jjmolyet

I have been riding a set of Xero wheels for 2 years on my Giant, I have had no issues with these wheels. I am building a Flyte SRS-3 up, most likely with Shimano Ultegra. I would like to spend $300-400 on a wheelset. I am 240lbs, but let's assume that my weight will be 190-210lbs.(I am 6'4) by the time my build is done in the spring of '07, I have lost 50lbs since winter. What wheelset should I buy, I have had my eyes on Mavic Ksyrium Equipes or FSA400,if I can get my price. I would not mind another set of Xero's, but I would love to here some other ideas from roadies with build experience. I have lots of hours on a bike, but too few learning about components. Thank you, your 2 cents are priceless!

Hitchy

The Ksyriums are nearly indestructable. Heaps of 'gravitationally challenged' blokes ride 'em without issues

Hitchy

mimis

my ksyrium elites are amazing wheels in terms of resistance ,durability and stability. i'm pleasantly surprised at their insignificant sideplay in the strongest crosswinds. They aren't the lightest wheels though but then again i'm heavily built myself, few grams wouldn't make a difference...Have to admit that i don't have experience from other high end set of wheels so my oppinion won't count that much. One thing is certain, ksyriums are a workhorse for massive riders

cs1

I have a set of Campy Zondas. I've seen them with a Shimano freehub. They were smoking cheap on ebay, about $350 US. Zonda has Record quality hubs. Good luck on whatever you choose.

Tim

yakes_md

32 spoke Mavic Open Pro rims with Ultegra hubs. Not flashy, but solid and dependable. Can be had for not too much over $200.

waterrockets 

-1 ksyrium elites. Did anyone see his price range? $300-$400 won't buy you elites.

+.75 Open Pros, though with the stated budget, Dura-Ace is a reasonable upgrade from Ultegra (weight), and can be had for around $300.

All of this depends on the intended use of the wheels though. If you're going to use them just for racing, durability isn't so important. If you're riding them full time, I'd absolutely recommend you have some built by an experienced builder. You can get 30,000-50,000 miles out of a well-built set of wheels. At your expected weight, I'd recommend 36h rear for full-time riding, 32h front with the velocity fusions. They'll last a looong time.

Adding a couple spokes doesn't effect performance noticeably. FWIW, I'm 185 and I built myself a set of 32/36 Velocity Deep-Vs. I'll be riding them a looooong time. Braking surface wear will be the limiting factor. I've had no problems climbing, sprinting, TT-ing with my friends who have more spendy wheels.

big john

30-50,000 miles from a set of wheels? Maybe you meant 3-5000 miles? I replace my rear wheel at 5-7000 miles, used to let it go a little longer. By then it has flat spots from RR tracks and lots of wear on the brake surface. When I used MA 40s, they would always get cracks around the spoke holes after a year or so. BTW, I'm 210# and use Open Pro 36 hole with Ultegra hubs. I think they're great.

jjmolyet

Found a set of Mavic Ksyrium Equipes at the not-so LBS while visiting Cleveland, just over $300 and true, I even got all black rims and spokes which I was hoping for, thanks everyone for your insight

mayukawa

You're joking, right? We're talking about rims here, not tires.

big john

No joke, I actually have about 20k miles on a front wheel, but the rear gets a new rim laced on every year. I'm heavy and have always been hard on wheels, I ride in the mountains a lot, sometimes in rain, etc. How long does a rear rim last you? BTW, I get less than 2k on a rear tire, when touring only about 1k.

Houston_Biker

+1

I, too, have 32H front/36H rear Velocity Deep V wheelset built by an experienced wheelbuilder. I started riding them at a weight of 230lbs., have put about 2,000 miles on them since January, 06 and am now down to 190lbs. These wheels are extremely aero, virtually indescructible, and stay very true in some of the worst roads. They are actually faster than another set of wheels that I have (American Classic 350s) and climb just as well.

Despite my new weight class, I will continue to ride these wheels for several more years.