Upgrade wheels on £1k road bike

[gbb]

I say YES
You would get a better wheelset for £200 - £300
Better rims
Better spokes
Better hubs with better bearings
The Alex rims on my spesh are crap first time I used the bike I got to a hill and the wheels started twisting so much the brake blocks started rubbing on the rim as soon as I crested the hill all good again. Most bikes in the £1000 - £2000 price range come with wheels I can get from my local shop for £87

My outher bike has Mavic Aksiums cost me £150 from performance cycles 18 months ago these are fantastic wheels for the price.
These can have the rims replaced when worn Rims cost £35 each.

When I upgrade I will be going to 50mm carbon with alloy clincher rim somthing like the Token C50 which I can get for £475

these will be used for Time trials and crits

Almost anythings an upgrade on spesh wheels
I've said before, when you read the amount of people that have problems with their wheels...how in the hell do they get away with it.
I rejected out of hand buying a Specialized, simply because of their wheels.
I got a Bianchi, which relatively budget wheels, they were stiff, true and strong for three years.
They're ripping people off IMO, which is a shame because barring the wheelsets, there's no doubt its a good bike,

 

[2Loose]

Amerferanga:
"With some good handbuilts you can just replace the rims."

WychwoodTrev:
"These can have the rims replaced when worn Rims cost £35 each."


Surely you can have the rims replaced and the wheel rebuilt on ANY wheel if the hub is ok?? I thought that most of the reasons that cheaper factory built wheels go out of true and aren't so robust is because the factory build is rubbish, spokes uneven tension etc. Robots are crap at building wheels, therefore quality control must be tighter, but isn't on cheaper wheels. Simples? Or is it not so?

 

[Rob3rt]

Amerferanga:
"With some good handbuilts you can just replace the rims."

WychwoodTrev:
"These can have the rims replaced when worn Rims cost £35 each."


Surely you can have the rims replaced and the wheel rebuilt on ANY wheel if the hub is ok?? I thought that most of the reasons that cheaper factory built wheels go out of true and aren't so robust is because the factory build is rubbish, spokes uneven tension etc. Robots are crap at building wheels, therefore quality control must be tighter, but isn't on cheaper wheels. Simples? Or is it not so?

Not if the particular rim is not available as rim only.

 

[HLaB]

I went for Planet X Model B's slightly cheaper and lighter than the competitor Fulcrums (I forget the number) and the Aksiums and I've found them a good reliable upgrade to my previous stock wheels (Quasar). I'm not a heavy rider however my brother is about the OP's weight and also had no problem with his Model B's; they are now on his winter bike.

 

[2Loose]

Not if the particular rim is not available as rim only.

By 'rim replaced', I meant another new rim, not necessarily the same model.

 

[Rob3rt]

By 'rim replaced', I meant another new rim, not necessarily the same model.

Then you no longer have the same wheelset, you have something else, a makeshift wheel which is no longer the wheel you set out to have.

 

[mark st1]

If you want to see a difference, then splash the cash on a good set of tyres - which will not only cost less, but will probably make more of a noticable difference out on the road in handling, grip and maybe speed.

Any suggestions on tyres that will do as you describe ?

 

[black'n'yellow]

Any suggestions on tyres that will do as you describe ?

Something like Conti's GP4000S would probably do the job - width & pressure to be determined by the type of riding he does...

 

[amaferanga]

By 'rim replaced', I meant another new rim, not necessarily the same model.

New rim + new spokes then. Expensiver. And as pointed out already, you then have a different wheel anyway.

 

[montage]

If you opt for new wheels, my advice would be to check out the pro-lite range - never heard anyone fault those wheelsets and they are very well reviewed. I'd also say stay away from planet x wheels, whilst the deep section carbon wheels seem popular, the "normal" wheels are complained about a fair bit, and I have had some dire personal experiences with them (though good customer service, and there are also many good reviews out there).

If you can afford it, go for it, a good pair of wheels such as RS80s/pro-lite gavias/kysirium elites (double check all of their prices..) will transform your ride. But so will some pro race 3 tyres.

 

[black'n'yellow]

The only complaints I've heard regarding the PX Model Bs (presumably those are the ones you are referring to) relate to bearing life on the rear hub and freehub damage. The bearings are cartridge type and can be swapped out easily enough and the freehub issue is actually no different to any other hub with an aluminium freehub body.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

Almost anythings an upgrade on spesh wheels
I've said before, when you read the amount of people that have problems with their wheels...how in the hell do they get away with it.
I rejected out of hand buying a Specialized, simply because of their wheels.

I agree the Alexrims on my Secteur were shockingly bad. A guy at work got a later model basic Secteur model and that Mavic CXP22's on, which I believe are much better basic wheels. Really pleased with Mavic Aksium's for around £150 though.

 

[mark st1]

Something like Conti's GP4000S would probably do the job - width & pressure to be determined by the type of riding he does...

Are these generally regarded as a good set of tyres then ? i See they have mainly good reviews on Wiggle do you/ have you used these or would you say they are only useful for road racing etc?

 

[Rob3rt]

Are these generally regarded as a good set of tyres then ? i See they have mainly good reviews on Wiggle do you/ have you used these or would you say they are only useful for road racing etc?

GP4000s are very good tyres, they do lean toward the race end of the spectrum but they are not super lightweight race only tyres, they make good every day fast training tyres, great for general riding IMO. Attack and Force are Conti's full on race tyres.

 

[black'n'yellow]

Are these generally regarded as a good set of tyres then ? i See they have mainly good reviews on Wiggle do you/ have you used these or would you say they are only useful for road racing etc?

They are 'race quality' tyres, to be fair. I have a set on a pair of wheels which I use mainly for spring/summer/autumn training/general riding and also a handful of races on 'open' roads (as opposed to circuits, where I use different wheels anyway). I know lots of people that use them year-round with no issues. I have yet to puncture on my set and the rear is about to be replaced as it is squaring-off slightly.