Rim choice for a travelling wheelset fondo's, alpine climbs, etc.

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Hexsense
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Location: USA

by Hexsense

fordred wrote:
Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:08 am
HED Belgium and Easton R90 SL are not going to be better performing than the Zonda.

While I'm sure the Belgium/R90 custom wheels would be good if built properly, I don't think u need to spend the money because it's not going to better the Zondas.
but Zonda still plaque by narrow internal rim width,
17mm in case of Zonda C17 and 15mm for older Zondas.
Normal vanila,cheapest HED Belgium is not really wide either at 17.5mm.

Easton R90 SL have 19.5mm and HED Belgium plus at 20.6mm (or even Kinlin XR31T at 19mm) are better option.
23c up front and 25c in the rear on these wide rim give very good feeling rolling on the road.

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dgasmd
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Location: South Florida

by dgasmd

I use tubular carbon wheels only. Have been for almost 10 years. I bought a set of Campy Hyperon used a while back. Got some replacement spokes for it in case, but have never needed them. It has become my go-to wheel set when traveling with my bike. They are as bullet proof as it gets, light, and reliable
Last edited by dgasmd on Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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morganb
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by morganb

Kinlin XR31T is going to be one of the better options in terms of aerodynamics and strength, plus no decals. After riding 19-21mm internal rims all the time on the road I would never go narrower again.

sawyer
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Location: Natovi Landing

by sawyer

Zonda is pretty decent for that application, albeit it is a clincher, and not that wide, so a bit less surefooted than a tub or even than a wider clincher.

Why not get another set of low profile carbon tubulars? Descending at speed is when tubulars shine - and of course when their safety benefit matters most.

The 38mm Farsports tubs are down around 1100g and affordable

I can't vouch for their quality and personally would shop around and try and score a deal on a set of the cheaper but reputable brands - Vision, FFWDs etc. If you're patient on ebay you could get something much cheaper than Boras but still <1300g and really nice
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Stiff, Light, Aero - Pick Three!! :thumbup:

robertbb
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by robertbb

dgasmd wrote:
Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:32 pm
I use tubular carbon wheels only. Have been for almost 10 years. I bought a set of Campy Hyperon used a while back. Got some replacement spokes for it in case, but have never needed them. It has become my go-to wheel set when traveling with my bike. They are as bullet proof as it gets, light, and reliable
How would you handle being o/s, and getting a blowout on a tubular? OK, so you could use vittoria sealant (or similar) to re-inflate and finish your ride. But that's less than ideal for the next rides. Do you take a spare tub, tape/glue, solvent with you? Do you re-schedule your rides to give the tape/glue sufficient time to dry? What if it happens twice? (not impossible).

Happy to be educated but I can't see how Tubulars would be a good solution for travelling.

fordred
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Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:22 pm

by fordred

robertbb wrote:
Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:19 pm
fordred wrote:
Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:08 am
HED Belgium and Easton R90 SL are not going to be better performing than the Zonda.

Zonda uses record hubs, so that's already one of the best hubs u can get. Zonda rims are excellent as well. No spoke holes means no rim tape needed = less rim weight.
Most of Zonda's weight comes from the hubs as record hubs aren't as light and hub weight doesn't count towards the 'all important' rotational weight.

My experience with Zonda's toughness has been excellent. The bombproof wheels never needed any truing.

While I'm sure the Belgium/R90 custom wheels would be good if built properly, I don't think u need to spend the money because it's not going to better the Zondas.
Zonda C17 uses record hubs? I didn't know that.. can you pls show me a link with that info?

Not going to argue on their strength - they are strong. They really aren't any good at all in an aero sense though.

Download this parts file from Campagnolo website and look at all the part numbers. Bora, Shamal and Zonda all uses the same parts.
https://www.campagnolo.com/DownloadSA/D ... docType=12

None of your other rim choices are any good aerodynamically. If you are getting a Zipp 303 or Enve 34, then better aerodynamic is true.

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dgasmd
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:10 am
Location: South Florida

by dgasmd

robertbb wrote:
dgasmd wrote:
Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:32 pm
I use tubular carbon wheels only. Have been for almost 10 years. I bought a set of Campy Hyperon used a while back. Got some replacement spokes for it in case, but have never needed them. It has become my go-to wheel set when traveling with my bike. They are as bullet proof as it gets, light, and reliable
How would you handle being o/s, and getting a blowout on a tubular? OK, so you could use vittoria sealant (or similar) to re-inflate and finish your ride. But that's less than ideal for the next rides. Do you take a spare tub, tape/glue, solvent with you? Do you re-schedule your rides to give the tape/glue sufficient time to dry? What if it happens twice? (not impossible).

Happy to be educated but I can't see how Tubulars would be a good solution for travelling.
I rarely get flats on tubulars 1-2/8000 miles per year. Bad years I get 4 and this is a crappy area for metal debris. Have never had a single flat traveling, probably until now that I said it!

I preload all tubulars with latex. Don’t carry latex sealant anymore as it is worthless if you preload the tires. I do bring a spare for the road preglued and do bring on the trip 2 pre-glued tires “just in case” as permanent replacements. Yet to use them!

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pdlpsher1
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by pdlpsher1

When I watch pro races there are at least a couple flats. It would be interesting to collect and analyze the flat frequency using pro races, since the high number of racers would equate to a lot of miles.


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sawyer
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Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:45 pm
Location: Natovi Landing

by sawyer

A taped (not glued) set of tubs for travelling is a pretty good idea
----------------------------------------
Stiff, Light, Aero - Pick Three!! :thumbup:

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