dndbenson

I am looking to upgrade my wheels but I am unsure of what would be best for overall conditions. I ride about 150 miles a week and that includes quite a bit of climbing so I was wondering what would be the best all around wheelset, I am looking at switching to tubular as apposed to the clinchers that I have been running. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

kleng

I've got Reynolds 46, 32 and Dura-ace c35 wheelsets (all tubular rims), by far the most versatile is the Reynolds 46, great aero not much heavier than the 32's and lighter than the C35's and stiffer than both.

So the 46's tubulars are great for all types of riding, I'd say if you do a lot of climbing you need a stiffer and light wheelset, so that would rule out the 66 rear.
Add some suppple tubulars like Veloflex extreme's and it's almost the best you can get other than moving to RZR 46's

I'm using 25ml of stan's no tubes sealant in each tubular, and have never had a failure where the sealant could not seal the hole.

gregf83 

Best for what? Are you racing? What type of racing?

IthaDan 

Buy the ones that look cooler. Deeper looks cooler.

Unfortunately, a tubular tire seat scrotum isn't that cool, so you'll kind of break even.

merlinextraligh

aero almost always trumps weight.

datlas 

Clinchers ease of use almost always trumps tubulars' hassles.

jmess

I have some Reynolds 46UL and 32 clinchers. I agree that the 46s are probably the best over all for not much more weight. The 32s have a slightly ride better and I think they corner a little better.

carpediemracing 

I'll leave the tubular/clincher bit alone.

If you climb you're also descending. On fast straight descents (50+ mph) with gusty wind (either from trucks passing me or from wind on the side of a mountain) I found the Reynolds 46 front to be a handful (as well as a Jet 6 - 60mm tall). On switchback type descents, where you tend to brake repeatedly so you don't go much faster than 45-50 mph, I felt okay on the 46 front.

Some shots from my point of view. On the various sections you can see that I used different wheels. Drafting trucks (just under 50 mph) was really sketchy with the 60mm front wheel, and it was similar with the 46 although I have little footage of the 46 front. After trying the Jet 6 front and the Ardennes rim front I chose to ride the Ardennes rim front pretty much all the time - I haven't ridden the Jet 6 front wheel since a few months after I bought it in 2010.


When I repeated those rides with a shorter front wheel, I think it's a 24mm tall rim (Ardennes), I had no problems.

In the rear I've run various wheels at 50+mph - box section, the 24mm, 46mm, 58mm, and 90mm. All are stable at speed. Given reasonable weight I'll run the tallest rear I can. With tubulars I run a 90mm rear by default, in all wind conditions. With clinchers I run the 24mm wheels as a first choice, front and rear, due to the excessive weight of the Jet 6/9 combo I own.

Without knowing much about your riding style etc I'd recommend getting the 46/66 plus a front 32. Use the 32 front when it's super gusty etc. Use the 46 front when it's a bit quieter or you're not going to exceed 45-50 mph. Use the 66 rear all the time. The tubulars are light enough to not make much of a difference in terms of rim height in the rear. In the front I'd focus on control at the most extreme situation you'll encounter on a given ride.

If you have some reasonable clinchers then get the 46/66 first and use your current front wheel if it's super windy.

KantoBoy

I got no answer on how deep of a wheel you should get (I know my 150lbs ass won't be riding 50mm's any longer), but I personally would avoid tubulars. It's a PITA imo. I regret getting tubulars now.

that's just me. I know someone will try to prove me wrong which I could care less but it's really a PITA imo.

dndbenson

Thanks for the advice, I ended up getting the 32's. Performance had them on sale for $999 plus I get $100 back in rewards and that covered my tax and shipping. I look forward to trying them out.