Wheels for climbing

[Kayrehn]

Hey Steven, don't take it heart, sometimes the Internet can't convey tone accurately, just substitute the question mark for a full stop and it'll sound all right

Aero wheels might go faster but it's a joy to feel snappy going up the slopes on super light wheels. And since most of us aren't pros, I'll rate ride feel as being more important than winning my mates by a few seconds.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[petert123]

The only other option I could recommend would be the Mavic R-SYS SLR Clincher Wheelset but beware, the coating on these will wear and they are very sensitive to brake setup and will squeal like a banshee if you get it wrong.

had no issues with this myself, need to keep on top of clean rims and brakeblocks - it also stops the squealing that alot of people report when new.

[alcatraz]

Tubulars or clinchers?

[robertbb]

Carbon is the sensible choice, way more longevity than alloy rims

Carbon has more longevity than alloy? Can you please elaborate?

Anyway, In my own experience (I have Bora Ultra 35's in both clincher and tubular, Zonda C17 clinchers and previously had Shamal C17 clinchers which I sold because the oversized spokes and nipples are a liability in certain conditions) I've found the Zonda is the best of all of them:

- I can't detect a RR difference between the cult bearings in the Bora, the hybrid bearings in the Shamal and the steel bearings in the Zonda (all are excellent cup-cone).
- The weight difference between the Bora clinchers and Zonda's is precisely 151 grams, and I'd suggest much of that is in the hubs (machined aluminium on the Zonda's vs carbon on the Bora's). Again, I can't detect a difference in "feel" all other things being equal (tyres, tubes, bike etc).
- The braking (with SwissStop BXP's) on the Zonda is head and shoulders above the Bora's with the supplied Campy red pads, and it's reliable in changing conditions (as has been said, aside from bluebird days, conditions can change quickly in the mountains so this is an important factor. If you've booked a cycling trip in advance or entered a fondo 4 months prior to the day, you don't get to choose the weather).

Plus, when I ran Bora's, I always found myself adjusting my line to avoid rim damage from road imperfections (which are common in the mountains). This might be a bit pedantic on my part, but I'm gonna be careful about keeping an AU$3000 set of wheels in pristine condition! The Zonda's are 1/6th the price, so I'll ride them like I stole them and focus more on enjoying and nailing the ride. I've actually now got two sets of Zonda's, one with butyl tubes and slightly heavier tyres and one with latex tubes and open tubulars... can run either with a simple swap based on the ride and conditions with no need to change or adjust pads.

I simply don't subscribe to the idea of running tubulars anymore as an amateur/recreational rider. No matter the fanboy'ism on this forum (and others) for tubulars. They make zero sense for anyone who's not a pro, for a whole bunch of reasons. And that includes in the mountains. If you flat and your sealant doesn't seal, do you trust your pre-glued spare (or tape) enough to go throwing it into corners with full gusto...? I don't. Not a problem with a new tube in a clincher (or a tube in a tubeless tyre if the sealant doesn't seal).

[Paddypurplepuss]

Tubulars or clinchers?

clincers

[Paddypurplepuss]

I'd use my extralite hubs on 45mm deep tubeless rims at 1280g.

That light and aero.

whats rims are these?

[Paddypurplepuss]

Schmolke TL or TLO rims (30 or 45 deep), Carbon Ti hubs, CX-ray spokes and internal nipples.
Bought TLO 45 and same spec as above. Rim tape or strip of own choice.
TL is braided T800 weave, TLO is braided T1000 weave.
Weight is alot less than most options above.

Schmolke have NO restrictions of brake pads, as long as it's for carbon.
You can use Reynolds Blue power for instance. Most are very restricted when it comes to pads.
https://reynoldscycling.com/products/cr ... brake-pads

these wheels look and sound amazing - had a quick look there. Would they be stiffer than the zipp 404 firecrest im running now? As long as the weight is below 1450 ot there abouts then stiffness is more importan to me.

[alcatraz]

Extralite SP-T + SP-X hubs and CX-ray spokes (or equivalent) build a quite stiff wheel.

A friend thats 95kg is now testing new lightweight rims out of China. Tubeless 45mm deep 28mm wide ac3 mimic brake tracks = 400gr a piece.

That equals to a 45mm quite stiff wheelset with great rim braking performance at only 1180gr.

If you're interested look for them on aliexpress. We buy them in china from small suppliers. They're pretty cheap too ~900cny.

[g32ecs]

4yrs ago I built a 1250g set of Alu Kinlin rims w/ Superlight hubs from BikeHubStore.com and was bombproof. I think it was a 20/24

https://www.bikehubstore.com/default.asp

It cost me $400 including labour at the LBS. With your budget you'll have enough for the Etape entry for many years plus the wheelset I think I could've pushed it down further to 1200g mark but I think that would be compromising the durability.

[Lewn777]

We all have a shared passion here.... hence we're here.

I'm on here because I don't know everything there is to know about wheels / bikes in general. Sarcastic / condesecending posts help nobody.

I obviously thought ceramic bearings were a good selling point, Lewn777's response was helpful, Nefarious inferring his superior knowledge with a condescending twist was not.

