Planet X wheels

E@gle.

Was just looking through the planet X website and i spotted a good deal on a pair of planex x carbon clinchers .

Anyone have any experience with this brand, or am i just better off saving my money a buying a pair of Zipp's

crashoveroid

I have heard therel like navagators complete crap i would spend the extra cash on Zipps

Chips Lovell

Quigs Snr has a pair, but come to think of it, they're probably the tubs.

Needabike

Carbon wheels are only good as tubs.

Tyre pressure causes issues with the sidewall of the clincher.

Chips Lovell

Needabike wrote: »

Carbon wheels are only good as tubs.

Tyre pressure causes issues with the sidewall of the clincher.

Most carbon clinchers are essentially aluminium rims with carbon fairings though.

Quigs Snr

I have them. Mine are the tubulars. They are the Carbon weave type ones not the awful looking marble finish on the wheels currently on special offer. (I paid extra to get the older type standard Carbon finish).

Mine are built on superlight American Classic hubs with Sapim Lazer spokes. I am happy with them, but ironically am thinking of selling them to get a set of zipp 404's !

Let me explain, firstly the only trouble I have had so far in about 2000 km of use is a broken spoke in the back wheel (pot hole whilst accelerating up a 10% gradient in a race), which was easy and cheap to replace. The wheels are fast and look super. Braking is only so-so, but thats the same with all carbon rims. The planet X clinchers are for me, far too heavy and expensive compared to the tubs. Plus I don't like a carbon brake surface on a clincher rim. Whats the point ?

I would prefer the zipps largely for aesthetics. I have a new Cervelo R3 SL (will try to post a pic with the Planet X's on) and have seen the zipps on the CSC models of these bikes, they are a sightly deeper profile (58mm rather than 50) and look great. Also, I have a voucher for a store that sells zipps, finally the Zipp tubulars are a good bit lighter than my Planet X Tubs (mine are about 1550g but feel lighter) and I am a bit of a weight weenie. None of these are good reasons I know ! I could also say that in testing Zipp are more aero but really for a fred like me not enough for it to make a real difference !

By the way, they are apparently an old HED design and are currently also used (just the rims) by Vuelta in their carbon wheels.

tunney

Just because they are as deep as Zipps doesn't make them as aero.
In fact they're not.

Zipps or heds. Both have the same shaped rim.

patrykeith

hi bought a planet x rim 101mm and want to build it into a dura ace hub. its rear wheel, it seems no one in ireland or uk can built it up for me. does anyone know of a wheel builder who can do it. tried all the big bike shops, most of them have no real interest, humphries werent bothered, hoping someone can please help

DirkVoodoo

You can start new threads ya know. Unfortunately I can't help, best of luck.

blorg

patrykeith wrote: »

hi bought a planet x rim 101mm and want to build it into a dura ace hub. its rear wheel, it seems no one in ireland or uk can built it up for me. does anyone know of a wheel builder who can do it. tried all the big bike shops, most of them have no real interest, humphries werent bothered, hoping someone can please help

I'm surprised no-one is interested- would you be buying the hub and spokes from the shop that builds it? Maybe try Joe Daly's? Pretty sure Cycle Superstore would do it either, they seem happy to work on stuff from the internet. Unless there is some reason it can't be done, you are trying to build with incompatible bits or something.

I know it is an old thread, but @tunney- I accept that the PX wheels are not as aero as Zipps but presumably they would still be more aero than standard box section rims? We are looking at £399 for the PXes vs. ~£1,400-1,500 for the Zipps so saying that they are not as good as Zipps isn't that relevant to be honest. My current wheels are the frighteningly un-aero R-SYS which came with my bike. Aerodynamics is not the only reason those wheels are frightening either

I am still not sure whether I will get something myself, maybe if something comes up in the end of year sales I will grab it. At my current level not sure it makes a big difference anyway, at least part of it would be about the bling Not sure regarding tubulars yet either, I was a bit scared seeing yer man's tyre roll off in the Stephen Roche GP. I could trust them if I had a team mechanic, but I only have myself to rely on and I don't really trust myself in that regard!

Quigs Snr

I ended up getting rid of mine last year Blorg, in the end I just wasn't happy with the hubs, far too fragile. That being said, they appear to have changed the hub for an even cheaper one which is apparently a bit stronger if you can understand that.

For 399 they are probably worth a punt. Funnily enough, much as I like my Zipps for their looks and weight, they are actually less reliable that the PX in my experience. Nothing but trouble with the Zipps. Granted mine are older ones, but on the RAS on several occassions I found myself running around with one of the lads zipps in my hand looking for the Halfords team mechanic to try tighten it all back up again (that team were all on zipps). Don't get me wrong the zipps are beautiful, but like all beautiful things they tend to be high maintenance. (Not very strong either, we had a front one broken on Stage 2 this year on a pothole, the thing just exploded, my cosmics would have barely registered the bump)

Billy Whizz

I've overheard many times lads saying that Zipps aren't really suited for racing on Irish roads and you're better off with Cosmics.

Ryaner

Humpries in Finglas have a wheelbuilder. They'd probably be able to do it.

RobFowl

Ryaner wrote: »

Humpries in Finglas have a wheelbuilder. They'd probably be able to do it.

