New wheels: Ksyrium SLR or DA 9000 C35 CL

[Moose McKnuckles]

Sort of settled on those 2 but a bit open to others. What say the wheel cognoscenti?

 

[Wallace]

Sort of settled on those 2 but a bit open to others. What say the wheel cognoscenti?

My god man, have you even looked at a single one of the many, many wheel threads on this forum? The answer is going to be hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, and Mavic sucks.

 

[2beeDammed]

DA C35 would also be my choice.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Sort of settled on those 2 but a bit open to others. What say the wheel cognoscenti?

If handbuilts are not in the mix, get the shimano ones. far superior hubset. The Mavic rear hub is the crappiest design on a rear bicycle hub in existence.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

If handbuilts are not in the mix, get the shimano ones. far superior hubset. The Mavic rear hub is the crappiest design on a rear bicycle hub in existence.

Thanks!

Honestly, the main reason why handbuilts are not in the mix is that trying to find someone here who can do it pretty much impossible. And I don't want carbon clincher rims. The only 'handbuilts' here are basically Enve rims with DT Swiss or CK hubs (more rare). Enve rims suck for descending, IMO. I melted my last set. No more.

Oh, and yeah. You guys were right about Zipp hubs. I crossed those wheels out.

 

[ralphbert]

I have used the previous and current DA C 35 wheels as my last two wheel sets, partnered with conti 4000S 25 tires. They are such a sweet wheel set, good middle ground, do anything solution and totally bomb proof. Highly recommended. New ones are a little boring looking but otherwise hard to fault.

 

[King Boonen]

Hand built with Hope hubs

 

[stutue]

They come with a free set of ear defenders

 

[King Boonen]

They're useful on the trails to get the walkers out of the way. They think a load of angry hornets are chasing them

 

[stutue]

Funnily enough I was using that exact tactic today

 

[King Boonen]

Awesome

Mine are currently being built by Big Al at Wheelcraft. Big old Sun Mammoth rims (the US made ones) on Pro Evo 2's, I ain't breaking them anytime soon. Should be ready in the next couple of days, can't wait!

 

[stutue]

Ha ha Big Al

The guy's a legend

 

[King Boonen]

Coffee's good too

 

[stutue]

You know he uses his own baw hair to check his wheels are trued to 0.5mm, don't you?

 

[King Boonen]

I've not had the pleasure of seeing that...

I have been in the attic though and it's ridiculous the amount of rims he has up there.

His prices are almost the same as factory wheelsets too!

 

[winkybiker]

My god man, have you even looked at a single one of the many, many wheel threads on this forum? The answer is going to be hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built,hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, hand built, and Mavic sucks.

I've never had a set of handbuilt wheels I've liked. Endless broken spokes and more-or-less continuous trueing. My builders must just suck.

On the other hand, Bontrager, Campy and Mavic factory/robot wheels have been trouble free.

 

[42x16ss]

Unusual. My cousin is still riding on a set of track wheels my Grandfather made for me when I was 17 (16 years old!). They are still true enough to use on rollers. He is more than a little retentive about the quality of his work though.

 

[winkybiker]

Unusual. My cousin is still riding on a set of track wheels my Grandfather made for me when I was 17 (16 years old!). They are still true enough to use on rollers. He is more than a little retentive about the quality of his work though.

Conventional spokes with the bend at the hub end are like a wheelbuilders' inside joke......

Builder 1: "I know, let's anchor the spokes by bending them sharply where they leave the hub."

Builder 2: "But that will embrittle the metal and stress the spoke exactly where it is now weakest. They'll keep breaking. Especially on the non-drive-side rear where the cyclic loads are most extreme. It's a dumb idea."

Builder 1: "No, you just don't understand the genius of it. We'll just clean up charging big $$ repairing and truing wheels. It'll be great for business!"

 

[Master50]

of the choices you offer the DA is by far the better choice. Mavic sucks. Not their rims but their hubs.
I just rebuilt my Nucleon wheels. The rims are getting pretty thin. I have had these wheels since the year Nucleon was made. they became neutron the second year. Hubs were still perfect. grease had pretty much solidified and the bearings were still shiny and smooth. I think they are about 10 years old and ave been my wet wheels for the last 7 years and the fact they are still rust free speaks to the hubs. Campy and Shimano make very good hubs
I would almost bet that these hubs with steel bearings roll better than any magic hub with even ceramic bearings.

 

[stutue]

Unusual. My cousin is still riding on a set of track wheels my Grandfather made for me when I was 17 (16 years old!). They are still true enough to use on rollers. He is more than a little retentive about the quality of his work though.

Hand built wheels and Factory wheels both have pros and cons, but it is truely ridiculous to suggest that properly built handbuilts made with decent spokes aren't reliable. Also they are easily maintained, repaired, and spares are generally available.

Factory wheels become disposable as soon as you hit the time limit of manufacturer support. For some brands this is as soon as you purchase them. Parts aren't universal, are harder to come by, and not around for ever (unlike DT spokes and most brands of rim)

Where factory wheels win is that, IMO, the quality ones are stiffer than any hand built you'll find, taking into account lightness.

It really is a question of balancing up these things when you consider what you want out of a wheel.

(I use both )

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I've never had a set of handbuilt wheels I've liked. Endless broken spokes and more-or-less continuous trueing. My builders must just suck.

On the other hand, Bontrager, Campy and Mavic factory/robot wheels have been trouble free.

Or poorly designed then poorly made.

 

[winkybiker]

Or poorly designed then poorly made.

Yep. Evidentially.

 

[CrazyCanuck]

Being riding the Shimano 7900 C35 Tubular for almost 3 yrs and it's an amazing wheels. I've only ridden lower/mid range Mavic so it's unfair to compare them.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

FWIW, I ended up getting a handbuilt set from Bustedknuckle. White T11 hubs on DT Swiss 440 rims. I'm super happy.

 

[King Boonen]

A good builder will always build better wheels than a factory set, there may not be much in it, but they can take a bit more care in the job.

If you have trouble with hand-built wheels you need to find a new builder, not write off that option.