Wheelset options <100€

johnjohn3423

The wheels on my old winter bike need to be replaced. I want to put on the cheapest wheels that will last. Weight etc don't matter. Its a 9 speed cassette.

The cheapest option on wiggle is below, are these any use? Or would some other wheelset be a better option.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/miche-excite-clincher-wheelset/

07Lapierre

"cheapest wheels that will last"...is that not a contradiction?
I recommend Mavic Aksium:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mavic-aksium-wheelset/

velo.2010

Some options on Merlin Cycles. All Shimano.
https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-wh-r501-road-wheelset-49086.html
https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-wh-r501-c30-clincher-road-wheelset-54987.html
https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-wh-rs010-clincher-road-wheelset-84403.html

queldy

07Lapierre wrote: »

"cheapest wheels that will last"...is that not a contradiction?
I recommend Mavic Aksium:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mavic-aksium-wheelset/

Imho, it is not a contradiction.
Nowadays "expensive" means "light", "cool", "attractive", "used by professionals", "super smooth ceramic bearings (how true can that be anyway??)", and so on.
In the cycling market it is long time "expensive" does not mean anymore "robust", "well constructed" and "will last"...

ford2600

queldy wrote: »

Imho, it is not a contradiction.
Nowadays "expensive" means "light", "cool", "attractive", "used by professionals", "super smooth ceramic bearings (how true can that be anyway??)", and so on.
In the cycling market it is long time "expensive" does not mean anymore "robust", "well constructed" and "will last"...

Yep if you are prepared to put up with a weight penalty you can get a pretty robust rim.

I'm not sure how they do it, but Wilkinson make wheelsets for around 100. Eurocycles stock them.

They do a 3 cross 32 or 36 spoke build but as to the quality I don't know. If they are over engineered like a 3 cross 36spoke would be with a strong heavy rim you might get away with an OK build; there would be pretty generous tolerance with that set up.

At 100 you are not going to have a expert wheelbuilders time and over 150 assembled parts or the highest quality QC. Whether a machine can build a reliable wheel at that price I don't know. The most important component in a reliable wheel is high and even spoke tension

Personally I found shimano 500 crap, aksium ok only although other rave about them.

If you weigh a lot and/or put out a lot of power you will struggle with cheap wheels.

Take a chance on one of the wheels linked and see how you go.

I'd personally spend double and get tiagra/105/miche/drc hubs laced to a strong cheap heavy rim by a good builder

07Lapierre

queldy wrote: »

Imho, it is not a contradiction.
Nowadays "expensive" means "light", "cool", "attractive", "used by professionals", "super smooth ceramic bearings (how true can that be anyway??)", and so on.
In the cycling market it is long time "expensive" does not mean anymore "robust", "well constructed" and "will last"...

It's all relative. IMO cheap means Heavy, low quality, low quality control, Old technology (e.g. loose bearings and cones).

I've used Mavic's Aksium for years on my winter bike without any issues, which is why i'm recommending them. They are a lot cheaper than the €1000+ fast Forwards on my other bike, which makes their price tag of €176 cheap in my opinion. How long they last also depends on how they are maintained (e.g. replacing brake pads on time, removing debris for the brake pads etc.)

johnjohn3423

Thanks for the suggestions. From what is been said a wheelset under €100 is a none runner as they just wont last.

How about if a put the limit at €200 bearing in mind that this is an old aluminum winter bike, I don't race and anything other than the wheelset holding up is not a concern for me.

ted1

I go these recently :

https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-wh-rs31-clincher-road-wheelset-62845.html

and have no complaints so far. It was between these, Mavics or fulcrums. I've had some fulcrums and the hubs failed so wont touch them again. from looking around along Mavics tend to also have poor reliability. (others may disagree nut that what my research said)

cdaly_

07Lapierre wrote: »

It's all relative. IMO cheap means Heavy, low quality, low quality control, Old technology (e.g. loose bearings and cones).

I've used Mavic's Aksium for years on my winter bike without any issues, which is why i'm recommending them. They are a lot cheaper than the €1000+ fast Forwards on my other bike, which makes their price tag of €176 cheap in my opinion. How long they last also depends on how they are maintained (e.g. replacing brake pads on time, removing debris for the brake pads etc.)

