Replacement wheels for triban rc520

[vickster]

I’m planning on buying the RC520 when the world returns to normal and I can use my cyclescheme voucher.
I initially wanted the gravel version but it’s out of stock, so thinking of getting the RC520 then buying new wheels with gravel tyres, in particular the G-Ones in 38mm.
Looking at the Mavic Aksium it says it only takes tyres up to 32mm.
I’m new to cycling so just wanted to check if this is straightforward to do?

thanks

You need to make sure the frame has clearance for the fatter tyres, especially if you are fitting mudguards to your commuter

 

[Aussie Rider in London]

Jumping on the bandwagon of this thread, I'm currently trying to fit Continental GP5000s on the RC520 wheel.

Refusing to budge at the last junction. Does anyone have any tips? Been going at it for hours.

 

[Dwn]

Jumping on the bandwagon of this thread, I'm currently trying to fit Continental GP5000s on the RC520 wheel.

Refusing to budge at the last junction. Does anyone have any tips? Been going at it for hours.

They are truly terrible wheels for changing tyres - I had to cut off a pair of Schwalbe supremes in order to free them. With the regular tyres, I found pushing the tyre into the rim quite firmly helped - but mainly it was the use of very strong tyre levers

 

[wonderloaf]

I’m planning on buying the RC520 when the world returns to normal and I can use my cyclescheme voucher.
I initially wanted the gravel version but it’s out of stock, so thinking of getting the RC520 then buying new wheels with gravel tyres, in particular the G-Ones in 38mm.
Looking at the Mavic Aksium it says it only takes tyres up to 32mm.
I’m new to cycling so just wanted to check if this is straightforward to do?

thanks

Well, according to the Schwalbe N. America website and ETRTO standards the Aksiums which are 622X17C rims can take up to a 52mm wide tyre:

Of course I could have misinterpreted these results, if so someone will be along very soon to correct me
My bike was supplied by Ribble with the G-Ones fitted to the Aksiums about 5,000 miles ago and I've no problems with them, they do look a bit wide for the rims but they haven't fallen off yet so guess they must be OK!
Before committing to getting the 38mm versions I would check that they will fit the frame, a chap over the road from me has the flat bar version of the RC520 (RC500 I think) and he has just changed up to 28mm and they look pretty snug, don't think 38mm will fit.

 

[Stammers]

Well, according to the Schwalbe N. America website and ETRTO standards the Aksiums which are 622X17C rims can take up to a 52mm wide tyre:
View attachment 514352
Of course I could have misinterpreted these results, if so someone will be along very soon to correct me
Before committing to getting the 38mm versions I would check that they will fit the frame, a chap over the road from me has the flat bar version of the RC520 (RC500 I think) and he has just changed up to 28mm and they look pretty snug, don't think 38mm will fit.

My information is second hand. If I’m looking at the right wheels, the decathlon site states up to 32mm is recommended (https://www.decathlon.co.uk/aksium-race-road-wheel-set-id_8331679.html) and the road.cc article on the RC520 says it takes 36mm tyres but up to 40mm with risk of toe overlap.

 

[Bilz]

I just signed up to say I have 38 mm tyres (schwalbe) for my rc520. I think they would fit without mudguards (but I never tested, just put them on the bike then took them off), but I use 32 mm because I want mudguards. Now it's warmer I'll try 38mm and take the mudguards off maybe.

I came here looking for the spoke length of the wheels that come with the rc520. I've broken 3 and damaged a few others so I'd like to change them. Anyone know? Trying to find what I need on decathlons site so I can click and collect

 

[MrPorridge]

I can't be of any help @Stammers as I'm a complete halfwit when it comes to a fixin' an a fettlin' these modern safety bicycles.

I am however very interested if anyone has any updates on better new wheels for the Triban RC520 as I'm sick to the back teeth of mine!

I love the bike but can't use it to commute as I need to be able to fix a puncture in a reasonable time. (I work with one other person in a public building and we have to both be present to open up. If I'm late, we can't open, I get in trouble and I'm in danger of losing my job.)

