Climbing wheels

[964Cup]

I think that's an expensive way of using some good, but narrow and not especially stiff rims. I've built a number of wheelsets with the Stans ZTR340 (in fact I rode in to work today on one of them). Pros are weight (385g or thereabouts) and excellent tubeless compatibility. Cons are lack of stiffness (you lose about 20% of your original spoke tension when you fit a tubeless tyre to them, so you have to overbuild them and let the compression of the rim compensate) and old-school narrow internal dimensions. Although the 1180g weight looks good, it's coming from the expensive hubs, so you won't get all the benefits of lighter rotating mass at the rim as you would with a full-carbon rim, for instance. I don't ride clinchers except for commuting, so I don't have a good recommendation for a clincher climbing wheelset. I doubt you'll find anything in alloy that feels much better than your Ksyrium SLR.

[reknop]

I think that's an expensive way of using some good, but narrow and not especially stiff rims. I've built a number of wheelsets with the Stans ZTR340 (in fact I rode in to work today on one of them). Pros are weight (385g or thereabouts) and excellent tubeless compatibility. Cons are lack of stiffness (you lose about 20% of your original spoke tension when you fit a tubeless tyre to them, so you have to overbuild them and let the compression of the rim compensate) and old-school narrow internal dimensions. Although the 1180g weight looks good, it's coming from the expensive hubs, so you won't get all the benefits of lighter rotating mass at the rim as you would with a full-carbon rim, for instance. I don't ride clinchers except for commuting, so I don't have a good recommendation for a clincher climbing wheelset. I doubt you'll find anything in alloy that feels much better than your Ksyrium SLR.

964Cup, thanks for this extremely helpful information. Weight isn't everything and personally I haven't ridden with Stans ZTR340 rims, so sharing your experience is very much appreciated.

Seems like I have to make the switch to carbon climbing wheels
25 mm front rim and 35 mm rear rim, and entering a different price-range I might even ditch the weight requirement(s) and opt for Chris King hubs. Price point around EUR 1600,-

[964Cup]

Enve 2.2s? Good wheel, I think, but as I say I'm not up on clinchers. Obviously at 1600€ you've got a wide choice. Personally I'd go tubular for a climbing wheel, as it gains you access to a whole new world of weight saving and road feel.

[reknop]

Enve 2.2s? Good wheel, I think, but as I say I'm not up on clinchers. Obviously at 1600€ you've got a wide choice. Personally I'd go tubular for a climbing wheel, as it gains you access to a whole new world of weight saving and road feel.

Sure, but if you are doing a granfondo it's more problematic in case of a puncture. And I'm not the expert in glue-ing tubes on a rim.

[964Cup]

Enve 2.2s? Good wheel, I think, but as I say I'm not up on clinchers. Obviously at 1600€ you've got a wide choice. Personally I'd go tubular for a climbing wheel, as it gains you access to a whole new world of weight saving and road feel.

Sure, but if you are doing a granfondo it's more problematic in case of a puncture. And I'm not the expert in glue-ing tubes on a rim.

Not really. Most of the time it's easier - just use Tufo or a similar sealant. I run my tubs pre-filled with 20ml of caffe lattex (in latex-tubed tubs like Veloflex) or 20ml of Stans (in butyl tubs like Schwalbe or Conti Comp) and most punctures are sealed without my really noticing; if you get a bigger cut, stop and add Tufo, pump to 60 psi, ride a bit and let it set, then pump up properly - you'll lose much less time than you would to a clincher. I've had to change tubs at the roadside maybe five times in 30,000km, and I can do that faster than most people can change a clincher (a big advantage is that since you're changing the tyre, you don't need to spend time finding whatever it was that caused the original puncture).

Fitting tubs is also easy, although practice and a wheel-truing stand both help. I use tape, not glue - it's faster and easier, and in my experience quite secure enough. Otherwise get your LBS to fit them.

Seriously, the ride difference and weight-saving possibilities are night and day compared to clinchers.

[reknop]

Not really. Most of the time it's easier - just use Tufo or a similar sealant. I run my tubs pre-filled with 20ml of caffe lattex (in latex-tubed tubs like Veloflex) or 20ml of Stans (in butyl tubs like Schwalbe or Conti Comp) and most punctures are sealed without my really noticing; if you get a bigger cut, stop and add Tufo, pump to 60 psi, ride a bit and let it set, then pump up properly - you'll lose much less time than you would to a clincher. I've had to change tubs at the roadside maybe five times in 30,000km, and I can do that faster than most people can change a clincher (a big advantage is that since you're changing the tyre, you don't need to spend time finding whatever it was that caused the original puncture).

Fitting tubs is also easy, although practice and a wheel-truing stand both help. I use tape, not glue - it's faster and easier, and in my experience quite secure enough. Otherwise get your LBS to fit them.

Seriously, the ride difference and weight-saving possibilities are night and day compared to clinchers.

What tape do you use 964Cup ?
I'm doing some research in the climbing tubular wheels and what value I can gain for my money ...

[964Cup]

Jantex 76 for alloy wheels; Jantex 14 for carbon. 14 is better, but four times the price. 14 is easier to use because the cover strip doesn't tear (so you don't have to use the pencil trick) and stays attached to the rim, not the basetape, meaning you don't need to pre-tape your spare. Both are strong, but 14 is terrific - you may well need a tyre lever to dislodge the tyre.

[WUFI1]

My AX 24 wheelset.

Kam, those are nice wheels! BTW is that AD10 C59 still on the market?