Best winter wheel

Taxuser1

What's your winter wheel of choice?

I'm debating a new set of Zondas or should I pay extra for a Kysirium set ?

Hmmzis

Something with good seals for the bearings and a solid thick rim. The shimano fit freehub on the zondas can wear out very fast if used in wet conditions. The amount of rim wear in the winter can be staggering, so a thick rim wall would be more useful than a light one.

That said I would normally struggle to get more than a year out of winter/training wheels. Mostly due to the rims wearing out, bearings are easy to replace (even press fit ones).

Borderfox

Pave 28 from superstar components

Taxuser1

Borderfox wrote: »

Pave 28 from superstar components

tell me more

how do they stack up bearings, weight, rolling, tension, acceleration, aero, price etc etc

Taxuser1

Borderfox wrote: »

Pave 28 from superstar components

good man, just bought a set after reading road cc review

Borderfox

Really impressed with them so far, spin up fast and very comfortable even with 23mm tyres on.

greenmat

I use these, great set of winter wheels.

[HTML]http://www.wiggle.co.uk/campagnolo-khamsin-asy-cx-cyclocross-wheelset/[/HTML]

DirkVoodoo

I had sciroccos, loved them.

Like greenmat, get the CX version of the campagnolo wheels, they have double sealed hubs so perfect for Irish winters.

Plus, you really want a nice heavy wheel during winter

koutoubia

Scirocco's are a great wheel for the price. The only thing I found with the lower end Campy wheels was the bearings failed quite early. Replaced them with SKF bearings and they are brilliant.

greenmat

koutoubia wrote: »

Scirocco's are a great wheel for the price. The only thing I found with the lower end Campy wheels was the bearings failed quite early. Replaced them with SKF bearings and they are brilliant.

Haven't found that myself, rode on them all last winter and summer, there on my commuter/training bike. For a similar price to Mavic Askiums, there miles better.

koutoubia

Front Khamsin completely seized after about 6months use - and I mean the the wheel wouldn't turn. As mentioned the they were non cx so only had 1 seal on the bearings.
The scirrocos were getting very rough after about the same time use and the bearings were the same. 1 seal on the inside.
But agree I would ride either Khamsin/Scirroco over the Asksium.

CycLok

Would you not be better off getting Aksiums as winter hacks and replace them once they wear out? They'll get wreaked in the irish winter

lennymc

what do you want from a winter wheel? I want a winter wheel that I dont have to worry about if i hit a pot hole, or break a spoke. I also want something that I can replace easily enough when it does wear out and when the salt on the roads does destroy it.
The best winter wheel set I had was a set of rs50 (i think) shimano wheels that I got for about 70 quid. I did nothing with them, they never went out of true, the bearings were grand, i rode in all weathers. I currently have a rigida 32 or 26 front wheel with hub dynamo and a powertap rear on my winter bike. They are heavy, but it's winter.

NeedMoreGears

+1 on lenny's post above.

My "good" wheels are zondas and I generally dont use them between November and March or on my commute. For commuting and general winter training, I have a set of Shimano 500/501s; cheap enough at about 140 for a pair and fairly robust if a bit heavy. So far no complaints with them.

Taxuser1

i have the mavic cxps which I have 6 years. absolutely gem wheels. just fancied an upgrade and everyone's opinion.

i'll see how these Pave 24s roll :-)

Borderfox

From the time I have the pave's they are a better wheel than the Zondas, there's something about a handbuilt wheels suppleness that's really nice over our roads.

I rode tubulars years ago and these are nearly as good

OleRodrigo

Borderfox wrote: »

From the time I have the pave's they are a better wheel than the Zondas, there's something about a handbuilt wheels suppleness that's really nice over our roads.

I rode tubulars years ago and these are nearly as good

Do they look nice ? I was going with a pair of H plus Son Archetypes with Ultregra hubs but they are twice the price of these ( they are lovely though ).

Do they take 28mm tyres ?

Mefistofelino

Borderfox wrote: »

From the time I have the pave's they are a better wheel than the Zondas, there's something about a handbuilt wheels suppleness that's really nice over our roads.

I rode tubulars years ago and these are nearly as good

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the Superstar wheels aren't hand built - not in the true sense of the word. The hubs are hand laced, machines do the rest. Having said that, the quality of (properly) machine- built wheels is very good these days.

Borderfox

I think they look nice, make a nice tune as they roll. No problems with 28's, the rim is wider than most wheels and makes a 23mm nearly into a 25mm

Zenson

Looked at a few bikes in the 1800 price range recently. A lot have mavic aksiums. Are these complete crap. Reviews vary considerably. My usage wouod be 100k spin at weekend and a couple of 50ks during the week. Nothing competitive.

G1032

Borderfox wrote: »

Pave 28 from superstar components

Where did you buy these and how much did they cost?

youtheman

That's one of the reason I like disc brakes, you're not wearing the rim of the wheel from day one. Only problem is that my recently purchased 'good bike' has disc brakes and the 'old one', now my winter bike, has normal brakes. I suppose I'll have to buy a third bike then !!!.

