Cero AR24 / AR30 Wheelset

[Richard A Thackeray]

I assume you have the Ultegra 6800's - a lot of reviews say they are a pig to put normal tyres on; what is your experience in this respect?

I just got the standard build tyres when I bought the bike, as I had a pair of Schwalbe 'One' for it (tubed, in a '23'), & yes!!, they were a struggle

Even using the broader (with a decent 'hook' for the bead) Schwalbe levers, they were a b1tch to fit

 

[RickB]

Thanks for the reply. When you say the 'noisy freewheel', how noisy is it because the current one on my Giant PR2 is pretty quiet.

My previous one was very quiet so this one was a bit of a shock. I feel a bit self conscious when freewheeling in a group with it! Probably just me being paranoid though. Definitely nice wheels.

 

[jimhead]

Now that you've had the AR24 Cero's for nearly a year, what do you think of them? I am seriously considering them as an upgrade for my Giant PR2's......

I bought the AR24's to replace my PR2's (which were truly awful IMO) about this time last year. I've had no problems with them and would recommend them highly.
The freewheel is quite noisy but to be honest I quite like it - it's been handy when coming up behind walkers in the road. The free tyres were out of stock when I ordered but they posted them a couple of weeks later which I then ebayed to further reduce the cost. Bargain.

 

[RegG]

I bought the AR24's to replace my PR2's (which were truly awful IMO) about this time last year. I've had no problems with them and would recommend them highly.
The freewheel is quite noisy but to be honest I quite like it - it's been handy when coming up behind walkers in the road. The free tyres were out of stock when I ordered but they posted them a couple of weeks later which I then ebayed to further reduce the cost. Bargain.

Thanks for the reply. They do sound like good wheels and I am sorely tempted but my (well respected) LBS has recommended some Vittoria Session wheels as a good upgrade. Although a little heavier at around 1760 grams, I have found them on line for just £109 a pair which leaves spare cash for some decent tyres and a new cassette!

 

[adyc]

I bought a pair of the AR30's last year. Great wheels, light, spin well and look great.
Can't complain 1 bit about them. Only thing I didn't like was the decals which are easily removed. Came with free tyres as well but I didn't want them so got a slight discount.
I would love to get a pair of the Carbon 50mm next.

 

[bonsaibilly]

I bought a pair of the AR30's last year. Great wheels, light, spin well and look great.
Can't complain 1 bit about them. Only thing I didn't like was the decals which are easily removed. Came with free tyres as well but I didn't want them so got a slight discount.
I would love to get a pair of the Carbon 50mm next.

"Can't complain 1 bit about them"

"Only thing I didn't like was"

Ummm...

 

[RegG]

Thanks to all for the answers and opinions on these wheels. I have finally settled for the Vittoria Session set from Merlin for just £109, which also allows me to get some decent tyres and an Ultegra cassette and stay within my budget! Will report back on the wheels when I get them fitted and tried out.

 

[Alfie_Gooner]

So whats the difference between a "training" wheel set and a normal everyday wheelset as i see on the merlin website that these are Training wheels?

please forgive my ignorance on this topic but is there any reason you couldn't use these wheels for everyday use?

 

[bonsaibilly]

So whats the difference between a "training" wheel set and a normal everyday wheelset as i see on the merlin website that these are Training wheels?

please forgive my ignorance on this topic but is there any reason you couldn't use these wheels for everyday use?

In my opinion there is no difference. It's just marketing terminology. You could rebadge exactly the same wheelset and flog one as a "winter wheel", the other as a "training wheel" and that way, commuters and would-be racers with more money than sense (or talent) spend double and the shop makes more money. BB

 

[RegG]

So whats the difference between a "training" wheel set and a normal everyday wheelset as i see on the merlin website that these are Training wheels?

please forgive my ignorance on this topic but is there any reason you couldn't use these wheels for everyday use?

They are described as a 'training wheel' but are for everyday use. Some people buy more expensive and lighter wheels for competition use/sportives etc and use the 'training' wheel at other times. The Vittoria Session wheels appear to be a good wheel and my initial impression having used them on a couple of rides is that they are a good upgrade from stock wheels. They certainly seem to have given the bike a more responsive feel and my average speed has increased without me even trying harder! I can thoroughly recommend these wheels as did my LBS who has recently built bikes for the Army Ladies Road Team using them as training wheels.

 

[bonsaibilly]

They are described as a 'training wheel' but are for everyday use. Some people buy more expensive and lighter wheels for competition use/sportives etc and use the 'training' wheel at other times. The Vittoria Session wheels appear to be a good wheel and my initial impression having used them on a couple of rides is that they are a good upgrade from stock wheels. They certainly seem to have given the bike a more responsive feel and my average speed has increased without me even trying harder! I can thoroughly recommend these wheels as did my LBS who has recently built bikes for the Army Ladies Road Team using them as training wheels.

Did you change to new tyres at the same time?

 

[RegG]

I put some Vittoria Rubino's on but wish I had spent a bit more and got some Rubino Pro with the graphene + as they are lighter. I've put some Rubino G+ on my partners bike and they seem to be a good tyre although still heavy(ish). There are still a lot of Vittoria tyres around without G+ so buyers need to watch what they are getting.

 

[bonsaibilly]

I was only asking because you can't really compare the new wheelset to the old unless you've got the same tyres on both wheelsets.

What you described as changes\improvements is most probably due to the different tyres and not the wheels.

 

[RegG]

I was only asking because you can't really compare the new wheelset to the old unless you've got the same tyres on both wheelsets.

What you described as changes\improvements is most probably due to the different tyres and not the wheels.

Sorry, I didn't make it clear in my last posting that I had used the Rubino's on the old wheels initially for a couple of weeks before swapping to the Vittoria Session wheels. Before the wheel change the tyres alone did seem to improve the 'feeling' of the bike but this was further improved, albeit probably only slightly, when the new wheels went on.

It is a widely accepted view that tyres alone are a worthwhile and effective first upgrade to stock tyres, followed closely by a wheel upgrade. When it comes to wheels, those available around the £200 mark all have their own attributes and at the end of the day it is down to personal preference.

 

[Alfie_Gooner]

Thanks for the information about "training wheels" guys, i can now sound as if i know what i am talking about if and when i get to the point of upgrading the current stock wheels on my giant defy 3. ;-)