OTOH, I've just replaced the rim on my front wheel after 3 years and around 25,000km. A Mavic A719 rim cost around €50 and about 4 hours of my time. You won't do that with an Aksium.

07Lapierre

cdaly_ wrote: »

OTOH, I've just replaced the rim on my front wheel after 3 years and around 25,000km. A Mavic A719 rim cost around €50 and about 4 hours of my time. You won't do that with an Aksium.

No...but i had my Aksiums for 7 years!

T-Maxx

Used on here or even adverts?

koutoubia

johnjohn3423 wrote: »

The wheels on my old winter bike need to be replaced. I want to put on the cheapest wheels that will last. Weight etc don't matter. Its a 9 speed cassette.

The cheapest option on wiggle is below, are these any use? Or would some other wheelset be a better option.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/miche-excite-clincher-wheelset/

Dont go near those miche wheels. Had a set before. The front is nice but the freehub fell apart after a short time.
Wasnt even worth sending them back.

conor_mc

Had a similar decision to make myself recently, went for these at €120. Reviews were pretty good for robustness, quality, etc. They’re a tad on the heavy side, but grand for commuting.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/pro-lite-garda-alloy-clincher-wheelset/

Wishbone Ash

07Lapierre wrote: »

"cheapest wheels that will last"...is that not a contradictio?...]

A few years ago I bought a used wheelset of another boardsie for very small money. They were 36 spoke and on the heavy side and I only bought them as a stopgap measure (can't even recall the brand now). I managed to get 3 winters out of them and probably 20,000kms. They never let me down - no spoke or hub issues. I only retired them as the rim was excessively worn.

py

conor_mc wrote: »

Had a similar decision to make myself recently, went for these at €120. Reviews were pretty good for robustness, quality, etc. They’re a tad on the heavy side, but grand for commuting.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/pro-lite-garda-alloy-clincher-wheelset/

Have these, on my 2nd pair after getting about 10000Km on my first set. Would recommend for the price.

Effects

ford2600 wrote: »

If you weigh a lot and/or put out a lot of power you will struggle with cheap wheels.

"I'm not overweight, my legs are just really powerful"

ford2600

cdaly_ wrote: »

OTOH, I've just replaced the rim on my front wheel after 3 years and around 25,000km. A Mavic A719 rim cost around €50 and about 4 hours of my time. You won't do that with an Aksium.

If you were paying yourself minimum wage that's 90 for a rebuilt front wheel only...

I've heard of pro wheelbuilders building quality wheels at 3 wheels/hour; that was probably with an assistant having all the correct parts ready but still it's really impressive. Tony O'Mahoney Dungarvan has built a wheel in 20 mins also.

ford2600

Effects wrote: »

"I'm not overweight, my legs are just really powerful"

There you go

https://www.huntbikewheels.com/collections/road-rim-brake-wheels/products/hunt-4season-aero-road-wheelset-1589g-28deep-22wide

py

ford2600 wrote: »

If you weigh a lot and/or put out a lot of power you will struggle with cheap wheels.

The above is why I went for the Garda wheels. Fairly robust for their price. If I wasn't 100Kg+ I may have got more than the 10000Kms that I did from them.

johnjohn3423

Thanks again for all the comments and lively discussion, unless there are any other suggestions I will go with the pro lite garda wheelset. From reading the reviews they seem exactly what I want the cheapest wheelset that will last a reasonable amount of time.

uck51js9zml2yt

First time I've heard of Garda wheels. Imagine some little scrot going to steal your bike and seeing Garda on the wheels

harringtonp

johnjohn3423 wrote: »

The wheels on my old winter bike need to be replaced. I want to put on the cheapest wheels that will last. Weight etc don't matter. Its a 9 speed cassette.

The cheapest option on wiggle is below, are these any use? Or would some other wheelset be a better option.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/miche-excite-clincher-wheelset/

Looked a few years back and Shimano R501 were the cheapest out there. Also sturdy and robust. Looking at them years later wishing they would just disintegrate but plenty of life in them yet. Been ultra reliable on the road