Excellent wheelbuilder as well

Ryaner

RobFowl wrote: »

Excellent wheelbuilder as well

I'm not sure how great the guy is but the service from the shop is enough for me to recommend them. My Open Pros went completely out of true with loads of loose spokes within the first 100km. He did completely rebuilt both and they've been fine the last 100+km. He also did say to take them straight back if anything even starts to look like it is getting loose. That in itself shows a great service. Actually going to go slightly out of my way to buy my next lot of parts from them instead of CRC.

Quigs Snr

Billy Whizz wrote: »

I've overheard many times lads saying that Zipps aren't really suited for racing on Irish roads and you're better off with Cosmics.

I had at one point: Planet X 50's, Zipp 404's and Mavic Cosmics all at the same time. I raced and trained on the Cosmics. Heavy yes, but great on Irish roads. They are my day to day wheels now and I have 2 sets of them (in addition to several other sets of wheels plus some Kysrium ES which are great but I just don't like the red bits on them would love a plain black wheel that would go with the bike but was about the same weight. Anyone wanna swap!) The Zipps go on if there is a severe hill, I am not sure if they really make a difference to me or is it a mental thing because at the level I am at this year the equipment is not even in the top 5 of the limiting factors.

And if you can find a good wheel builder, cherish him/her because they are few and far between. Theres a really good one in these parts (but it can sometimes take a little time)

blorg

Quigs- which Cosmic did you have and was it clincher or tubular?

Quigs Snr

I have the original Cosmics from 2004/2005 in a clincher (v.v. heavy). My day to day wheels however are the Cosmic SL's (2007), clinchers. I don't think the tub versions are light enough to justify the loss of practicality. My Planet X wheels and the Zipps were tubs, as all carbon wheels should be. Whats the point in a carbon clincher anyway !

xz

A bit off topic, but the standard PX wheels come with a cheap freehub, which the cassette bites into, making removal tricky

Quigs Snr

I'll second that, its the same on the carbon wheels, a very soft freehub and despite light use (I raced on mine, but they only had 2000 miles tops on them, I am hardly a power rider either and at the time would have weighed around 143lbs), nonetheless the freehub was badly gouged and scarred. Basically the rims themselves are pretty good, and if you get them built with proper spokes, they are ok, but for the wheel deals the spokes are often crap no-namers that break easy and go out of true, plus the hubs are muck (seemingly more functional these days though, PX admitted to me themselves, that the older American Classic ones were rubbish but the newer ones were fine) If you could get the wheels built with a shimano, campy, hope hub or something like that and some decent spokes then you would have a decent wheel.

That being said there were at least 2 PX bikes with Pro Carbon 50 wheels in the standard configuration zipping around with the great and good at the champs last weekend.

blorg

xz wrote: »

A bit off topic, but the standard PX wheels come with a cheap freehub, which the cassette bites into, making removal tricky

This isn't necessarily a sign of a "cheap" freehub, the same has happened to my DT Swiss 240s (quite badly) which would not generally be seen as a "cheap" hub.

@Quigs- you had the original aluminium Cosmics then, not the Cosmic Carbone SLs?

Quigs Snr

No both sets are Carbones, one is the original Carbones from 2004 52mm deep with the large yellow decals, the other are the 2007 Carbones, 50mm deep with small yellow decals (of course I replaced all the decals with white ones on both sets). If you are interested in Cosmics and are down for the Sean Kelly let me know and you can ride a set on the day (not the best climbing wheel in the world though !)

DirkVoodoo

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Whats the point in a carbon clincher anyway !

Would I not be welcome in Waterford anymore if I purchased the Shimano Dura Ace 7850 CLs??? I'm shocked!

Quigs Snr

Of course you're welcome ! Don't get me wrong Dirk, functionally I don't see the need for clinchers with carbon rims (I am talking about ones with carbon brake surfaces, I have an irrational fear that the pressure on that rim and the carbon nature of it would lead to a shorter life - possibly of both the wheel and rider !), but if they look groovy then thats what matters most. I'd like to pretend that some of the parts on my bikes were selected because they worked well or made sense rather than looked well but that would be a filthy lie of course.

Quite like the Shimano ones actually after taking a look at them there, didn't one of the pro teams have them last year, Columbia or someone like that ? About time Shimano came up with a good looking wheel. For years their top wheel was the overweight and flexible as a damp noodle Aluminium Dura Ace rims. Good to see they are getting over their carbon phobia at last.

The Easton ones look mean on a bike too, but I hear they are a little soft also.

DirkVoodoo

I think it was Cav who likes the Dura Aces. I'm in the market for a new set and i like the idea of a laminate, I have this fear of carbon. I also remember how most of my WW2 airfix kits turned out when I was younger so I don't trust myself to glue tubulars either.

Are the carbones a good racing wheel so? I figure when (if) I start next year that my humble aksiums will have to remain saturday spinners only.

Quigs Snr

I wouldn't glue a tubular either, I would prefer the pro's did it. On the RAS I was praying that the lads didn't flat on their tubs or I would be exposed as the shambolic bike mechanic that I am ! I like the carbones for racing, but if you are looking for all rounders and like your askiums then a set of Kysrium SL's are probably your only man. Nice and light and pretty durable. I had a set of the older ones which I twice crashed into a parked car (long story). Not a mark on them and they had a very, very long life. Still going as far as I know.