Replacement wheels for triban rc520

[MrPorridge]

For what it's worth, this splendid fellow from France has posted a video about getting tyres on and off the RC520.
I never did French at school so my vocab begins and ends at jambon baguette. This means I've no idea what he's saying but he seems to be indicating that the stupidly thick, yellow rim tape might be part of the problem.
The gravel variant Hutchinson tyres seem to go on easier than the "Resist Protect plus" on the regular 520 but he seems to get them on ok - with his bare hands! He seems to be really squeezing the tyre into the centre "well" and bringing the slack round to the last, unseated portion of tyre rim. I've tried this but still need a tyre lever to get it back on at the end.
So much for British beef! My wounded John Bull pride thinks he must be a deceptively tough and wiry chap. I also suspect that he's using that gallic charm to somehow seduce the tyre back on to the wheel.

If anyone has any basic translation skills beyond "my hovercraft is full of eels" it would be interesting to know roughly what he's suggesting:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ommc1njaNE

 

[Dwn]

For what it's worth, this splendid fellow from France has posted a video about getting tyres on and off the RC520.
I never did French at school so my vocab begins and ends at jambon baguette. This means I've no idea what he's saying but he seems to be indicating that the stupidly thick, yellow rim tape might be part of the problem.
The gravel variant Hutchinson tyres seem to go on easier than the "Resist Protect plus" on the regular 520 but he seems to get them on ok - with his bare hands! He seems to be really squeezing the tyre into the centre "well" and bringing the slack round to the last, unseated portion of tyre rim. I've tried this but still need a tyre lever to get it back on at the end.
So much for British beef! My wounded John Bull pride thinks he must be a deceptively tough and wiry chap. I also suspect that he's using that gallic charm to somehow seduce the tyre back on to the wheel.

If anyone has any basic translation skills beyond "my hovercraft is full of eels" it would be interesting to know roughly what he's suggesting:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ommc1njaNE

I wondered if the very thick tape was part of the problem, so removed this and reused thinner stuff - but made no difference. Changing the wheelset for Mavic Aksium was the best thing I did in terms of upgrades; tyre changes are now easy!

 

[Mines_a_pint]

I wondered if the very thick tape was part of the problem, so removed this and reused thinner stuff - but made no difference. Changing the wheelset for Mavic Aksium was the best thing I did in terms of upgrades; tyre changes are now easy!

Thumbs up for Mavic Aksium on this bike..Got a puncture last week and didn’t even have to use the tyre leavers to get the tyre back on...

 

[ellis]

Had the Triban 520 for a while now and use regularly for commuting. Had a puncture a year back and managed to get the old stock tyres off and replaced with different tyres.
Just had another puncture and I’m am now painfully remembering how horrible it is getting the tyre off/on this wheel-set.

I think for my own mental health and well-being 🤣 I would rather just buy a new wheel set and not have to try and fix a puncture on the tribal wheels.
Now I know Mavic akxsium are popular and do the job and I’m happy to go with them. or are there other comparable price options to the Mavic?

Is it a fairly simple DIY type job to swap over the wheel set as never had to do it with a disc brake bike before?
Thanks

 

[Dwn]

Had the Triban 520 for a while now and use regularly for commuting. Had a puncture a year back and managed to get the old stock tyres off and replaced with different tyres.
Just had another puncture and I’m am now painfully remembering how horrible it is getting the tyre off/on this wheel-set.

I think for my own mental health and well-being 🤣 I would rather just buy a new wheel set and not have to try and fix a puncture on the tribal wheels.
Now I know Mavic akxsium are popular and do the job and I’m happy to go with them. or are there other comparable price options to the Mavic?

Is it a fairly simple DIY type job to swap over the wheel set as never had to do it with a disc brake bike before?
Thanks

I changed the wheels on my RC500 and my RC520. On the latter I went for Mavic Aksium and on the former i used Fulcrum Racing 6. My experience with the Fulcrums has been less positive than the Mavic when changing tyres. Not anything like as bad as the Triban, but much harder than the Mavic. The Mavic wheels are not tubeless ready, but I have no intention of going tubeless anytime soon.


