Weight Weenies

Ive been venturing out a few times a year out of Canada to "higher terrain" in the alpes...
I was looking at some Campy clincher wheels for my Cannondale... right now I am running the first gen of Carbone 40 clinchers.. they are OK, but the increase brake temps coming down some of those passes has me a little on edge, and rain won't help much... I had a blow out in Maui last year stuck behind a car down Haleakala and having to ride the brakes..

Im looking at either Shamal Mille or Neutrons... Im not concerned about the extra few hundred bucks for the Shamals... Ive read previously that the black finish on the milles wears off.. then they look like crap...

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If you're gonna get Shamals, get the plain old C17's with alloy track, and use Swisstop BXP pads. It's a great combo. I'm moving my Shamals on because I feel they are poor in crosswinds due to the spokes. The performance otherwise was fantastic.

One wheel I've not ever seen in the flesh or tried, but which gets rave reviews, are the DT Swiss Dicut Oxic's.

I used the Fulcrum Racing Zero Nite as I lived in the Alps. Really solid wheels and quite light (1500g).

https://www.fulcrumwheels.com/en/wheels ... -zero-nite

Isnt the Fulcrum Racing Zero Nite essentially the Shamal Mille under the Fulcrum label?

I've got some Neutron Ultra's I've had for years and got a couple of pairs of Shamal Ultras with the big difference being that the Shamal's are a C17etrto compared with the Neutron's C15. I'd go with the Shamal's every time they feel much more solid and smoother plus they'll fit bigger tyres better 25s or 28s. I avoided the Mille's as they look great when new but quickly start getting patchy silver alloy showing through. I'd also avoid the two-way fit Shamal's unless you're going tubeless. They're a pain to get the tyre seated correctly if you're using them with inner tubes like I am and I won't use them out on the road as I don't think I can be sure of getting them seated right with a small hand pump and hands wrestling with the tyre on the rim. Two-way fit Shamal Ultra if going tubeless, standard Ultra's if using tubes only.

ParisCarbon wrote:Isnt the Fulcrum Racing Zero Nite essentially the Shamal Mille under the Fulcrum label?

Yepp!

Im pretty well limited to a 23s... My 2015 Supersix won't take a GP25 tire... I don't mind the 23s, but Ive got used to riding the 24s on my Tarmac...

Been using cont gp4000 in 23 on the shamals but I'll be going bigger when i get more tyres the state of British roads has deteriorated in recent years so for comfort i need to drop the pressure but I've had a few pinch flats as a result

If you want black braketracks:
- If you dont mind squealing braking noise -> Mavic R-Sys (though ID only 15mm, pure alloy) or Mavic cosmic pro carbon exalith (ID 17mm, carbon faring)
- If you whant quiet braking and dont mind minor silver scuffs on the tracks with use: DT Swiss PR 1400 Dicut Oxic, HED Ardennes Black

If you still want to go the carbon route
- Zipp or Lightweight Clincher -> these use a resin with a higher melting point than other manufacturers, but still not 100% safe
- Carbon tubulars
- maybe the new Bontrager XXX (never heard of delamination from these, lifetime warranty from trek)

Source: live in the alps, though I personally use alloy clinchers with silver brake tracks

robertbb wrote: One wheel I've not ever seen in the flesh or tried, but which gets rave reviews, are the DT Swiss Dicut Oxic's.

I run a set on my Allez with 9100 calipers and they're probably the nicest all round wheels I've owned with almost disc like modulation and power. Stiff, comfortable, bomb proof hubs and easy to maintain/no proprietary parts.

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Nefarious86 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 25, 2018 1:40 pm

robertbb wrote: One wheel I've not ever seen in the flesh or tried, but which gets rave reviews, are the DT Swiss Dicut Oxic's.

I run a set on my Allez with 9100 calipers and they're probably the nicest all round wheels I've owned with almost disc like modulation and power. Stiff, comfortable, bomb proof hubs and easy to maintain/no proprietary parts.

Do yours have black writing on the hubs or white?

Also, are the stickers on the rim removable?

Take a look at a build on an open pro UST. Nice wide rim so you get that feeling of stability on the fast bends, tubeless so less risk of punctures and the tyre stays on if you get a flat. Plus you can get light builds on the rim even with a good number of spokes. Only downside is no exalith option yet.

Shamals are a great choice, one of the best wheels to climb on ... not the lightest but just feel stiff, light and responsive going uphill ... but I'd agree with robertbb that the big spokes can make mountain descending a touch hairier than it should be ... and of course they are pretty mediocre aerodynamically, though you don't notice it that much as everything else is so good

Agree also that C17 and flattening out a 23mm a bit or running a 25mm is better than the old C15 width

Very few people who've bought shamals don't love them.

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Stueys wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 26, 2018 8:54 am

Take a look at a build on an open pro UST. Nice wide rim so you get that feeling of stability on the fast bends, tubeless so less risk of punctures and the tyre stays on if you get a flat. Plus you can get light builds on the rim even with a good number of spokes. Only downside is no exalith option yet.

Good call. And if custom alloy clinchers are an option for OP, then the Easton R90SL seems a solid rim choice to consider too. It splits the difference between the two HED rims, in terms of internal/external width, comes from the same factory as the HED's, has a very good weight too considering the depth/profile and apprently the braking surface is top notch.