edited my post -The price of wheelsets has gone through the roof.
regarding Open pro. I have a rear 36 spoke Open pro on my ex commuter / current tourer. Its been bombproof fully loaded when touring but be careful with choice of tyre. Vittorias fit fine yet some Marathons literally fall off it as so narrow and these are 28mm.
A lot of stuff has since Britex, Spa chainrings have gone up by £2 i.e. £15 to £17 its a small price but quite a high percentage same with cassettes 10sp Ultegra from about £30 to £38 (figures off the top of my head).
Tyres I run Gatorskins.
@User is there any real benefits of the 105 over the Tiagra hubs, in terms of longevity.
Though weight is not the primary concern weight is always an issue I read the Mavic Open Pro weigh about 1,800grms the set, would you know how much the Chrina & Tiagra/105 compare.
I have had RS10 & 11's and currently R501's both the RS10/11 suffered fractured rims on the rear after about 7,000 miles each set , the R501 has done maybe half that and there appears to be either a deepish scratch or a slight fracture in the brake surface ( I think its a scratch), these wheels have only ever carried me (max weight about 85Kg, current 71Kg if the scales are right) and upto a max of 10Kg in my trunk bag/panniers, though very rare that weight generally no more than 5Kg max. I would have thought even these wheels could cope with about 100Kg total weight me (max 85) bike (approx weight without luggage 12-13Kg) and luggage.
The RS popped a spoke at about 7,000 miles on the rear the RS11 one on the front about the same distance, and just recently the 501's one on the rear, and whilst I can replace spokes and get wheels more or less straight again its not a job I am endowed with a large amount of skill.
