triq-D

I've been riding Campy Neutron Ultras for the last 4 years. Ridden the hell out of them in the Alps and Flanders. Never needed truing once. But I think they've had their day and m planning an upgrade. Got my eye on some r-sys slrs. They're nice and light and I like the braking surface. But for that price, I think I could be looking at some pretty decent custom wheels, with say some nice CK hubs. Priorities are for climbing and durability because I ride on some ****ty roads. Any ideas? Either for customs or other stock options?

Thanks

fa63

My experience with Mavic wheels have always been positive. And I think you would be hard pressed to find a wheelset that weighs as little as the R-SYS SLR do (reported as 1,295 g) and still be durable. That said, they are very expensive and you could probably build a slightly heavier but equally (or more) durable wheel for half their retail price. For example, Pacenti SL23 rims laced to Alchemy hubs and Sapim CX Ray spokes.

I am also a big fan of Campy or Shimano's pre-built wheels. The Shimano Dura Ace C24 and Campy Shamal are examples of solid wheelsets that are also relatively light. And again you can find those for half the retail price of the Mavic.

bianchi10

quality might not be as high as say chris king, but if you ride crappy roads and looking for a light weight option, take a look SOUL S2.0. with veloplugs they would come in around the same weight if not lighter than the SLR's. With Rim tape the 2.0 is claimed to be 1305. 32 veloplugs is equal to 5g I think, so I would imagine depending on your spoke count, you would be around 1290g. The SOUL S2.0 is shipped to your door for $550USD.

MajorMantra

They are pretty, but use all proprietary parts including silly aluminium spokes on the rear DS.

Mavic hubs are good (far more durable than, for example, the Souls) although the freehub with its weird nylon bushing is a bit of an acquired taste.

The R-Sys also have a reputation for being brutally stiff, so not an obvious choice for poor road surfaces.

I'd suggest a custom build on whichever nice hubs take your fancy. CK for bling (but servicing fully requires $$$ tools), or maybe White Industries. For outstanding, but not showy hubs, go Dura Ace.

For R-Sys money you can also choose any alu rim on the market. For all round performance, I'd suggest the Pacenti SL23, for looks - the H Plus Son Archetype, and for light weight - something from Stan's like the Alpha 400.

Silvercivic27

Actually, the exalith surface is what I don't like about the Mavics, and if I went R-sys, I'd get the version with the traditional braking surface, which would bring the price down a little and the weight up a little. If I went custom, I'd get Pacenti with Alchemy Hubs and DT aero lite spokes. I'm impatient, and the Alchemy hubs are hard to find right now, so I'd probably just throw down for the R-sys and start riding if it were me.

triq-D

Thanks for all the input. Had actually thought about new Campy or Shimano prêt-à-rouler option but I always thought it wouldn't be much of an upgrade from my current Neutron Ultras. The R-sys' harshness is also a point to consider on rough roads.
Hadn't thought about (or heard of!) Pacenti so perhaps that is the way to go. Gets me in way under budget so I'll have to find something else to blow the cash on!