Wheels - where do I begin?

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Mod Note:
If this thread continues as it was, there will be thread bans issued.
Keep it polite and do not continue with the name calling, bickering and the likes.

 

[Sittingduck]

Mod Note:
If this thread continues as it was, there will be thread bans issued.
Keep it polite and do not continue with the name calling, bickering and the likes.

Does that mean I will get banned if I like a post in this thread?

 

[Usehernamegood]

Not surprised!

I'm here! It's just become wheely confusing about what wheels to buy. I think I've come to the point where I will take YS's advice and take my wheels off my bike as they are not necessary.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

@Yellow Saddle

FWIW: I quite like your robust debunking of the absolute codswallop that surrounds the purchase of new/upgraded/lighter/better/quicker wheels.

Reasons why many people really buy new wheels:

New wheels have less spokes - this makes them better. Obviously!

New wheels have deeper rims - this also makes them better.

New wheels have a rim or hub or spokes or decal that has a hint of colour that matches a hint of colour on the rest of the bike.

New wheels have 'magic' brand name plastered all over them.

New wheels have interesting spoke pattern created using 1960's Spirograph technology.

New wheels are not the same as the ones that came originally with the bike - these are obviously crap even if the bike cost well north of a few thousand pounds.

Etc.

 

[Scoosh]

MOD NOTE:
Many Off Topic posts have been Deleted.

Please try to assist the OP in his quest for some new wheels and not derail this thread any further.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

OK.
OP, you need some new wheels. Why do you need new wheels and what is wrong with the wheels you currently have?

You ask about size and materials. Use the size you currently have on there and as for materials, what do you currently have on there and how does that material not satisfy your needs?

 

[Spoked Wheels]

I'll have a go at helping the OP.

At your weight you can ride pretty much what you like.

I don't know if somebody has suggested handbuilt wheels already but it would be an opportunity to have wheels bespoke to your taste.

.

 

[Justinslow]

OK.
OP, you need some new wheels. Why do you need new wheels and what is wrong with the wheels you currently have?

1 Coz he just wants some.
2 Nothing
Fair enough?
Ok then, do a load of searching on the internet at your budget level, look at the reviews, look at other CC's experiences and advice (that bit didn't go so well) choose some wheels that in your mind are "better" than what you currently have, this could be - nicer colour, lighter weight, less spokes, more spokes, whatever, and finally purchase wheels and fit and enjoy!
That's what I did and it worked for me. 8 pages, really, 8 pages!

 

[Cyclist33]

MOD NOTE:
Many Off Topic posts have been Deleted.

Please try to assist the OP in his quest for some new wheels and not derail this thread any further.

To be fair that isn't precisely how he worded his original post.

 

[Cyclist33]

1 Coz he just wants some.
2 Nothing
Fair enough?
Ok then, do a load of searching on the internet at your budget level, look at the reviews, look at other CC's experiences and advice (that bit didn't go so well) choose some wheels that in your mind are "better" than what you currently have, this could be - nicer colour, lighter weight, less spokes, more spokes, whatever, and finally purchase wheels and fit and enjoy!
That's what I did and it worked for me. 8 pages, really, 8 pages!

So which of those bits of advice are any use whatsoever?

 

[Spoked Wheels]

So which of those bits of advice are any use whatsoever?

I think it's the bit where he said that's how he did it and it worked for him. If you think about most people go through similar process unless he/she goes to a wheelbuilder and tell him what he/she wants out the wheels and both work out what the wheels would be like at a given cost.

Why people need to be so patronising? If somebody comes here and says "hey guys, I have an xyz bike but I'd like to upgrade it.... what do you suggest I get?" Is there a need to ask why do you want to upgrade when all you are waiting to say is "there's no benefit". I mean, I have upgraded a few things on my bike knowingly it would make no difference to the performance but to me it would be a piece of the look or something else I'd be trying to achieve, I don't need anybody to tell me to keep the money in the bank and for a ride instead.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

@Yellow Saddle

FWIW: I quite like your robust debunking of the absolute codswallop that surrounds the purchase of new/upgraded/lighter/better/quicker wheels.

Reasons why many people really buy new wheels:

New wheels have less spokes - this makes them better. Obviously!

New wheels have deeper rims - this also makes them better.

New wheels have a rim or hub or spokes or decal that has a hint of colour that matches a hint of colour on the rest of the bike.

New wheels have 'magic' brand name plastered all over them.

