Triban 3 Owners Club

[JohnC60]

What bottle cages are you guys using? I quite like this one!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281052169549?redirect=mobile

I've got 2 like this but in white - very light weight seem robust enough and easy to get bottle in and out of, 10/10.

 

[Lancj1]

Out of interest, the standard Triban wheels weigh 2273g the pair

The Mavic Aksium on the Decathlon site weigh 1810g the pair

Thats a 463g difference - over a lb in old money. A huge upgrade surely ?

Another 200g on better tyres too.

 

[Radchenister]

The point you are missing is that the wheelset is a separate item which you can keep regardless of whether you own a Triban 3 or not - therefore the value of the bike you are fitting them on is not relevant.

Thanks for the advice BnY which is appreciated but it's never usually that simple IMHO ... it's not inconceivable that people might own the T3 for years; it's clear we're getting advice on a few levels, yours is sound I think for those who may move onwards and upwards ... equally, for others who might stick with the bike for a while then there may be another stand point; I would have to say that I'm unclear if road bikes are something I'll really get into and pursue to increased levels or just an aside to getting into the wilds with my MTB.

 

[CommuterBen]

Personally i wouldn't upgrade for costly wheels as mine is a commuter and leisure bike so for me it isn't really value for money! It's an entry level bike and therefore not worth spending the money on for me, considering that is just as a commuter!

 

[Rob3rt]

Depends on budget - there is no one particular wheel which is suited to the bike, to be fair.

To all other comments - the TB3 is built to a price point - and so it follows that the wheels will also be a compromise. That much is understood.

Blowing £150 on a set of wheels will not see a significant improvement in quality, in my opinion I personally don't think it is worth spending that on a set of wheels which will probably be no better than the set you already have. So here's my suggestions...

option 1 - Forget the wheels for now and just spend some money on some decent quality tyres. They don't need to be expensive. Something like a set of Rubino Pros will make a big difference to ride quality. Can be had for about £20 each on ebay. Probably the best way to spend £40 next week.

option 2 - Anything from £250 upwards will buy you a good quality wheelset which will last longer than the rest of the bike. At £250 you can get a pair of Shimano 6700, or another £100 on top gets you the excellent RS80. Something in between (ie about £300) gets you a pair of Easton EA50s - also very good. Here's the thing - you can hang on to the wheels when you sell the bike and upgrade to something else. You then have a decent set of spare wheels, which you may even prefer to the pair on your new bike, depending on what you buy.

Hope that helps.

Spending £150 on wheels would be a significant improvement in both build quality and weight/performance on the stock Triban 3 wheels.

 

[Onthedrops]

What bottle cages are you guys using?

Check out the cage I got from Decathlon on the new review board on the T3 forum. Cheap as chips. It's light and holds my bottle. Does it for me!

 

[black'n'yellow]

Spending £150 on wheels would be a significant improvement in quality on the stock Triban 3 wheels.

'Significant' is not a word I would use in that context. £150 gets you entry level wheels - not much of an upgrade.

 

[Rob3rt]

'Significant' is not a word I would use in that context. £150 gets you entry level wheels - not much of an upgrade.

Maybe you wouldn't use that word, but I would. Even entry level big branded wheels are a big improvement, I have a pair of Triban 3 wheels, you couldn't even begin to compare them to a pair of Fulcrum Racing 7's or Shimano RS10's.

 

[Radchenister]

If the arm wrestling's going to start, perhaps keep it educational with lots of 'wheel facts' thrown in ... or just take it to PM please fellas ?

 

[black'n'yellow]

Maybe you wouldn't use that word, but I would. Even entry level big branded wheels are a big improvement, I have a pair of Triban 3 wheels, you couldn't even begin to compare them to a pair of Fulcrum Racing 7's or Shimano RS10's.

Well, I'm sure these fellas can make their own minds up, based on budget and appropriate level of enthusiasm. Not worth getting upset about.

 

[andyoxon]

I guess people here thought about the Triban 5 for £200 more; I think the wheels are the same, but has Sora groupset and different frame... Is it worth the extra? I suppose the £500 price point goes against the entry Spec/Trek etc competition wise - many of which don't have the carbon forks either.

 

[outlash]

I guess people here thought about the Triban 5 for £200 more; I think the wheels are the same, but has Sora groupset and different frame... Is it worth the extra? I suppose the £500 price point goes against the entry Spec/Trek etc competition wise - many of which don't have the carbon forks either.

IMO, the 5 is not quite the same bargain as the 3. The only real difference is the groupset (the frame is the same BTW). At £500, you're looking at the cheaper giants and cannondales (albeit with the 2300 groupset instead of sora) and their frames are almost certainly better, you've got a lot more choice at that price point.


Tony.

 

[CommuterBen]

Check out the cage I got from Decathlon on the new review board on the T3 forum. Cheap as chips. It's light and holds my bottle. Does it for me!

Just have thanks for the rest of the reviews very helpful! My main issue is theft with the things you've bought army bike ill spend most of its days outside Uni :-(

 

[CommuterBen]

Here is my baby! Excuse the background but the dog had just been walked and didn't want him knocking it!

 

[Lancj1]

IMO, the 5 is not quite the same bargain as the 3. The only real difference is the groupset (the frame is the same BTW)

Frame on T5 isn't the same, it's got carbon seat stays