New wheels worth it or not

[Jason.T]

I'm considering upgrading the wheels on my boardman team carbon and what I want to know are honest opinions on wether it's worth spending out the cash

I've currently got mavic cxp22 which I know are not the lightest but do roll very well and have been pretty bomb proof over the last 16 months

I've taken a fancy to the campagnolo shamal's which are pretty much the fulcrum racing zero, I can get the shamal's for £600

Am I going to see massive improvements? Is 300 odd grams going to make a difference? Am I going to climb signifinetly better

I've done a fair amount of googling and it's a 50/50 where some say that a descent set of wheels make all the difference and some say that it's all in your head and you only gain a smoother ride

Is it worth £600 for upgrading to a descent set of wheels (were originally £900)

 

[BSRU]

You'll feel the difference at the start but eventually you will not really notice.
The main benefit is psychological, that good feeling can make you go faster and further.

 

[ianrauk]

If you want the wheels then just get them.
We all want the best components for our bikes so pimp away.

300gms for a pair of wheels won't make that much different.

 

[Jason.T]

I

If you want the wheels then just get them.
We all want the best components for our bikes so pimp away.

300gms for a pair of wheels won't make that much different.

i say 300g but that's a bit of a guess, the shamal's are 1'425g but I don't know the weight of my mavics, I'm guessing around 1700g

 

[screenman]

I doubt they would make you climb easier than losing a couple of kilo off the belly would, if you you had some to lose.

 

[Jason.T]

I doubt they would make you climb easier than losing a couple of kilo off the belly would, if you you had some to lose.

Oh I've got plenty to loose ha ha

 

[youngoldbloke]

What tyres/tubes are using on your current wheels?

 

[Jason.T]

Mavic cxp 22 = 2'200g

Shamal's = 1'440g

So 760g lighter which is more than I though

 

[Jason.T]

What tyres/tubes are using on your current wheels?

Not a clue what the tubes are but the tyres are continental ultra sports

 

[SpokeyDokey]

To a competitive cyclist all the little incremental differences add up and make a difference - might mean the difference between winning & not winning.

To the average cyclist posting in beginners maybe you'll ride 50 miles or whatever and get home 30* seconds quicker. Worth it? Not worth it?

*Could be 1 second, could be 5 minutes etc. It's hard to find anything on the web that says x grams translates into y time saved.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Not a clue what the tubes are but the tyres are continental ultra sports

You could lose quite a bit of weight by changing to something like GP4000S's, or Pro Race 4's, both much lighter more responsive tyres. Using Latex tubes will help too, or lightweight butyl tubes. Might be a cheaper first move

 

[Deleted member 35268]

Definately get the lighter wheels, pound for lb, its the cheapest way to get a weight reduction (on the bike)

 

[Elybazza61]

I'd go for it and also consider hand-builts as they are not as expensive as you might think,would get a lot of wheel for what the Shamals will cost.

I got some Zondas for the Ridley and they are a much nicer ride than the FZA/Cole ones;not just the weight but also in how they roll,sometimes think I could freewheel forever.The only disadvantage with the Campags will be if they need any repairs as I believe they are a pig to re-spoke.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Oh I've got plenty to loose ha ha

There's your answer then.

When you've got no more weight to lose and if it still matters then have a look at lighter wheels.

When you ask these questions you get lots of anecdotal evidence about how life changing the wheels are but very little/nothing in the way of hard facts.

Go ask a shop that sells them if they will underwrite your purchase ie if you don't improve by a given amount on the first ride you change your wheels then you'll get your money back. It's very easy to sell less weight as it's measurable but performance improvements are less tangible....

 

[Jason.T]

Cheers guys,a friend is going to lend me a set of fulcrum racing 1 to see if I notice any difference

I'm edging towards not upgrading now as to be honest I'm 13.8 stone and my ideal weight is apparently 11.10 stone, although I can't imagine myself at that weight, I'd look anorexic

It wasn't only about weight that I was considering upgrading but mainly due to the supposed benefits of being lighter stiffer more responsive better bearings better rolling etc

I'm in the process of trying to loose at least a stone and hopefully I'll be a bit quicker then