Wheel changeover wasn’t difficult, but it’s easier if the brake rotors on your Triban can be swapped to the new wheels - not possible with some types, so you may have to budget for new rotors.

You’ll probably also need a cassette removal tool, and perhaps a chain whip if you don’t have one already.

Looking back, I would have saved a bit of effort by getting the LBS to do it!

 

[flaviorodrigues]

Guys im a new owner of the Triban RC520. I just purchased on ebay the Schwalbe G-One All-round 70x38c. For what i see it should work. My question is about wheels that maybe i will change later. The ones you guys are talking are the Mavic Aksium. Is this ones? https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/aksium-700-road-bike-wheels-x2-black/_/R-p-X8331679

Thanks
Flavio

 

[tribanjules]

Guys im a new owner of the Triban RC520. I just purchased on ebay the Schwalbe G-One All-round 70x38c. For what i see it should work. My question is about wheels that maybe i will change later. The ones you guys are talking are the Mavic Aksium. Is this ones? https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/aksium-700-road-bike-wheels-x2-black/_/R-p-X8331679

Thanks
Flavio

Check details as I suspect these are rim brake not disc brake !

 

[Dwn]

Guys im a new owner of the Triban RC520. I just purchased on ebay the Schwalbe G-One All-round 70x38c. For what i see it should work. My question is about wheels that maybe i will change later. The ones you guys are talking are the Mavic Aksium. Is this ones? https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/aksium-700-road-bike-wheels-x2-black/_/R-p-X8331679

Thanks
Flavio

Unfortunately those wheels won’t fit - you would need the disc brake versions (those are for rim brakes), which are more expensive.

 

[flaviorodrigues]

Ah, I see, I also was surprised by the price because in others places I see it costing near 300£. Anyway, I will see how the stock ones go and maybe purchase them later! Let's see! Thanks Guys

 

[raggydoll]

Is this a case that the stock wheels are slightly too big?

Surely people have reported it to decathlon?

If so, you'd think they would simply start putting a different wheelset of a similar price on them.

I'm sure they'd sell more bikes that way.
I wouldn't buy one simply because of this.
If you want to change your wheels it should be by choice, not because the stock wheels are impossible to change tyres on.
Once you factor in the price of new wheels it's not such a good deal.

 

[Briantriban]

Really feel for you. I too have the rc520 and had similar nightmare with these wheels, notwithstanding never having had a problem with my technique over countless other wheelsets and tyres, including often hard to fit marathon pluses.

Smug, condescending replies are not what people need who are struggling and posting partly as catharsis.

The stock hoops are totally unfit for purpose and require superhuman levels of persistence, chunky metal tyre levers and in my case the kool stop lever too. And even then it takes hours and pinch flats very likely. I've also had to use knife and pliers to remove a conti gator skin from these wheels where it had essentially fused to the rim. No 'technique' would have helped with that, @Darius_Jedburgh. And yes, I did get angry. Always suspicious of overly level headed folk, usually oddballs.

I've raised with decathlon but had to bite the bullet and get new wheels. Was also annoyed by the constant 'clicking'/'clanking' noise from the back wheel that experienced (non decathlon) mechanics were unable to solve and said was due to poor wheel design and build.

Opted for Hunt 4 seasons and they're so much better. Silent, robust enough and can change a tube in 5 minutes.

It's so frustrating as in all other respects it's a superb, comfortable bike, which I've now done over 10,000 miles on, and which is why I could justify the investment in new wheels

Perhaps try and pick up some second hand ones or go for some entry level Shimanos (rs170s or similar, c.£100 for a wheelset) which are decent enough and at least fit for purpose. Won't weigh any or much more than the hideous stock hoops!

Hope your thumb's on the mend and you find a solution.

