Shimano RS20s - Any good

[nightoff]

I am looking for a reasonably priced wheel upgrade for my Bianchi Via Nirone. I have seen a Shimano RS20 wheelset for about £115.

I currently have a Shimano R500 rear and Jalco DRX 2000 front. The Jalco on the rear suffered snapped spokes and was swapped under warranty.

Would the RS20 be a noticable upgrade or is there a better wheelset for the money?

I weigh about 13.5 stone and mostly use my bike for commuting and weekend blasts, all on tarmac.

 

[ianrauk]

Yes they are a very good wheelset. Have had a pair for a few months now and am running them on my commuter bike (Spesh Secteur Elite).
They run very well and are nice and light. No problems so far travelling on the pot holed roads of south east London

However if you do go for them, check the hubs. I had minimal grease in mine, so packed a load more in there.

 

[Russell Allen]

These are rather good for the money

Planet X model B

Russell

 

[nightoff]

My current short list is

Fulcrum 7s @ £110 a pair
Shimano RS20s @ £115 a pair
Planet X model Bs @ £125 a pair
Shimano RS30s @ £135 a pair in black
Shimano RS30b @ £150 a pair in white (look nice)
Fulcrum 5s @ £150 a pair
Mavic Aksiums @ £150 a pair

Which of these offers best bang for buck and will I notice much difference from what I have now?

 

[eldudino]

I've got Fulcrum 7's on my winter bike and they're great, but they are a bit heavy. Fine for what I want them for, but I think you can get lighter wheels if you go up to the £150 mark. I have Aksiums on my summer bike and they feel a lot lighter than the Fulcrums although the weight chart suggests they're similar.

Personally, I'd go for the lightest you can find for your budget.

 

[gbb]

My current short list is

Fulcrum 7s @ £110 a pair
Shimano RS20s @ £115 a pair
Planet X model Bs @ £125 a pair
Shimano RS30s @ £135 a pair in black
Shimano RS30b @ £150 a pair in white (look nice)
Fulcrum 5s @ £150 a pair
Mavic Aksiums @ £150 a pair

Which of these offers best bang for buck and will I notice much difference from what I have now?

'Will i notice much difference from what i have now' ??
I've just fitted Fulcrum 5's...very nice wheelset, but as may be true for most new wheels, they seem a little tight. I noticed just spinning them on the bike, they dont run and run, but the bearings are brand new, perhaps they want a few miles on them to free up.
That said, i was going slightly uphill a couple of times on todays ride...and the bike just seemed to float along even with a slight headwind at the time.
Another point today, acceleration seemed quicker, but is that the wheels, or just me ? Its very hard to know for sure.
In answer to you question, i'm not sure at those prices your'e (we're) going to see any remarkable change. But once the bearings free up, perhaps ?

 

[Kestevan]

I've been running Fulcrum 5s for about 8 months, after a very disappointing experience with 7s.

The 5s did take a couple of hundred miles to free up, and now they'll run for ever. No problems with spoke tension or wheel trueness in all the time I've used them and I'm the wrong side of 15 stone and commute on "lunar" roads every day.

For me they're probably all the wheel I'll ever need, however I wouldn't particularly want to risk them on a heavy laden tourer miles from anywhere. The bladed spokes might be nice looking, but something tells me if one does let go, finding a suitable replacement might be tricky.

 

[Sambu]

mavic askiums are ace!!