Reading about problems with the RC520 wheels, I've practiced removing/replacing the stock tyres. While it's getting a bit easier at home with a variety of levers and doodads, I'd still really struggle on the road.

Tonight, I foolishly tried to put a different tyre on, just in case it was any easier. Big mistake! The Vittoria Randonneur 700x32 I tried was definitely harder to get on. However, as I inflated it, there was a "pop" noise (a bit like I've read tubeless tyres make) and, once seated, the tyre was almost impossible to remove. The seal between the tyre and rim was only breakable after a lot of struggling with plumbers pliers. (I taped the jaws to try and protect the rims but they still got chewed up enough that I had to file out some of the nasty burrs I made. I've probably completely ruined them.)

I'm not wealthy - I had to save up a long time to buy what is considered a cheap bike - so the thought of now having to spend hundreds of pounds just so I can fix a puncture is really upsetting me. I'm also worried about the prospect of spending (what for me is) a lot of money and ending up with something that is still difficult to work with.

So

...has anybody found a combination of wheels and tyres that will make puncture repairs any easier?

 

[bikingdad90]

I can't be of any help @Stammers as I'm a complete halfwit when it comes to a fixin' an a fettlin' these modern safety bicycles.

I am however very interested if anyone has any updates on better new wheels for the Triban RC520 as I'm sick to the back teeth of mine!

I love the bike but can't use it to commute as I need to be able to fix a puncture in a reasonable time. (I work with one other person in a public building and we have to both be present to open up. If I'm late, we can't open, I get in trouble and I'm in danger of losing my job.)

Reading about problems with the RC520 wheels, I've practiced removing/replacing the stock tyres. While it's getting a bit easier at home with a variety of levers and doodads, I'd still really struggle on the road.

Tonight, I foolishly tried to put a different tyre on, just in case it was any easier. Big mistake! The Vittoria Randonneur 700x32 I tried was definitely harder to get on. However, as I inflated it, there was a "pop" noise (a bit like I've read tubeless tyres make) and, once seated, the tyre was almost impossible to remove. The seal between the tyre and rim was only breakable after a lot of struggling with plumbers pliers. (I taped the jaws to try and protect the rims but they still got chewed up enough that I had to file out some of the nasty burrs I made. I've probably completely ruined them.)

I'm not wealthy - I had to save up a long time to buy what is considered a cheap bike - so the thought of now having to spend hundreds of pounds just so I can fix a puncture is really upsetting me. I'm also worried about the prospect of spending (what for me is) a lot of money and ending up with something that is still difficult to work with.

So

...has anybody found a combination of wheels and tyres that will make puncture repairs any easier?

Get rid of the wired beaded tyres and get what is called “folding” tyres instead. The beading is made of Kevlar instead so the tyre can be folded flat, the flexible beading makes the tyre a lot easier to get on and off as it is more pliable, I have always been able to do it with either my hands or a single tyre lever.

 

[the_mikey]

Without observing the reason for the difficulty, some of it will almost certainly be down to lack of practice, and learning a few habits that will make your life easier.

For example, if you have disc brakes, try to avoid activating the disc brake lever when the wheel is removed as the brake pads will rest in a position that will make it difficult to put the wheel back into position again.

When removing and refitting the rear wheel, I change the gear such that the rear derailleur is sitting on the smallest sprocket, this won't work for everyone, but find something that works for you.

I suspect the Triban520 doesn't suffer with clearance issues so much, but some bike frames, particularly aero designs don't have much room within which to manoeuvre when fitting or removing a wheel with a fully inflated tyre, so you might have to reduce the tyre pressure significantly to get the wheel into position.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I definitely won't be using tubeless - whatever their merits of prefer to stick to something familiar. Will look into aksium and cosmic elite wheels - thanks for the suggestions.

I'm intrigued about the mudguards. By coincidence I removed the fixed mudguards and tried raceblades for the first time. Came home covered in road muck (it was raining this morning) so resolved to put the fixed ones back on. Why are they dangerous? I've never had a bike without mudguards and aside from the sheer ugliness of them, never had a problem. Fwiw I've been using Kinesis Fend-off mudguards, which are aluminium.

