Third Wheelset Recommendation

[RyanH]

I need a recommendation for a third tubular wheelset. At the moment, I'm leaning towards a second pair of Bora One 35s or Ambrosio Nemesis. I have the Bora 35s and 50s with 25mm Veloflex Roubaix for the Evo and the Litespeed T3 but I'd like an additional wheelset for the Vlaanderen (27mm) that I have. For this wheelset, I basically want the following: >24mm wide (I think), excellent handling characteristics, braking on par with the Boras, less than 35mm deep, reliable, suitable for fireroads/light gravel use and less than $1200 USD (used or new).

I've been riding the Litespeed Classic this week and kept thinking to myself that it felt sluggish and handled like a Cadillac (it also rolls like a Cadillac). With that in mind, I was contemplating putting it on the chopping block but decided to give it a fair shake and take it out on a big mountain day up to Mt. Baldy but with the Boras. It was a completely different bike. Still Cadillac smooth but the understeering and sluggishness was gone.

The Bora 35s meet all of those criteria except I'm unsure about how well they'll stand up to light off road use, but at $1200 from PBK, they're a steal. Anything else that'd be worth looking at as well? My concern with the Nemesis is that while they'll be a better all weather wheelset, the handling characteristics and zippyness might not be on the same level as the Boras or other modern carbon wheelsets. Another option would be to get the FSE 25mm wheelset for the Evo and swap the tires on the 35s for the 27mm. While that'd be a 150g weight loss, I'd only want to do that if they handled as well as the Boras, and my experience with shallow carbon rims is that they don't perform as well as 32mm and above.

Suggestions? More Boras?

[Alumen]

I definitely would consider the Vision Metron 40 tubulars as well.

I just moved over from Campanolo to Vision wheels and I found them more sturdy and hence better suited for light off road use as well.

While I was part of the gang that always evangilized the Bora's too, they are still good wheels and I wouldn't say highly overrated, but more that there is more available for at least the same quality and bang for the buck.

[Geoff]

Personally, I am partial to a pair of hand-built Ambrosio Nemesis 32s (lace them with Sapim CX Rays on a Record or Dura-Ace hub and shoe them with FMB or Dugast 27s and you will have the perfect heavy-duty wheels). That is quite unlike the rest of your quiver and would give you a different 'look' and 'feel'. We were actually in your neck of the woods (Laurel Canyon) recently and I was a bit surprised to see the condition of some of the roads there. You could actually use a pave wheelset!

[sawyer]

I thought I was bad with three sets of Boras, but really like the fact you're actually considering two identical sets (or will you go one dark/one bright?). Sounds like a very sensible addition

[bm0p700f]

I would get a pair of HED belgium C2 tubulars rims or the much cheaper Kinlin TB20's and lace them to decent hubs.

The Kinlin option will be wide fairly light and very robust. Better than the nemesis option above because the wheels will be alot stiffer and therefore more reliable in the long run.

[RyanH]

I pulled the trigger on a set of nemesis laced to record hubs that was on Paceline. It'll at worst replace my h plus son clincher setup that I'm not very fond of, but should be a good compliment to the Litespeed Classic.

@Geoff ya, Hollywood Hills is pretty bad. Our Sunday beatdown takes place on Mulholland and while the road quality has improved significantly, it still deters quite a few people.