Carbon all the way

[stevenvl]

In carbon we trust so time's here to go for full carbon wheels.
My eyes felt on the Shimano 7850 50mm and the Reynolds Assault wheels, both clinchers.

Can I put it like this:

1) Shimano:
-Much more better hubs
-By it for the looks, not for the aerodynamics

2) Reynolds:
-Better performance, a real aero advantage

or
3) save my money. As an amateur we don't need such things...

[Ari]

If you aren't racing I'd stick to whatever you like and not worry about aerodynamics. If you are racing get the most aero, lightest you can afford. However, if you're only racing crits the light part will matter less unless you're on a course with a lot of tight corners that slow you down a great deal.

I'd also caution that for training purposes I'd get something that was reliable as heck, day in and day out without a lot of maintenence.

[fa63]

I have been riding a set of Reynolds Strike wheels for the last week or so, and I feel that the aerodynamic advantage they offer over my Campy Zonda wheels is marginal, if any. In comparison, I felt that going from the standard tire / tube setup to tubeless made a much more appreciable difference in performance for me.

[lancejohnson]

I'd go with the Shimano wheels over the Reynolds. They are actually about the same in aerodynamics as far as I recall. But the DA hubs are superb and the wheels are virtually indestructible. I've abused the tubular version on a few occasions and they have never shown even the slightest regard for my juvenile antics...

[tripoet]

If you have the money and wish to treat yourself, go for it, buy what you like. But as an experienced "amateur competitor", tri age group medalist, I've found that training equals improvement. I ride steel with a carbon fork and Campy components, including the wheels. I can't count the number of top-of-the-line bikes I pass during a race. Many are being pushed up hill. Most of us probably own bikes whose potential we will never fulfill. But, looks make us feel better too. So it's really a matter of priorities: looks, cost or performance. Where do you fit?

[cl9k24la]

3...............

[stevenvl]

If you have the money and wish to treat yourself, go for it, buy what you like. But as an experienced "amateur competitor", tri age group medalist, I've found that training equals improvement. I ride steel with a carbon fork and Campy components, including the wheels. I can't count the number of top-of-the-line bikes I pass during a race. Many are being pushed up hill. Most of us probably own bikes whose potential we will never fulfill. But, looks make us feel better too. So it's really a matter of priorities: looks, cost or performance. Where do you fit?

Maybe I hang this up above my bed this evening...

[mr_tim]

Quite an open ended question... aero advantage is there if you want it & can take advantage of it in your given race (reading 'amateur' to be competitive racing?) scenarios.

Mostly in road or crits, you can keep out of the wind by staying in the pack. If your new to the game then you'll learn most by staying in the group & working out how things happen / when you need to make an effort that can make a difference... so as an early doors racer, maybe its really not needed - as the group around you will eat the wind for you more than aero wheels will ever do. Experience & strength will count for more.

However once your experienced & understand where your strengths are you might decide that aero advantage will help you out. It might be that your riding suits lighter wheels rather than aero though. Its something you'll work out gradually.

If your at the stage where you think aero wheels will make a real difference, I'd be pointing you more in the direction of proper tubs. Better riding characteristics on the tires & less risk of pinch flats on rough roads (which might catch you out on clinchers in a road race) which is always disappointing if your feeling fresh & doing well on any given race day.

Tubs wheels if you search on here are coming in at all sorts of weights & price brackets... but again as a new racer I'd be looking to keep expenditure to a minimum as lower cat races have lots of newbies that crash / can't hold lines & thus are likely to crash your nice expensive wheelset for you. There are threads on here which show you how to do 50mm carbon tub builds @ >1200g & > $5-600. Its a similiar logic to racing only what you can afford to replace really - like alu race frames for crits.

[CBJ]

I find aero ads comfort. The better fitting clothes and a good aero wheels makes for a more smooth quite ride racing or not. Does that make sense? Also racing or not the one thing besides a good frame I really appreciate are good wheels. This goes for any type of bike riding.

[stevenvl]

...
I can buy some Edges 2.38 for 625 euro. (38mm, carbon, tubular)
Still doubts on the Shimano 7850 50mm

Is it true to say that the Edges will be better wheels?

[sawyer]

The DA wheel is not all carbon as you state, it's a part alu, par carbon rim with the two parts fused together.

The reynolds is a full carbon clincher.

The DA wheel will offer better braking and as lance says has better hubs. that would be my choice of the two.

[stevenvl]

Yeah..breaking surface...I know
I had a pair of Speedcomposites and breaking was less but not that bad at all...
I almost never race, only 3-5 races a year
But after reading a lot of topics here I feel that I can ad some "real" difference by riding tubulars instead of the standard tire setup. (We'll not gone start clinchers versus tubular discussion here )
- Aerodynamics between my Shimano C24 cl over Shimano 7850 50mm are marginal I think...
Therefore I have a new problem which tubular...I think I really want a standard wheelsset, no "build-yourself"
Looks come on a second place I think. I want a new wheelset where I really can say from: "Hey, I ride faster with these wheels"

In fact that's the summary of my question:
Witch wheelset gives me the feeling going faster with the same effort, knowing I'm riding Shimano 7850 C24 clinchers.

Thanks guys!

[Sasha011]

the hubs on the reynolds are dtswiss 240's so the hubs on the dura-ace wheels aren't any better...

[MattSoutherden]

the hubs on the reynolds are dtswiss 240's so the hubs on the dura-ace wheels aren't any better...

Reynolds Assaults use KT hubs, not the hybrid DT240 that the MV/DV use. They are not even close to the quality of DA.

[Sasha011]

the hubs on the reynolds are dtswiss 240's so the hubs on the dura-ace wheels aren't any better...

Reynolds Assaults use KT hubs, not the hybrid DT240 that the MV/DV use. They are not even close to the quality of DA.

my mistake