Regards

I’ve seen people injured ( and killed ) when they got something jammed in between the wheel and the mudguard.

 

[MrPorridge]

Thanks for the advice.

@the_mikey - It's not wheel replacement/removal that I'm struggling with, it's just getting the tyres on (and in the case of the Randonneurs, off again!).

I did buy something called the Crank Brothers "Speedier Lever" after seeing one used on YouTube. It's been OK and can help with getting tyres back on again but is pretty badly chewed up already from battling the RC520 hoops from hell. I've also had decent results from a set of three, cheap Schwalbe levers that seem much easier to use than the others I own, including a couple of the Parktool ones.

Have rolled the dice again and decided to try some folding tyres as suggested by @bikingdad90. We'll see how we get on with those. Failing that, it's going to have to be new wheels. I'll probably need to get a bike shop to do that as I've no idea about swapping over discs and the cassette.

 

[bikingdad90]

@MrPorridge how are you getting on with the folding tyres?

 

[MrPorridge]

@MrPorridge how are you getting on with the folding tyres?

Hello @bikingdad90 and thanks for asking.

Bit of a disaster I'm afraid. Ordered some Jack Brown tyres from Planet X as I was buying some other bits & bobs for the Mrs.
I'd read some good reviews and thought that being made by Panaracer they might be at the "easier to fit" end of the spectrum (stuff like the Pasela is sometimes cited as being one of the easier tyres to fit).

Absolutely impossible to get on! Worse than the Vittoria Randonneur, which at least did, eventually get on the rim. These were just horrible - utterly destroyed one of my my, previously indestructible, Schwalbe levers and managed to shred several nails and cut lumps out of my thumb. Not even close to being able to get the last 6-7 inches of tyre over the rim. Also, the thinner sidewalls meant that the "speedier lever" which helps get the stock tyres on was useless - the sidewall just gathered up and stopped the lever from being able to slide along the rim.

I'm pretty much giving up. I can now get the stock tyres on and off with a bit of a fight. I'm not going to bother with commuting while I still have the RC520. I know I can buy new wheels but I can't justify the extra cash at the moment. I've basically just wasted another £40, not including the lever and physical damage!

Having read the reviews, it seems that far more experienced cyclists than me have had similar problems. In some cases, even experienced mechanics seem to have struggled, or been unable, to fit tyres to the wheels. I don't know anything about tubeless setups and, having read about the benefits vs costs, decided it wasn't for me. What I have noticed is that the "tubeless ready" rim tape is very thick looking yellow plastic - almost like a solid band of plastic lining the wheels. Not sure if this is part of the problem, or if the rims are just much wider diameter than standard?

I'll use and enjoy the bike for pleasure as I usually stay within a few miles of home. When the stock tyres go, I'll consider replacing the wheels or just putting the money into a new, lower-spec but easier to maintain bike.

Sorry to be so negative (and so verbose). I seem to be using this forum as a kind of therapy. I'm just upset at saving up for something that's turned out to be a disappointment. I used to bike a lot as a teenager and remember a puncture being an irritation but something that was easily repaired. Worst case was having to pinch a spoon to use as a lever, and then getting into trouble for bending it! It seems broadly analogous to modern cars. I'm a mechanical halfwit but, despite this, could easily replace bulbs and fuses in my first cars. Now I have to book into the garage and watch as they remove what seems like half the engine to get my sidelight working again. What price progress eh?

 

[rivers]

I've got a set of 10/11 speed disc wheels for sale that are pretty easy to fit tyres on. They're nothing special (Felt CXR wheels, came on my F40x), but they might be a bit more user friendly than your current wheels

 

[Aussie Rider in London]

I've got a set of 10/11 speed disc wheels for sale that are pretty easy to fit tyres on. They're nothing special (Felt CXR wheels, came on my F40x), but they might be a bit more user friendly than your current wheels

If @MrPorridge doesn't got for this, I may just. Having the same issues with my RC520.

Such a great bike otherwise, but the wheels (and especially tyres) really let it down.