Zonda's still the golden standard for alu wheels

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AJS914
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by AJS914

It's a wash with handbuilts because Zondas cost around $200 less per pair. In 35 years of cycling I've only worn through one front rim. All my other rims have died from other causes (spoke pulling through the rim, hub flange breaking, or crash damage).

Alumen
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by Alumen

More and more I feel the need to buy a set of Zero's or Shamal's... new... I don't buy used stuff.

I don't think these wheels are offering a lot more for my training purposes compared with Zonda's, but I really like those fat alu spokes :thumbup:
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Hellgate
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by Hellgate

I picked up a pair of Shamal C17s recently. I've put about 200 miles on them. With a 23mm Vittoria CX they are wonderful. I paid $678 shipped to the US. Rare times indeed...

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gravity
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by gravity

Multebear wrote:I was just offering alternatives to Zondas. There's no doubt Campagnolo make very good wheels. My point is, when considering how best to invest your money, you need to consider, what to do when the brake track of the Zondas is worn. If I'm not mistaken, Campagnolo don't offer replacement rims (correct me if I'm wrong). Which means you have perfectly good hubs and spokes, that'll be very difficult to reuse.

If you build custom wheels with e.g. Kinlin rims, you'll always be able to replace rims only, which is far less expensive than buying new Zondas. In other words, Zondas are probably best bang for buck if you only plan to ride that one wheelset for the rest of you cycling career. But if you plan to ride longer than your Zondas will last, then you need to plan further ahead than just the next pair of Zondas.

Besides that, as mentioned, the Zonda rim technology is getting a tad obsolete.

Campagnolo make good hubs. But so does Shimano, White Industries, Chris King, DT Swiss and a couple of others.


I get your point and it is perfectly valid.

I would also like to add that in the absence of a good wheelbuilder in ones locality and where the market of custom wheel is almost non-existant -- custom wheels doesnt look so attractive. Sure I'd like HED Belgium laced to WI but sourcing all these component will be a headache where I live and not to mention, very expensive. Kinlin laced to Bitex hubs looks like a logical idea in terms of functionality but the price itself is very close to a Zonda. Might as well take a Zonda.

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vejnemojnen
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by vejnemojnen

https://www.slowbuild.eu/%C3%BCbersicht ... 3011884227

R460&bitex hubs, sapim laser&race spokes, around 1.5kg, for 200 eurós

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WinterRider
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by WinterRider

Looks like the Zonda could be fitted with tubeless.. ? Appears deep enough for clearance.. no tape to mess with.. anyone have any experiences doing such?

And.. what material are the nips made of? Did not see on the Campy site.
Litespeed 2000 Appalachian 61 cm
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JKolmo
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by JKolmo

Brass.

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WinterRider
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by WinterRider

Brass works for me. Zonda's on sale at Wiggle.. looks like good value. Like the cup and cone, ease of maintenance noted by Campy users, G3 design w straight pull, no rim tape, many good features I can not access rolling my own.

Concerns.. warranty.. in the box time w freight charges. And feedback per tubeless......... annoying to read the 2 way fit and see no mention of WHAT rims it applies too<<<<<<<<<.

Warranty.. need search to find.. 3 yrs. I wonder if a turn time on par with the gestation of an elephant calf..........

SO I mull this over.... big issue is the Zonda being made for tubeless compatible.. assuming rim internal profile. CAMPY does not specifically say this about any of the rims w said profile.. but fawns over the 2 way tec.. marketing dept more into bovine dung presentations.........
Last edited by WinterRider on Sat Aug 12, 2017 1:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Litespeed 2000 Appalachian 61 cm
Litespeed 1998 Blue Ridge 61cm

Fitness rider.. 1 yr from seven decades age.

That is my story and I'm stick'n to it.

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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

Multebear wrote:If you're not on budget then Zipp 101 are the best alu clinchers ever made IMO. Madly over prized though and... well discontinued since 2013. They are reasonably light for a rim that deep and wide, and they run only 18/20 spokes, and they work fine for clydesdales up to 250 lbs. One of the best toroidal shapes, very close to carbon rims.

