LIGHTWEIGHT wheelset owners, can U ever come back or can U?

[DEADRE]

When I started out cycling, I started out w/ a wheel set w/ an aluminum brake track and as I have progress though out the years, things got more complicated. My current wheel set, is a set of Zipp 404 w/ a carbon brake track and DT Swiss 180 ceramic hubs w/ sapin spokes.
W/ that being said, I think that I'm in the point of no return, where I will never go back to how it was. As I see it, there is 1 brand left, that is above all wheelset & that is Lightweight. In back of my head, I hear a voice & it's whispering something German and I really don't want to go there. If I do go there, I have a feeling that I will stay there and staying there will be expensive.
I only say this, as 1st hand I have witness this account, as a riding friend of mine has a has a pair of Enve 3.4 w/ the top of the line Tune hubs. The moment he got his hands on a pair of Lightweight, I honestly thought he would use it on those days were he is in a recovery ride or cruising. But that is not the case, it became his everyday wheel set and by the looks of this, I honestly don't think he will ever ride another brand of wheel set and or scarcely interchange his wheel set were he deems the weather or terrain might become a factor.

So begs the the question to the Lightweight owners out there. Are you or were you just like my friend, who thought that he will interchange wheel sets were he deems the ride situation, but now it became the equivalence of shall we say "My precious".
Or, are you that guy, that has such will power that you manage to succumb that harlot's look on those morning rides and ignore it's plea to RIDE ME, YEAH YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO, COME ON, UNDO THOSE SKEWERS FROM THAT BIKE & SKEWER ME IN, INSTEAD. Which one are you?

[toride]

Huge pot holes around here, salty and generally poor roads only will me to ride my Lightweights in the best months. i really miss them so if the conditions permitted it id be rolling on them all the time.

[HillRPete]

If I do go there, I have a feeling that I will stay there and staying there will be expensive.

How long does a (carbon) wheelset hold up for you on average?

[MaLóL]

Good thread.

[DEADRE]

If I do go there, I have a feeling that I will stay there and staying there will be expensive.

How long does a (carbon) wheelset hold up for you on average?

Well here is the irony on that, before anything could happen to the wheel set, something happens to the bike frame.
In my past I had a Trek TT frame that cracked on the down tube, sent that back to Trek and was replace w/ a newer model only to have the same thing happen, after that, I got another replacement and just sold off the new frame along w/ the parts that was installed in it.
2nd was a Marin frame, the front cable adjuster came off the frame and was sent back to have it fix. Once fix, sold off the frame along w/ the parts that was installed in it.
3rd, was my TIME frame, a car cut me off, I ended up hitting the car on the passenger side and fork, frame & handlebars was damage, BUT would you believe that the ZIPP wheel set survive. (Witnessing that I will never second guess a Zipp wheel quality).
I guess to answer you're question is that the wheels have always outlasted my frames. As we speak by the looks of it, my current ride is having the issue, again the wheel set will outlast the frame.

[stella-azzurra]

You have bad luck with frames
On the other hand you have good luck with wheels
That's all that is.

[maverick_1]

Had the original Gen3 tubular since 2008 till today.
On the other hand, sold all my other wheelsets (Bora Ultra, Hyperon Ultra two, two pairs of Enve 45, 65 tubulars, Reynolds RZR 46 TEAM, Campy Shamal).
In between I've gotten four other pairs of LW wheelsets (Ventoux, 2x Obies, Fernweg) all in tubulars.

Positive points:
- Carbonsports service is top notch
- Reliable rear hubs (not the smoothest, but easily serviceable). That apart, you currently have the option of upgrading to Ceramic speed bearings on the latest version.
- Renewable brake surface
- Minor chips can be easily repaired by Carbonsports

Negative points:
- One broken spoke and you're done

Additionally, I don't baby the wheelsets either, it's made to be ridden..I used them regularly on all my rides.

Cheers

[kode54]

excellent point maverick...

i've had one crash replacement. the replacement set is still in the box from Germany. i ride on Enve wheels now and not sure if the roads around my house are or will ever be smooth enough for me to ride the Lightweights anymore. i have to move to another state where crappy winters don't destroy the road surface. if i ever move out to the west coast, i'll ride them there. but in the meantime, they're boxed up waiting. and although they're meant to be ridden, i just haven't had much luck with them. the Enve's...i don't think much about the roads...and just ride.

[maverick_1]

Enve wheels are great, with lots of hub options, an excellent alternative to LW, apart from Campy Boras.

[stella-azzurra]

Luckily we can build our own at a fraction of the cost and on par with light weights. If you have the money to spend by all means get the Lightweights. But if you suddenly have to sell your lightweights because of income loss there are plenty of alternatives and you would not miss them for one bit.

[LionelB]

LW are fine but this is not the magic some people describe. I like my gen III but I like my Boras or Hyperon as much if not more as the hubs are superior.

[Rick]

I am sure they are very nice, but Zip 404 is listed as 1470 gms at the Zip website.

Neugent A230 CW are listed as 1440 gms and less than $500/set (aluminum rim)

I just don't see the massive advantage of carbon rims.

I won't argue that the Zips aren't nicer, but I don't see the dramatic change that would leave me thinking something like "I'll never go back."

[mattr]

I just don't see the massive advantage of carbon rims.

Stiff and light and aero. An aluminum rim will miss out on at least one if the three, if not two.

[sungod]

op - i thought i'd be a swapper, but since putting on the obermayers i've never wanted to ride anything else

in december i damaged the front in an accident - i suspect my foot landed on it, but was too fast to be sure - carbonsports replaced with latest version (front free under serviceup and rear at a massive discount, see viewtopic.php?f=3&t=129565 ), which took a cpuple of weeks, during this time i put my mavic slr back on, it just wasn't the same though

happiness is riding lightweight

[mike]

you never want to ride anything else. however, mavic ccu's are also top notch as well as boras, which seem to spin the fastest of all three.