New wheels have interesting spoke pattern created using 1960's Spirograph technology.

New wheels are not the same as the ones that came originally with the bike - these are obviously crap even if the bike cost well north of a few thousand pounds.

Etc.

I think I know where you are coming from but if the guy is not using your money to purchase the upgrade then there's no need to get silly about it.

The guy wants new wheels, he must have his reasons so if we know something then let's suggest something.

 

[Tojo]

I think I know where you are coming from but if the guy is not using your money to purchase the upgrade then there's no need to get silly about it.

The guy wants new wheels, he must have his reasons so if we know something then let's suggest something.

..and I like your signature.....A wheel that breaks spokes is a wheel that was not properly built, as a load of my mates ride Giants and they have all had at least one spoke snap.

Anyway, I've had a pair of campag zonda's for a while and a few of said mates have tried and bought them lately, one just yesterday, I like them and when they have tried them they were sold, The zondas seem to be a good choice for quality at the price.........

 

[Citius]

Zondas seem to be the default recommendation on these forums, so just buy them. And, in true forum style, I am happy to recommend them without any knowledge or reference as to whether they would suit your riding or aesthetic preferences.

 

[winjim]

I get the impression the OP was wanting to know more about wheels so they can make up their own mind. Now there are more knowledgable folk than me here but I'll give it a go. I'm talking about modern road bike wheels.

A wheel basically has three parts, the hub, the rim and the spokes. There are also tyres and tubes but that's a separate issue.

Hubs: Contains an axle about which the body of the hub rotates on bearings. Some hubs have sealed bearings, some have cup and cone. Sealed bearings are low maintenance - when they start to fail you just pop them out and replace them as a unit. This may however require a special tool. Cup and cone bearings are better able to deal with the lateral loads that are put on the wheel when cornering, but require more diligent maintenance and adjustment. You can get fancy ceramic bearings but these are outside the op's budget.

The hub body is usually aluminium. The sizes of the flanges on the rear may be different sizes. This is supposedly to cope with the increased load placed on the drive side when pedalling. The rear hub also contains the freehub. This is a ratchet system which allows the bike to coast. You need to make sure that the freehub body is compatible with your groupset manufacturer and speed. If your bike has disc brakes the hub has mounts for the rotor.

Rims: Can be made of aluminium, carbon fibre or a mixture of the two. For a £200 wheel for general use, forget carbon. It can make for a light and aerodynamic wheel but is expensive and brittle. Get one with an aluminium rim.

The width of the rim determines what tyres you can use. A rim for touring will be wider to accommodate a larger tyre. A rim for the type of road bike described in the op will be about 15 - 20 mm wide to fit a skinny road tyre. The depth of the rim affects aerodynamics and weight. A deeper rim will be more aero but heavier. A shallower rim will be lighter. The rear rim may be assymmetric. This is to do with spoke tension on a dished wheel. Dishing is where the spokes are shorter on one side of the wheel, to accommodate the freehub or a disc brake rotor. This changes the angle and tension of the spokes. A disc brake specific rim may not be suitable for rim brakes as it will have no braking track.

Spokes: May be steel or carbon. Carbon is light but is expensive and brittle. Steel spokes will usually be round and double butted. This means they are thinner in the middle to give them more flex, which is a good thing. They may be bladed which improves aerodynamics, but are harder to source replacements and may require specialist tools to replace.

Spoke count and pattern varies. A higher spoke count wheel, 32 or more, will be easier to keep true and be able to cope with greater loads. A low spoke count wheel will be lighter, but will have a rider weight limit and may go out of true easily. A broken spoke on a 20 spoke wheel probably means a walk home whereas with a 32 spoke wheel you could more than likely carry on riding. There are different spoke patterns supposed to affect the handling characteristics of the wheels. If they do, it's only marginally at best.

A standard wheel with steel double butted spokes can be fixed by any wheelbuilder. Some of the fancy factory wheels use specific parts which can only be sourced and fitted by their own agents.

All these factors come in to play when choosing wheels. There is an awful lot of mumbo jumbo about the performance gains of particular factors, so bear in mind that these gains are likely to be marginal at best. See Rob3rt's post about TTs for an idea. You will have seen a lot of lively debate about weight vs aero etc so try and read it all with a critical mind. Personally I like a set of wheels that I can keep true and maintain myself - so I built my own!

I am happy to be corrected on any of these points by those with more expertise. Sorry for loser length post.