Ksyrium SL's for Tri?
 

So, I am eagerly waiting for my '07 Felt S22 to arrive. ETA is mid November. It is coming with ALX-295R wheels. I have read good and not so good things about them so I am thinking about getting better wheels.

I recently upgraded from Mavic Aksiums to Dura-Ace WH-7800 wheels on my Giant road bike and I can feel the difference in starting, getting up to speed and climbing.

I'm trying to decide what wheels to get for my Tri bike. I saw a pair of Ksyrium SL's in a LBS and haven't stopped thinking about them They are not aero wheels.

I would really appreciate input on getting the SL's versus other wheels. What about some Easton Tempest II's? I am new to Du/Tri and the Felt is already a big investment so buying a set of Zipps or something similar is out of my budget for at least a year.

thanks,
- tom

I think you should wait to see how the stock wheels feel on your Felt. If it is that noticeable of a difference from your road bike, maybe change. But I would wait before making another 'upgrade' purchase. Don't you want to see how much faster the tri bike makes you first?

You're right. I'm just dying to get the Felt. I bought a computer for it and pedals... I'm just in a shopping mood. Also, just trying to learn more about Tri wheels. A friend of mine has a variety of Zipps for his Tri bikes but they are just too rich for me.

I had a specialized road bike with Alex EXA330's on them. Those wheels blew chunks. Not stiff at all (when I jumped out of the saddle I could feel the wheel flex and rub the brake pads on either side), they came out of true quite often and they had a huge welding seam that made them heavier in a spot. I have never read anything good about Alex wheels written by anyone who has ridden on anything else.

I have Ksyrium SLs on my tri bike. They are great wheels but not aero. I have them on my tri bike because my Cannondale came with Ksyrium Elites and my LBS threw in an upgrade to SLs for free - so I was like "cool, thanks." I don't know what your budget is, but it would probably make the most sense to keep the Alex wheels for training or get some other wheels for training and then get a set of zipps or something for tris. I had my LBS build me a set of Mavic Open Pros with ultegra hubs and 32 spokes for training on my road bike. They are only 1800g (not bad for training wheels) and are bombproof. They are 3x spoke placement so they are super comfy. A thing to consider - I sold my Alex wheels on ebay and I think I got $200 or so for them even after I ridden on them for 1800 miles. Maybe if you don't ride on your Alex wheels at all you can sell them on ebay for more than that and help fund another set of wheels. I have read good reviews of the Neuvation wheels that are sold online.

If on a budget, I would suggest the Neuvation Wheels or American Classic 420's over the Ksyrium SL's.

Far more aero and the money saved can go towards the deeper carbon race wheels bought later.

Thanks for the feedback. I will check out the Neuvations and AC's. What about Vuelta? Corima?

I am thinking of selling the ALX wheels right off the bike in hopes they would get more on eBay that way. I have Mavic Aksiums for training.

Both Vuelta and Corima are reasonable wheels, but down my way pretty expensive. I hear the Vuelta uses the pre dimple Zipp 404 rim. The Corimas are also good but I believe the rims are only 45mm deep...

By the way...are you after Clinchers or Tubulars for your race wheels?

I'm tending towards clinchers just because I am used to them and think they are easier to change in the event that I get a flat during an event.

The American Classics 420's do look nice.

Any thoughts on the HED Alps? Or any other HED's? They have a bunch that are in the same price range which I may be able to get on eBay if I am patient this winter.

thx!

Hed Alps....
I have a buddy who absolutely loves them. They are his every day wheel...riding, racing, training, etc. He used them for IM WI '06 and every race this year.

Ksyrium SL's...
A LBS owner has been trying to talk me into a pair...he uses them on his tribike. They are sturdy, fairly light, and the power transfer is supposed to be excellent.

GOOD LUCK...wheels are a tough call. BTW, my Alex wheels are junk...just waiting to upgrade.

it depends what you want out of the wheels you get. if you want something both light and stiff, than the SL's are tops in both areas...

i wouldn't personally use them on a tri-bike though, they're more for road and cyclecross, unless i was going to use them on a road bike that i use for du's and tri's too...

that's just my opinion though...

kyserium SLs make nice crit wheels but they're not aero. For close to the same money, you can get a Renn Disc and Hed trispoke. Only problem is if its very windy, or tons of climbing, in which case toss on the D/A wheels.

IMHO, the kyserium wheels do nothing to add to your quiver.

I've only heard good things about the HED Alps. Good price point, 55mm deep (so only just shallower than the Zipp 404's 58mm). Only negative would be the weight - though most deep carbon clinchers are pretty heavy.

HED Jet 60's are a fraction deeper at 60mm and for 2006 a little lighter than the Alps. Another good option...

Now that it's coming into your Winter and end of the Tri season, more wheels should come onto the market. As well as Ebay, check out the classified on http://forum.slowtwitch.com/

The HED Alps look better and better... Feedback has been strong for racing as well as training on them. Though, I think for training I will use my Mavic Aksiums that were originally on my Giant.

I'll be sure to check out the Jet's as well. I'm 190 lbs... They talk about an EX version
"EX version available for riders 190-225lbs. EX is laced with 24 spokes front and 28 rear to make more durable wheels. (+48g)"

I need to find data on the weight limits for the other wheels... Maybe I am too heavy for Alps? I've lost over 20 pounds this year and will lose more over the winter. I've set a realistic goal to be in the 180's before next March. That said, I don't want to get a set of wheels that I am at or near the weight limit of.

From http://www.hedcycling.com/wheels/

NOTE: Because we handbuild all our wheels, we can make most of our wheels in a stronger version for large riders. If you weigh over 190 lbs, we should talk about your intended use and riding style before you pull the trigger on a new set of wheels. We can probably make a wheel for you, but it may not be a stock version. You can email for more information or to start a conversation.

Email them. I bought a Hed Stinger 90 front wheel a few months ago and had a few questions, they will reply promptly.

I heard back from HED. Very quick reply; nice customer experience. They suggest the HED Jet for me over the HED Alps. Nothing wrong with the Alps but they have done a lot of improvements to the Jets this past year and feel they are their best wire spoke wheel. Also, based on my riding style they feel the standard version would be fine. I won't need the EX.

Anyone had any experience with Flash-Point wheels?

Check out this video from Interbike. This is from the Zipp booth.
http://contagion.dayport.com/viewer/...Category_ID=15

Here is the Flash-Point web site:
http://www.flash-pointracing.com/

Jets and Flashpoints are very similar wheels. I would go with Jets over Flashpoints merely due to aesthetics, weight and that Hed has been making the Jets longer.