I just saw your post, and am also planning on upgrading my Triban RC520 gravel wheels to Hunt all season.
I presume a year on, you're still happy with them?
Also do you recall what you ordered from Hunt? With my measuring tape they seem to be QR 100 9mm at front and QR 135 10mm at back.
I just wanted to confirm before buying, as have seen different dimensions mentioned elsewhere, and the info isn't available on Decathlon website anymore..
A great bike, apart from puncture, tyre, wheel problems!

 

[Tribansman]

I just saw your post, and am also planning on upgrading my Triban RC520 gravel wheels to Hunt all season.
I presume a year on, you're still happy with them?
Also do you recall what you ordered from Hunt? With my measuring tape they seem to be QR 100 9mm at front and QR 135 10mm at back.
I just wanted to confirm before buying, as have seen different dimensions mentioned elsewhere, and the info isn't available on Decathlon website anymore..
A great bike, apart from puncture, tyre, wheel problems!

Funny you should ask this right now!

If it had been a couple of weeks ago I'd've said 'great, really happy, no problems, thoroughly recommend'.

However...had my bike serviced last week and there are some small cracks around the spoke nipples (steady...!). The service guy said if they get any worse the wheels will be toast so I'm going to use Hunt's free returns service this week to send it back and hopefully replace. They do come with a 3 year warranty. So...reserving judgement till I see how they respond.

What I would say is that I'm surprised they have cracked. I'm 67kg, do mostly road miles and only occasional light off road with my lad (so not flying over rough stuff), and have my tyres at 45-55psi. I've had them just over 18 months so they'll have done about 15,000 miles. Completely trouble free...apart from those cracks, and not sure when they first appeared.

In terms of what I bought, I think I just specified the QR axle after ordering, can't remember there being different sizes. Hope that helps.

 

[Briantriban]

Funny you should ask this right now!

If it had been a couple of weeks ago I'd've said 'great, really happy, no problems, thoroughly recommend'.

However...had my bike serviced last week and there are some small cracks around the spoke nipples (steady...!). The service guy said if they get any worse the wheels will be toast so I'm going to use Hunt's free returns service this week to send it back and hopefully replace. They do come with a 3 year warranty. So...reserving judgement till I see how they respond.

What I would say is that I'm surprised they have cracked. I'm 67kg, do mostly road miles and only occasional light off road with my lad (so not flying over rough stuff), and have my tyres at 45-55psi. I've had them just over 18 months so they'll have done about 15,000 miles. Completely trouble free...apart from those cracks, and not sure when they first appeared.

In terms of what I bought, I think I just specified the QR axle after ordering, can't remember there being different sizes. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the detailed reply - I'm probably worrying overly about the dimensions - pretty sure its 135mm rather than 130!

Interesting too to hear about the cracks, presumably in the rims.
I'm a fair bit heftier than you, and often carry luggage (shopping or touring) so combined could be pushing their 105/115kg limit.
From what you say you wouldn't have gone near those tolerances..

I got some more aero wheels from them for my 'thoroughbred' road bike last month which have a lower 90/100 kg limit, and am really impressed so far, especially after a Highland 500 tour last week. Will now keep a weather eye out for nipple/rim fatigue

 

[Rhiz]

Hey guys!

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread but I’m new here, and have already found some great advice on this thread.

I’ve had my RC520 for about two years, and every time I want to change tyre (be it the stock 28s, 35 continental cyclocross’s or a 23 turbo) I end up fighting with the rims for hours before taking it to the burly men in the shop.
I’ve not had this issue with other wheel sets and I’m sick of it.

Am I right in thinking I can buy these: https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Mavic/Aksium-Disc-12x142-Clincher-Wheelset/JW9Z

It says it has the QR front and back adapters included, do I need anything else?

Thanks!

 

[bikingdad90]

@Rhiz you’ll need centre lock disc brake rotors and lockrings or you’ll need to purchase 6 bolt to centre lock adapters.