SW Aethos build - what wheels?

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Aeo
Posts: 668
Joined: Wed May 25, 2016 2:06 am

by Aeo

seinberg wrote:
Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:59 pm
Ended up going with the Alpinists. I got a great deal on them from a LBS
May I ask ballpark what your deal was? (MSRP is 2,500 USD)
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seinberg
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 9:59 pm
Location: NYC

by seinberg

Aeo wrote:
Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:33 am
seinberg wrote:
Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:59 pm
Ended up going with the Alpinists. I got a great deal on them from a LBS
May I ask ballpark what your deal was? (MSRP is 2,500 USD)
I'm buying a few components for the build from a LBS (including frameset) so it probably can't be perfectly compared to buying it elsewhere, but they're giving it to me for $2100 for the wheels, Turbo Cotton tires (+ tubes), and rotors. Any other wheelset was going to be full MSRP (presumably because they're a bit Spesh shop, so probably have more of a margin?).
2021 SW Tarmac SL7
2022 SW Aethos
2023 ENVE Mog w/SRAM Red XPLR & 353 NSW
2023 Riese & Muller Supercharger Rohloff HS (aka the tank)

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seinberg
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 9:59 pm
Location: NYC

by seinberg

So I changed things up slightly when all the parts finally arrived earlier this week. My LBS that was sourcing some of the parts for me also got in some new Zipp 353 NSWs and I couldn't pass up going for them. He gave them to me for USD3500, which is no small amount but also a nice discount over MSRP. Also ended up getting the Alpinist bars instead of the stock setup. Otherwise a pretty much stock SRAM Red build. Here are a bunch of pictures of the build:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/J3M3HjUwYRarBSAt9

Came out to just a bit over 14lbs, which I think is acceptable given I made no attempt to optimize for weight.
2021 SW Tarmac SL7
2022 SW Aethos
2023 ENVE Mog w/SRAM Red XPLR & 353 NSW
2023 Riese & Muller Supercharger Rohloff HS (aka the tank)

ccie6872
Posts: 363
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 10:46 pm

by ccie6872

seinberg wrote:
Sat Jan 29, 2022 3:52 pm
So I changed things up slightly when all the parts finally arrived earlier this week. My LBS that was sourcing some of the parts for me also got in some new Zipp 353 NSWs and I couldn't pass up going for them. He gave them to me for USD3500, which is no small amount but also a nice discount over MSRP. Also ended up getting the Alpinist bars instead of the stock setup. Otherwise a pretty much stock SRAM Red build. Here are a bunch of pictures of the build:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/J3M3HjUwYRarBSAt9

Came out to just a bit over 14lbs, which I think is acceptable given I made no attempt to optimize for weight.
Super nice setup and doing something very similar except with shimano. Curious how you like the 353's w/ the Aethos?

WorkonSunday
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by WorkonSunday

Have a look at Spada wheels, still one of local Italian favourite
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wolflikeme
Posts: 245
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Location: USA

by wolflikeme

thebikemanguy wrote:
Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:28 am
seinberg wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 3:54 am
This is great feedback. I got a private message from someone who suggested looking at the Princeton Peak 4550 wheels as well, which I've thrown into the equation. The Enves look nice too. If Roval had just made the Alpinists tubeless it would make the decision a bit simpler :) Very curious to hear more personal experiences like yingyu (thanks!). BTW, is beyondaero.com actually trustworthy? I tried looking them up (had never heard of them) and it seems to get a fair number of really negative reviews so while they seem to be the only place with the 353s in stock I'm reluctant to order from them!
No experience with the 4550s, but I've ridden both the 6560's and the 4540's and they're the best wheels I've ever been on, hands down. They're honestly a pretty different wheel to the 353s though. The PCWs are narrow by modern standards and are designed to be out-and-out fast all-around/climbing road racing wheels. The zipps are super wide and generally optimized for a broader range of use cases. I'd personally consider that 18.5mm internal width on the PCWs to be a dealbreaker but if you want to run 25s then it wouldn't be as much of an issue. But I also wouldn't be super stoked to spend $4k for a pair of zipp-branded hubs, and that price is still pretty wild even considering the other wheels you've mentioned. Tradeoffs.
What made the PCWs superior to the other wheels you've ridden ?

