot stiffer (radially)...and lighter than the Fulcrum 5's. Do you notice any ride degradation with the Fulcrum 0's? Likely hard to compare if not mounted on the same bike.
thanks

tagaproject6

I built up a road bike for a friend of mine using Campagnolo Khamsin wheels roughly 2 years ago. He weighs around 240ish at the time and the wheels are still true to this day. I ordered the wheels through Ribble. They are a bit on the heavy side.

eja_ bottecchia

The Fulcrum Zeros were stiffer than the Campy Eurus currently on my Bianchi. To solve the "problem" I have gone to Veloflex Corsa tires and Vittoria latex inner tubes. That has smoothed out the ride.

The Fulcrum 5 feel more like the Ambrosio Excellence 32H rims that I have used in the past.

The thing I like about the Fulcrum Zeros is that they make this old, short, pudgy, asthmatic/diabetic rider climb far better than any othe wheelset I have ever used. The F Zeros are also very reactive, acceleration comes in fast.

Not sure if this answers your specific question, but I can say that the F Zeros ride as well, or better, as any other similarly stiff aluminum wheels.

Drew Eckhardt 

Right!.

I've bought wheels (Record over-sized hubs, Open Pro, 15/16 gauge spokes) for about what I've seen the skewers sell for ($140 for a set of 2000-2006 Record skewers).

Campag4life

More specifically, do the Fulcrum 0's in your experience ride a lot rougher than the Fulcrum 5's? I don't have the Eurus wheels for comparison. Sounds as though you love the performance of the 0's...was wondering if I would be giving up much in ride quality?

Also, you are no light weight...me either...any need for truing the 0's at all?
Thanks again

ThinLine

Just bought a pair of new Fulcrum 5's w/ bags for $310, excellent wheels, I'm 6', 193 lbs, currently riding Bontrager Race X Lites which are really good and stay true, Dura-Ace open pro CD's and New Ultegra's.
The Ultegra's are the best wheels I own (9 bikes) and are very high quality all around.
Price considered, I would choose the Fulcrum 5's for you.

Campag4life

Tall praise for the Ultegra's Thinline. What makes them so good? Can you critique the Ultegras relative to the Fulcrum 5's?
thanks

AndyK 

Love my Neutrons!

Homebrew01

FYI, Open Pro rims have a bit of a reputation for cracking around the spoke hole.

Campag4life

Here's an interesting review of the Fulcrum Quattros....a good albeit heavy aero wheel:
https://www.cycletechreview.com/2012/...elset-preview/

thirdgenbird

Perfect.

the main thing I was concerned about with these and the Campagnolo counterpart was the hub. Campy has never made a bad hub, but their first go at sealed bearings was a disappointment. This article proves that is all gone.

Campag4life

Being a fan of Campy wheels, I am tempted to pick up a pair of Quattros. I am also considering a set of Fulcrum 3's which are lighter and will spool up better and clmb better. But...maybe the aero benefit of the Quattros for steady state distance riding would be more appreciated then the spool up deficit...since I am not a crit guy. Decisions.

thirdgenbird

Eh, I've got eurus wheels. Scirocco 35 or quattros will likely be my next wheels.

Campag4life

thirdgenbird...presuming Quattro are the same wheels as Scirocco 35 only with different graphics...
since you own Eurus wheels...what is you thinking about Campy's Quattro wheel in comparison?...
Are you looking to try an aero wheel thinking there maybe a benefit versus a shorter and lighter Eurus/Fulcrum 3 style wheel?