Borderfox

G1032 wrote: »

Where did you buy these and how much did they cost?

Direct from superstar components with a 10% discount from Facebook for £175 stg

harringtonp

Borderfox wrote: »

Direct from superstar components with a 10% discount from Facebook for £175 stg

Looks like discount ended yesterday

Taxuser1

G1032 wrote: »

Where did you buy these and how much did they cost?

bought them and they cost me £199.99 plus £5 delivery. that's €280 in last week's currency changes

I got them yesterday and they're still in the box. I'm debating whether to keep them or not and put the money instead to a race wheelset fund

harringtonp

Taxuser1 wrote: »

bought them and they cost me £199.99 plus £5 delivery. that's €280 in last week's currency changes

I got them yesterday and they're still in the box. I'm debating whether to keep them or not and put the money instead to a race wheelset fund

Any chance you could post the exact link to what you purchased ?

Any why debating now after making the decision, is there something about them now that you see them that you don't like ?

I need a rear wheel but as it is very difficult to find a split set I am contemplating buying

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/elite-24-ultra-11speed-wheelset-2024.htm

and trying to move on my almost new zonda front wheel.

Taxuser1

harringtonp wrote: »

Any chance you could post the exact link to what you purchased ?

Any why debating now after making the decision, is there something about them now that you see them that you don't like ?

I need a rear wheel but as it is very difficult to find a split set I am contemplating buying

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/elite-24-ultra-11speed-wheelset-2024.htm

and trying to move on my almost new zonda front wheel.

Qty Product Options Total
1 x
£194.99 each
Pave 28 Ultra 11Speed Wheelset 20/24 Plenty in stock
Icon Ultra 11Speed Freehub x 1
ICON ULTRA ALLOY 11Speed Shimano - also fits 8,9 and 10 speed
WheelsetROAD Pave28 Icon Ultra 11Speed x 1
700c PAVE28 Black Rims / ICON ULTRA Black Hubs 20H F - 24H R
£194.99
Items total
£194.99
Shipping charges
EU2 UPS: £5.00
Shipping total: £5.00
Total
£199.99

i've my eye on a pair of used campag boras ultras which have come on sale. i've not even put a QR into the wheel yet, it literally arrived in the post yesterday by courier.

if you're in Dublin, you're free to have a look at them. i've 14 days to return them for cost price which I'll probably do. they're lovely looking wheels. haven't weighed them but they feel light for alloys.

quozl

I don't think 20/24 spokes is right for a winter wheel.

I've seen too many people break a single spoke and because of low spoke count have trouble limping home even after the surrounding spokes are adjusted to compensate. If you can't adjust the surrounding spokes yourself then all the more reason to have a high enough spoke count that the wheel will stay ridable.

OleRodrigo

Depends on how much weight the wheels are supporting.

harringtonp

quozl wrote: »

I don't think 20/24 spokes is right for a winter wheel.

I've seen too many people break a single spoke and because of low spoke count have trouble limping home even after the surrounding spokes are adjusted to compensate. If you can't adjust the surrounding spokes yourself then all the more reason to have a high enough spoke count that the wheel will stay ridable.

Doing some research on superstar and found the following thread

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=12992903

which gives some good info into the icon ultra hubs used in the elite series:

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/elite-24-ultra-11speed-wheelset-2024.htm

Have not found anything specific on the rims yet.

On a general note just shows how one fellows winter wheels can be anothers race set which is what I am looking at the above for.

I bought winter wheels last year and just looked for the cheapest set I could find which was Shimano R501s for 86e including postage.

Thinking here is ride them till something goes wrong (and after a full winter 501s still perfect) and when it does tru or fix yourself (save the hassle of dropping into LBS) and if an arse is made of the repair job bin them and buy another set !

Jawgap

I use the Fulcrum 5 CX on my wintery bike......

http://www.fulcrumwheels.com/en/collection/road/cx

Borderfox

Review here
http://road.cc/content/review/140076-superstar-components-pave-28-wheelset

harringtonp

harringtonp wrote: »

Any chance you could post the exact link to what you purchased ?

Any why debating now after making the decision, is there something about them now that you see them that you don't like ?

I need a rear wheel but as it is very difficult to find a split set I am contemplating buying

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/elite-24-ultra-11speed-wheelset-2024.htm

and trying to move on my almost new zonda front wheel.

Purchased these, weight a little more than advertised 1492 but this is due to the rim tape which is not include in their weights. See photos.

Spokes are thin along the lines of the Zonda.

Hubs run free but not as free as a Planet X 60mm wheel I have.

Will know more when use them.

harringtonp

Can anybody tell me what the small holes in the hub and the front wheel are for ?

Also with the front wheel I was wondering about a small gap below the hole and was wondering why it is not flush ? Surely grime will get in there.

ashleey

Allows water out. In bad weather those sections fill with water via the spoke holes in the rims

Mefistofelino

harringtonp wrote: »

Can anybody tell me what the small holes in the hub and the front wheel are for ?

Also with the front wheel I was wondering about a small gap below the hole and was wondering why it is not flush ? Surely grime will get in there.

