What wheelset? What price?

[Jon George]

Bike #1 is a Summer Special Sale from my LBS - namely an Obrea Orac frame with their chosen components. They tell me the wheels are similar to Shimano R500s. I am in the happy position of being able to splash some cash and am thinking about upgrading the wheels. But what is the minimum I should be expecting to pay to get a noticeable improvement? (I'll leave marginal gains to the Pros, their sponsors and their wallets.) My LBS suggested American Classics at around £600, but can I get a similar upgrade for less?

 

[Koga]

I prefer Fulcrum Racing 5 (£175) or 3 (£400), all depending on how much you want to spent.

 

[jowwy]

Handbuilt wheels for around £250 would be a far better option

velocity a23's on 105 hubs with sapim spokes from dcr wheels are awesome upgrade compared to off the shelf options.

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Yup HandBuilts here as well, got mine from DCR Wheels and they are excellent even if they cost a little bit more than I originally intended but worth every penny.

 

[derrick]

You can't go wrong with these, http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mavic-ksyrium-elite-s-road-wheelset-2013/rp-prod87220
Great wheel set, love mine done well over 4000 miles now and still as smooth as silk.

 

[jowwy]

You can't go wrong with these, http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mavic-ksyrium-elite-s-road-wheelset-2013/rp-prod87220
Great wheel set, love mine done well over 4000 miles now and still as smooth as silk.

mavics at £465 or handbuilts at £250 - handbuilts all the way

 

[Dusty Bin]

But what is the minimum I should be expecting to pay to get a noticeable improvement?

What sort of 'improvement' are you after? And what sort of riding do you do?

 

[Milzy]

Harry Rowland hand builts! My average went up by 1-2 mph.

 

[Dusty Bin]

Harry Rowland hand builts! My average went up by 1-2 mph.

Ah, the power of 'post purchase justification'...

Seriously though, that's nonsense. Your speed might have gone up, but not because of the wheels - unless your previous set were made of cast iron.

 

[User6179]

Harry Rowland hand builts! My average went up by 1-2 mph.

Bollocks

 

[derrick]

mavics at £465 or handbuilts at £250 - handbuilts all the way

There is no contest Mavics all the way, end of.

 

[oiljam]

Yup HandBuilts here as well, got mine from DCR Wheels and they are excellent even if they cost a little bit more than I originally intended but worth every penny.

Just had a look at the DCR Wheels website. What a fantastic informative site it is if not a little overwhelming. I were looking to buy some mavic ksyrium elite wheels but on reading your post it's got me thinking twice.

Where did you start on buying hand-builts? The website is very rich in choice, something I'm not easy with.
Do you have a previous thread link to peruse over or have any tips on buying your bespoke wheels?

 

[phil_hg_uk]

Just had a look at the DCR Wheels website. What a fantastic informative site it is if not a little overwhelming. I were looking to buy some mavic ksyrium elite wheels but on reading your post it's got me thinking twice.

Where did you start on buying hand-builts? The website is very rich in choice, something I'm not easy with.
Do you have a previous thread link to peruse over or have any tips on buying your bespoke wheels?

I rang them and had a chat with David and over a period of a couple of days worked out what Rim, Hub & Spoke combination would be best for what I wanted.

 

[jowwy]

Ah, the power of 'post purchase justification'...

Seriously though, that's nonsense. Your speed might have gone up, but not because of the wheels - unless your previous set were made of cast iron.

why not dusty??

 

[Dusty Bin]

why not dusty??

Let's turn it around. Assuming his previous wheels were not cast iron, why do you think a pair of handbuilts would give him an extra 1-2mph ??