newbie...wheel suggestions?

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celerystalksme
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Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:03 pm

by celerystalksme

hello!

i'm new the weight weenies! i have two bikes...a 2007 Specialized Roubaix Expert Compact Rival and a 2007 Cervelo P2C (w/650c wheels).

right now, both are factory stock. i'd like to shave a bit of weight from them and i hear the place to start is the wheels. is that best place to start? what are some good wheels for each bike? budget is $2k or less for each bike.

thanks!

ps are there any cheap weight saving ideas besides wheels?
Last edited by celerystalksme on Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.

by Weenie


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bbtheory
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by bbtheory

I would look to the Roubaix Expert Compact rival and get some Campy Shamal Ultra's in Ti, especially if your roubaix is red, they will look good. Or if you want red overload, you could look at Fulcrum Zero's, and then your bike will cause temporary blindness on the road (joke about fulcrum wheels, they are RED!!!)

BTW, the Roubaix Expert Compact Rival was almost in my stable, great bike with really plush ride, and I am big Rival group supporter!
Wouldn't it be nice if people actually read what you wrote before responding?

Skillgannon
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by Skillgannon

I'd look at getting some second hand 06/07 zipps on ebay if possible - 303's or 404's would probably serve you well, and are available in both 650c and 700c. For the TT bike - a deeper front wheel and a disk would probably be better.

Though there are plenty of options, blackwell/american classic/nimble/corima/bontrager - they are all quality products. American classics have had some reported problems with hubs, but the sets I've had my hands on haven't had that problem. American classics and then Zipps are the lightest of the aero wheelsets, and nimble fly's or zipp 202's are the lightest you could purchase (though American Classic 38mm's would come close)

You could probably pick up second hand sets of wheels for both bikes for arround 2k, and then spend the other 2k on some lighter parts or training gear.
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celerystalksme
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Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:03 pm

by celerystalksme

Skillgannon wrote:You could probably pick up second hand sets of wheels for both bikes for arround 2k, and then spend the other 2k on some lighter parts or training gear.


yeah, i've thought about that after perusing wheels on ebay. that might be the direction i go as long as the wheels i'm looking for end up on ebay.

course, then i have to figure out what other weight saving pieces i should get!

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bbtheory
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by bbtheory

Ditto on the Zipp stuff for the Cervelo, I am not very knowledgeable about the deep dish wheels but I would try to get the most aero wheels I could for the P2, perhaps a solid rear and 404-606 front?

I would stick with a less aero wheel for the Roubaix however, and stick by the Shamal recommendation with American Classic as a second choice. I would not get two sets of deep rims, the less aero Shamal would be good for windy days, but certainly you want a bike with a relatively "normal" (in terms of profile) wheels for windy days. Plus, the Roubaix has a more upright position anyway so I don't think Aerodynamic improvements will be as significant as weight reduction.
Wouldn't it be nice if people actually read what you wrote before responding?

celerystalksme
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Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:03 pm

by celerystalksme

for the roubaix...how about the Nimble Fly? any thoughts? they're very light...but are they good general purpose wheels? do you think they're remotely durable?

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bigskyTi
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by bigskyTi

for the P2C go witha disk rear (Renn 575) and either a Zipp 404 or Hed H3 in the front, or if you really want just get a seto of zipp 909's off ebay or roadbike review classifieds. you can also watch the triathlon forums for a nice used set.

I ride the new 303's on my roadie (see the gallery) and they look sweet and are feather light.

I know that Zipp gets a little bit of bad press on this forum, but I think that for the money they are about the best that you can do.

Either that or you cna pick up a set of Easton Tempest II carbons for $1200 which only weigh ~1285g

celerystalksme
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Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:03 pm

by celerystalksme

bigskyTi wrote:I ride the new 303's on my roadie (see the gallery) and they look sweet and are feather light.

I know that Zipp gets a little bit of bad press on this forum, but I think that for the money they are about the best that you can do.


i was thinking about 303's for the roubaix...and 404's for the p2c. if i get them used, i can get both wheelsets for $2K or less!

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bikemesenger
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by bikemesenger

celerystalksme wrote:for the roubaix...how about the Nimble Fly? any thoughts? they're very light...but are they good general purpose wheels? do you think they're remotely durable?


The Fly's are great wheels. The rim is one the strongest carbon rims out there. The rear weight is a little heavier then what they claim on there website. The rims typically run 20g heavier so add 40g to the weight that they list for the wheels.

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