A little about wheels

I don't proclaim to be any type of expert on the subject of bicycle wheels but I can take a few moments to discuss the wheels that I have used over the last few years and how I feel about these products.

Firstly, I will talk about the Campagnolo Scirocco G3 wheels that originally came on the Bianchi 928 that I used to ride before it was retired.

During the year that I originally began using them they were the bottom of the bucket so to speak of the Campagnolo wheel line. Honestly I can say that I have never had any real issues with these wheels and only had to touch the set once or twice with a spoke wrench.  I have used these for road racing as well as criterium racing.  They were actually my only set of wheels for a year or two when I bought another set of wheels for training rides.  I then "saved" the Sciroccos for race days and still own them.  The only problem that I ever have had was through no fault of the wheel design or manufacturer.  I had to hit the brakes hard once and the guy behind me was not paying attention and ran into my back wheel and his "very expensive" carbon bars got tangled into the spokes.  Yeah....the shop still has that wheel.

The only other issue that I have had with Campagnolo wheels is still no problem with design or performance but the fact that Campy does not sell spokes in bulk.  They sell "spoke kits" which contain only a couple of drive-side or straight pull spokes and a few non drive-side spokes.  In all the kit contain something like six spokes and they want to charge close to $30.00 for this kit.....Um...no thanks.  I'll let the shop use another brand that don't match the black spokes on the wheel and paint those suckers with spray paint to make them match.

When I decided to get another set of wheels I was looking for something that I could buy to use for everyday riding without breaking the bank.  I found a set of Campagnolo Khamsin wheels on Glory Cycles website.  They are located down in Florida.  At the time I purchased the set for $149.00 and was very proud of myself because not only did I have a set of training wheels but the bling factor that came with these things was awesome.  I already had a gold and black bike now I had a set of wheel with gold rims and hubs and black spokes.

To say the least I was very pleased and even used these to race instead of the Sciroccos even though there was a substantial weight increase in the new ones.  Over time I did experience issues with this set getting out of true and would have to make sure that I brought a spoke wrench along with me on any rides.  I also noticed with these wheels after I broke a couple of spokes that the G3 lacing pattern that Campy used was very sturdy and held up well compared to other wheelsets I had used but it did make it a bit more difficult in bringing the wheels back into true when it was needed.  All in all I have been very pleased with these wheels but unfortunately the rear wheel was damaged when my rear tire blew out on a descent last year and I locked up the rear brake in an attempt to slow myself.  The asphalt was just like a bench grinder on the aluminum rim and you can see the result below.

So much for my blinging gold hoops.  As of yet I have not been able to find another rear wheel to match it.  I check ebay every day.  There are sets for sale but no single rear wheels.

After my first season of racing I decided that I needed a real set of race wheels.  I knew I wanted a carbon wheelset with at least a 50mm profile.  I also knew that I could not afford the likes of Zipp or Reynold or any of the carbon wheelsets offered by Campagnolo.  After a bit of searching I found Neuvation wheels.  I ended up purchasing a set of Neuvation C50 tubulars for $650.00.

When they arrived and with the help of a good friend got lessons on getting tubular tires attached to the rim I could not have been happier.  Especially since the next best thing would have cost me around $1000.00 more at least.  I have raced these wheels in road races and criteriums and have never had any problems with them, never had to touch them with a spoke wrench.  Considering they have had to carry my 200+ lb frame around race courses all over the country and have seen me smack the pavement several times is definitely a testament to their durability.  With fall coming I am planning on putting a set of cross tires on them and seeing how they do with a little dirt and mud on them.  So if you are looking for an awesome set of wheels at a great price make sure you check here http://www.neuvationcycling.com/ .

When I began participating in time trials and was doing more stage races with time trials in them I knew that I was going to need a tt bike while building this bike up the question of wheels again was in question.  How to get maximum performance for a minimum price.  Again after searching a very good friend mentioned that he was friends with the distributor for Token Products and could get me a set of their wheels at about $900.00 off the advertised price.  In a couple of weeks I was the proud owner of a set of super-fast Token T85 carbon tubular wheels. (They are totally awesome) and when compared to the price of a set of Zipp 808s or something comparable I felt like I had stolen something.

Not only did these help make my tt bike super slick in the wind and get me some very good times in time trials they have in a pinch doubled as wheels for my road bike (They look totally cool on the road bike too).  Again I have yet to touch this set of wheels with a spoke wrench and have never had any issues.  The only  problem I have had with tubular wheels has been the cost of the tires.   When compared to clinchers they are about 30% higher but when it comes down to the line I think they perform better and that's what it's all about right.

If you have any questions feel free to leave comments and I'll get back as soon as I can.  I'll go into the pros and cons of tubular vs. clinchers at another time.

Until next time,

May your wheels always be true,
the wind always at your back and
the road always just slightly downhill.

Ciao,

SuperFat