"Nowadays" a couple of other contenders come close or maybe even beat the 101. The Flo30 is very aero, but also very heavy at around 560 grams a rim. The new Al33 AForce looks promising, but lets have some long term reviews first. Finally there are the Boyd Altamonts. They look very promising as well. Good toroidal shape and reasonable weight and reasonably priced as well. Those are the alu rims that I would recommend for performance/aero.

If you're on budget, then the zondas are probably a good option. Several Kinlin rims come to mind as well. I like the DT Swiss R460 very much - very reasonably priced. Besides the Zipp 101 I'm not very much into factory wheels. There always seem to be drawbacks. Most factory wheels don't even offer replacement rims. And they build them with so few spokes, that using other rims seems a risk unless you're a very light rider.


I have been training and racing on $600 Boyd Altamont 30mm laced 24f/28r with brass nipples and CX-Ray spokes and wide flange hub. The wheels are fantastic! I couldn't ask for more. The only other rim that I would consider is AL33 (new kid on the block with no credibility) but then again, there are no advantages but black brake track, which is now available on Alamont's. Boyd has been in business for many years, all wheels are UCI approved for racing. Recently, I picked up $300 Campagnolo Scirocco 35mm, these wheels perform very well viewtopic.php?f=113&t=146223&start=15 I find them more responsive to attacks. Sure, there are lighter wheels (e.g. ~25mm deep) out there but Altamont and Scirocco are deeper (e.g. 30-35mm deep) and great value for your money.
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WinterRider
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by WinterRider

I ran the gamut of 'expert chat' via Wiggle per warranty on Zonda C17's... any warranty issue needs a return to Eng for evaluation. Can only imagine in a yr or two some 20 something pimple faced carbon unit trying to get ahead.. management winds changing towards cost management.. I get no joy on a broke spoke.

SALE prices aint.. just an invite for long term grief. Then the cheep labor makers.. how Campy is it? Not much...... guess I'll survive with the 'roll my owns'.

I want to migrate away from these junk sealed bearings.. cheep waste products in the end. Real balls.. with real grease.. roll as good/better... much longer.
Litespeed 2000 Appalachian 61 cm
Litespeed 1998 Blue Ridge 61cm

Fitness rider.. 1 yr from seven decades age.

That is my story and I'm stick'n to it.

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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

WinterRider wrote:I ran the gamut of 'expert chat' via Wiggle per warranty on Zonda C17's... any warranty issue needs a return to Eng for evaluation. Can only imagine in a yr or two some 20 something pimple faced carbon unit trying to get ahead.. management winds changing towards cost management.. I get no joy on a broke spoke.

SALE prices aint.. just an invite for long term grief. Then the cheep labor makers.. how Campy is it? Not much...... guess I'll survive with the 'roll my owns'.

I want to migrate away from these junk sealed bearings.. cheep waste products in the end. Real balls.. with real grease.. roll as good/better... much longer.


Send your wheels for evaluation? What went wrong with your Zonda wheels. Any LBS can order extra spokes from Campagnolo. Scirocco and Zonda are $350 wheels. Do you have high expectation from wheels of this caliber?
Racing is a three-dimensional high-speed chess game, involving hundreds of pieces on the board.

:arrow: CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
:arrow: OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder

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WinterRider
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by WinterRider

mpulsiv wrote:
WinterRider wrote:I ran the gamut of 'expert chat' via Wiggle per warranty on Zonda C17's... any warranty issue needs a return to Eng for evaluation. Can only imagine in a yr or two some 20 something pimple faced carbon unit trying to get ahead.. management winds changing towards cost management.. I get no joy on a broke spoke.

SALE prices aint.. just an invite for long term grief. Then the cheep labor makers.. how Campy is it? Not much...... guess I'll survive with the 'roll my owns'.

I want to migrate away from these junk sealed bearings.. cheep waste products in the end. Real balls.. with real grease.. roll as good/better... much longer.


Send your wheels for evaluation? What went wrong with your Zonda wheels. Any LBS can order extra spokes from Campagnolo. Scirocco and Zonda are $350 wheels. Do you have high expectation from wheels of this caliber?