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LS Ultimate (7.89kg), Tarmac SL7 (7.56kg), Aethos (7.00kg), Venge (7.59 kg), Roubaix Team (7.53 kg) - Sold

thebikemanguy
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 8:54 am

by thebikemanguy

wolflikeme wrote:
Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:08 am
thebikemanguy wrote:
Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:28 am
seinberg wrote:
Mon Dec 27, 2021 3:54 am
This is great feedback. I got a private message from someone who suggested looking at the Princeton Peak 4550 wheels as well, which I've thrown into the equation. The Enves look nice too. If Roval had just made the Alpinists tubeless it would make the decision a bit simpler :) Very curious to hear more personal experiences like yingyu (thanks!). BTW, is beyondaero.com actually trustworthy? I tried looking them up (had never heard of them) and it seems to get a fair number of really negative reviews so while they seem to be the only place with the 353s in stock I'm reluctant to order from them!
No experience with the 4550s, but I've ridden both the 6560's and the 4540's and they're the best wheels I've ever been on, hands down. They're honestly a pretty different wheel to the 353s though. The PCWs are narrow by modern standards and are designed to be out-and-out fast all-around/climbing road racing wheels. The zipps are super wide and generally optimized for a broader range of use cases. I'd personally consider that 18.5mm internal width on the PCWs to be a dealbreaker but if you want to run 25s then it wouldn't be as much of an issue. But I also wouldn't be super stoked to spend $4k for a pair of zipp-branded hubs, and that price is still pretty wild even considering the other wheels you've mentioned. Tradeoffs.
What made the PCWs superior to the other wheels you've ridden ?
To me, they just feel really good under acceleration and hard efforts - they encourage me to ride harder and keep pushing. Perhaps a bit difficult to describe but just a really nice combination of stiffness, weight, and responsiveness. My comparison point are other high end wheels from Reynolds and Zipp. Spec-wise I appreciate that you can choose from the best hubs out there which allows you to tailor the wheels to your needs a little bit - as a smaller rider I went with the Tune hub option (the 6560's were second-hand and came with White Industries hubs). To be honest I *didn't* find the shape to make a big difference in terms of crosswind stability vs other wheelsets at similar depths, in case you were curious about that.

yingyu
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2021 7:16 am

by yingyu

seinberg wrote:
Sat Jan 29, 2022 3:52 pm
So I changed things up slightly when all the parts finally arrived earlier this week. My LBS that was sourcing some of the parts for me also got in some new Zipp 353 NSWs and I couldn't pass up going for them. He gave them to me for USD3500, which is no small amount but also a nice discount over MSRP. Also ended up getting the Alpinist bars instead of the stock setup. Otherwise a pretty much stock SRAM Red build. Here are a bunch of pictures of the build:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/J3M3HjUwYRarBSAt9

Came out to just a bit over 14lbs, which I think is acceptable given I made no attempt to optimize for weight.
Congrats :D. I personally would prefer a more colorful painting scheme but I like the ninja look delivered by the subtle contrast between the frame and the Zipp wheels. Have you got a chance to ride it?

thebikemanguy wrote:
Tue Feb 08, 2022 6:56 am
To me, they just feel really good under acceleration and hard efforts - they encourage me to ride harder and keep pushing. Perhaps a bit difficult to describe but just a really nice combination of stiffness, weight, and responsiveness. My comparison point are other high end wheels from Reynolds and Zipp. Spec-wise I appreciate that you can choose from the best hubs out there which allows you to tailor the wheels to your needs a little bit - as a smaller rider I went with the Tune hub option (the 6560's were second-hand and came with White Industries hubs). To be honest I *didn't* find the shape to make a big difference in terms of crosswind stability vs other wheelsets at similar depths, in case you were curious about that.
I suspect the new hookless Zipp 454 NSW, which OP already owns, has a ride quality closer to narrower PCW wheels than 353. Do you have experience with 454 NSW vs Grit 4540 or Wake 6560?

maxima
Posts: 460
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:37 am

by maxima

Not sure if anyone using Shimano have tried teh new 2021 new 12 speed Shimano Dura Ace C50 or C36. I prefer it better than my PCW 4540 or Hunt 44 with carbon spokes by a far stretch. Ride quality is good, new Shimano Dura Ace Hub is rock solid ....as good as Bora Ultra by ride feel/rolling. But wheelset ride is not as harsh as a 45/60 Bora Ultra

CustomMetal
Moderator
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Location: UK

by CustomMetal

maxima wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 10:02 am
Not sure if anyone using Shimano have tried teh new 2021 new 12 speed Shimano Dura Ace C50 or C36. I prefer it better than my PCW 4540 or Hunt 44 with carbon spokes by a far stretch. Ride quality is good, new Shimano Dura Ace Hub is rock solid ....as good as Bora Ultra by ride feel/rolling. But wheelset ride is not as harsh as a 45/60 Bora Ultra
Interesting to hear Shimano have finally managed a decent set of wheels .. I do like the look of the 60s
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