I didn't know CS bearings were over rated (I will check out Hambini's videos), and for a moderator to respond as such, without providing any real advice / help, is poor.

Also, Hunt wheels. Why so embarassing? I know their limitless range has just been recalled, but from what I can see that wouldn't effect the 36 UD Carbon Spoke range and those who are using Hunt wheels are generally very happy (at least from my own experience).

[willmac]

I'm about the same size as you and after years of trying super light stuff, I've come to the conclusion that anything under 1400g is going to have issues for guys that weigh what we do. I've settled on dt swiss prc1100's which are the same rims you mentioned, just with a slightly different hub. 35mm is a good depth for climbing in that they feel snappy and you won't run into any issues descending with gusto if you get caught in a storm or wind. They are plenty stiff enough for me without feeling harsh. I can't recommend the newer DT Swiss wheels enough. Not the most glamorous brand but if you are concerned with quality over marketing, I don't think they can be beat

[AGB]

If you want to achieve a lightweight & STIFF wheelset then you might consider the Giant SLR0 30mm carbon clincher wheelset.... these are 1330grams and STIFFER than waking up with a "weekend woody". +Zero brake rub....I've noticed all ENVE/Zipps suffer from this....Plus durable and very good braking performance in dry and wet.. only just replaced the original bearings after 16,000kms.

These were OEM on all Giant TCR SL0 & SL1 2016+ models...(you could probably find them cheap at a local Giant dealer?) I'm in the process of WW project to drop about 1kg from my current TCR 6.8-> 5.8kgs and it would be difficult to find a stiffer/cheaper set of clincher wheels at that weight......without reverting to LW Meilensteins Clincher/Tubular's.

Giant may not have the sexy name / brand image but performance-wise these are hard to beat.

[bm0p700f]

You dont ha e to watch hambini videos to know ceramic speed bearings are junk
If you want ceramic bearings the only hubs that use them properly are campagnolo with the cult system. These have properly hardened stainless races.

Also avoid stainless bearings they dont last as long either. That of course rules out most high end hubs which advertise stainless bearings.

The best hubs use a high grade steel bearing with a good grease fill. That does make the bearing spin less freely in your hand but how the bearing spins without load says nothing about how well it spins with load. And nothing spins worse with load than a worn bearing because the stainless balls have galled or there is not enough grease to stop water and grit ingress.

Best wheels for climbing if you want carbon are carbon ti hubs or extralite on rims of your choice.

Or get some light shallow tubular rims 32h and lace to campagnolo record hubs and have the cult bearings installed. That would be a lovely set. That or campagnolo Bora.

[bm0p700f]

I'd use my extralite hubs on 45mm deep tubeless rims at 1280g.

That light and aero.

whats rims are these?

My own. I have not released then yet though. Some thing for 2020 hopefully.

[bm0p700f]

Carbon is the sensible choice, way more longevity than alloy rims

Carbon has more longevity than alloy? Can you please elaborate?

Anyway, In my own experience (I have Bora Ultra 35's in both clincher and tubular, Zonda C17 clinchers and previously had Shamal C17 clinchers which I sold because the oversized spokes and nipples are a liability in certain conditions) I've found the Zonda is the best of all of them:

- I can't detect a RR difference between the cult bearings in the Bora, the hybrid bearings in the Shamal and the steel bearings in the Zonda (all are excellent cup-cone).
- The weight difference between the Bora clinchers and Zonda's is precisely 151 grams, and I'd suggest much of that is in the hubs (machined aluminium on the Zonda's vs carbon on the Bora's). Again, I can't detect a difference in "feel" all other things being equal (tyres, tubes, bike etc).
- The braking (with SwissStop BXP's) on the Zonda is head and shoulders above the Bora's with the supplied Campy red pads, and it's reliable in changing conditions (as has been said, aside from bluebird days, conditions can change quickly in the mountains so this is an important factor. If you've booked a cycling trip in advance or entered a fondo 4 months prior to the day, you don't get to choose the weather).

Plus, when I ran Bora's, I always found myself adjusting my line to avoid rim damage from road imperfections (which are common in the mountains). This might be a bit pedantic on my part, but I'm gonna be careful about keeping an AU$3000 set of wheels in pristine condition! The Zonda's are 1/6th the price, so I'll ride them like I stole them and focus more on enjoying and nailing the ride. I've actually now got two sets of Zonda's, one with butyl tubes and slightly heavier tyres and one with latex tubes and open tubulars... can run either with a simple swap based on the ride and conditions with no need to change or adjust pads.

I simply don't subscribe to the idea of running tubulars anymore as an amateur/recreational rider. No matter the fanboy'ism on this forum (and others) for tubulars. They make zero sense for anyone who's not a pro, for a whole bunch of reasons. And that includes in the mountains. If you flat and your sealant doesn't seal, do you trust your pre-glued spare (or tape) enough to go throwing it into corners with full gusto...? I don't. Not a problem with a new tube in a clincher (or a tube in a tubeless tyre if the sealant doesn't seal).

I use tubular tyres regularly without issue. Rode with them on Wednesday for my commute.