I use too few words. Spoke to chat for future warranty claims... what if's... should I make purchase. What is cost if something goes wrong... does happen too frequently.

What if rim cracks... hub bearings.. etc ...after all it's made in the land of 'sometimes' QC. I was told by a Campy dealer today that any warranty claim for a product purchased over the pond has to returned there for warranty evaluation. A spoke I can handle... shipping is reimbursed IF the claim is warranteed. IF not.. your 2x freight to Eng and cost of repair... in today's world I'll pass. Continue to roll my own.

I think the wheels a value at this current sale price per Wiggle. I have just assembled 2 sets... I'll run w those. Like the Zonda features...
Litespeed 2000 Appalachian 61 cm
Litespeed 1998 Blue Ridge 61cm

Fitness rider.. 1 yr from seven decades age.

That is my story and I'm stick'n to it.

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mpulsiv
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by mpulsiv

WinterRider wrote:
mpulsiv wrote:
WinterRider wrote:I ran the gamut of 'expert chat' via Wiggle per warranty on Zonda C17's... any warranty issue needs a return to Eng for evaluation. Can only imagine in a yr or two some 20 something pimple faced carbon unit trying to get ahead.. management winds changing towards cost management.. I get no joy on a broke spoke.

SALE prices aint.. just an invite for long term grief. Then the cheep labor makers.. how Campy is it? Not much...... guess I'll survive with the 'roll my owns'.

I want to migrate away from these junk sealed bearings.. cheep waste products in the end. Real balls.. with real grease.. roll as good/better... much longer.


Send your wheels for evaluation? What went wrong with your Zonda wheels. Any LBS can order extra spokes from Campagnolo. Scirocco and Zonda are $350 wheels. Do you have high expectation from wheels of this caliber?


I use too few words. Spoke to chat for future warranty claims... what if's... should I make purchase. What is cost if something goes wrong... does happen too frequently.

What if rim cracks... hub bearings.. etc ...after all it's made in the land of 'sometimes' QC. I was told by a Campy dealer today that any warranty claim for a product purchased over the pond has to returned there for warranty evaluation. A spoke I can handle... shipping is reimbursed IF the claim is warranteed. IF not.. your 2x freight to Eng and cost of repair... in today's world I'll pass. Continue to roll my own.

I think the wheels a value at this current sale price per Wiggle. I have just assembled 2 sets... I'll run w those. Like the Zonda features...


You are asking "if" aka in case sh*t happens. Don't worry about what "if". Like I said, these are $350 wheels. If LBS can replace the spokes, they can also service the hub or order a new one. If you spill the beans and bend the rim badly then you are SOL. Worst case scenario, you just lost $350. After all, you are not dealing with $4000 Zipp wheels.
Racing is a three-dimensional high-speed chess game, involving hundreds of pieces on the board.

:arrow: CBA = Chronic Bike Addiction
:arrow: OCD = Obsessive Cycling Disorder

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WinterRider
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by WinterRider

Three and one half bills is what it is... to me. IF I hadn't built 2 sets recently I'd go for it. The actual cost plus manufactured location is WHY I am leery. Yes I am running units whereas the components made same place ... yet I know I can swap out rims/ etc if need be.. myself.

I had not looked at anything assembled in wheels... my mistake it seems now. I did run 43 on my set yesterday aft.. just under 1300 grams.. their getting it done.

AND.. LOL... while Campy blatters about the 2 way tec... NO where do they say ZONDA's are tubeless compatible......... :noidea:

UNDERSTAND .. I am not knocking Campy. IMO what a value in a wheelset... geez Louise. Might get them anyway.. just I'm LONG on wheels right now.
Litespeed 2000 Appalachian 61 cm
Litespeed 1998 Blue Ridge 61cm

Fitness rider.. 1 yr from seven decades age.

That is my story and I'm stick'n to it.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

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martinko
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by martinko

I crashed on my Fulcrum Racing 1 - cracked rim and spokes damaged too. Took the wheel to the LBS, they ordered replacement rim and spokes, repaired the wheel. No problem.

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