I suspect those hubs are actually manufactured by Miche (they make OEM hubs for a variety of wheelmakers). The "hole" in the front wheel is actually a grub screw - probably 2 or 2.5mm hex - that is used to lock the end cap onto the axle and pre-load the bearing (in as much as you can pre-load cartridge bearings). To close up the cap, you undo the grub screw (don't lose it!) and, putting a hex key in either end of the axle, wind it up until the gap closes (but not too tight as the wheel will bind on the axle). Once that is done, you can tighten the grub screw again to "lock" it in place.

The Miche website has some poorly translated tech manuals covering their hubs. The illustrations should make it a bit clearer.

http://www.miche.it/en/service/istruzioni/mozzi-2

harringtonp

ashleey wrote: »

Allows water out. In bad weather those sections fill with water via the spoke holes in the rims

But the rims are nowhere near those holes. Presume it is allowing water out that enters in other places

Subcomandante Marcos

32 hole Deore XT with DT Swiss spokes and mavic open pro rims is pretty much bomb and weather proof.

OleRodrigo

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

32 hole Deore XT with DT Swiss spokes and mavic open pro rims is pretty much bomb and weather proof.

Not so sure about Open Pros on 11 speed drivetrains. Quite a few problems with spokes breaking and wheels going out of true. Purely anecdotal though.

ashleey

harringtonp wrote: »

But the rims are nowhere near those holes. Presume it is allowing water out that enters in other places

Sorry. Thought you meant in the rim section not in the hubs. Hopefully no water is getting into the hubs or they won't be good winter wheels at all!

letape

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Not so sure about Open Pros on 11 speed drivetrains. Quite a few problems with spokes breaking and wheels going out of true. Purely anecdotal though.

I have open pros on campag record hubs with 11 speed cassette and they have never given any problems. I have a set with 28 spokes and another with 32. Both have been very reliable.

OleRodrigo

letape wrote: »

I have open pros on campag record hubs with 11 speed cassette and they have never given any problems. I have a set with 28 spokes and another with 32. Both have been very reliable.

I knew as soon as I posted that there would be somebody on to contradict me.:)

Some lads in the club and some boardsies having problems with rims that are usually very reliable. Rear wheel, drive side on 11 speed seems to be the common denominator.

Koobcam

I have a set of DT swiss M 1900 Spline wheels on my cyclocross bike, which I use as a winter bike & commuter by just sticking on road tyres. The wheels are really heavy but very solid and able to take a good beating. I've had the cx bike (and the wheels) on the go for the best part of 2 years with only a small bit of hub servicing required. I only discovered recently that they're also tubeless compatible (which explains why it's so hard to fit road tyres on them). Not sure though if they have a rim brake option. In general though, I think DT swiss make good solid budget wheels which would be ideal for winter riding. The DB23 or 24 would be good options which definitely come in rim brake options and have relatively wide rims, meaning wide tyres will work well, so you could fit a set of 28mm GO 4 seasons or similar and have a perfect winter set up.

ashleey

Koobcam wrote: »

I have a set of DT swiss M 1900 Spline wheels on my cyclocross bike, which I use as a winter bike & commuter by just sticking on road tyres. The wheels are really heavy but very solid and able to take a good beating. I've had the cx bike (and the wheels) on the go for the best part of 2 years with only a small bit of hub servicing required. I only discovered recently that they're also tubeless compatible (which explains why it's so hard to fit road tyres on them). Not sure though if they have a rim brake option. In general though, I think DT swiss make good solid budget wheels which would be ideal for winter riding. The DB23 or 24 would be good options which definitely come in rim brake options and have relatively wide rims, meaning wide tyres will work well, so you could fit a set of 28mm GO 4 seasons or similar and have a perfect winter set up.

I would agree on DT Swiss r1900, although I snapped a spoke on a back wheel and with tension messed up it was never right and snapped spokes again. I have the Spline R23 on a Canyon now and got a flat this afternoon. Getting the tyre off the rim (Grand Prix 4000s 2 clincher) was the toughest I've ever had to attempt. Broke a lever.

The hubs run better than Mavic Ksyrium elite and fulcrum racing Quattro though.

harringtonp

Mefistofelino wrote: »

I suspect those hubs are actually manufactured by Miche (they make OEM hubs for a variety of wheelmakers). The "hole" in the front wheel is actually a grub screw - probably 2 or 2.5mm hex - that is used to lock the end cap onto the axle and pre-load the bearing (in as much as you can pre-load cartridge bearings). To close up the cap, you undo the grub screw (don't lose it!) and, putting a hex key in either end of the axle, wind it up until the gap closes (but not too tight as the wheel will bind on the axle). Once that is done, you can tighten the grub screw again to "lock" it in place.

The Miche website has some poorly translated tech manuals covering their hubs. The illustrations should make it a bit clearer.

http://www.miche.it/en/service/istruzioni/mozzi-2

Hi,

Need to do some maintenance on the front wheel which sounds quite rough but cannot figure out how to take the hub apart. The link above doesn't work anymore. The ends of the axle are round and don't take a hex key. Any ideas how to dismantle ? I can remove the grub screws but nothing falls out as a result.