Wheelset for new Reacto

[anonymous-user]

[redacted]

[mcelliott]

If you can push for a bit more budget creep then have a look at Hunt wheels, a pair of 400 quid wheels not going to be a huge improvement on the stock ones.

Edited by mcelliott on Tuesday 31st January 20:27

[MrBarry123]

Agreed with the above. And as a starter, you’d be better off replacing the budget tyres with a top tier option e.g. GP5000S TR or similar.

I have a (now redundant) set of Fulcrum Racing 7 DBs and they are heavy and not sexy at all but they survived several winters of stty roads, needing only one new spoke, and the hubs are like new.

If you do want to buy new wheels though, I can vouch for RyanBuildsWheels. I bought a set of Road Sprint Disc wheels from him/them last year and they are really nice for an alloy wheelset. They cost me £450 with CX-Rays although I think they are now £495 for the same spec.

[Harpoon]

Merlin have the Cannondale Hollowgram 35 carbon wheelset down to £449:

https://www.merlincycles.com/cannondale-hollowgram...

Quoted at 1560g per set, so shaves a bit of weight off the stock wheelset.

[wpa1975]

I have not heard good things about Hunt wheels.

My choice would be DT swiss or Mavic

[mcelliott]

20,000km on my first set no issues, bought another pair, will expect the same from them

[wpa1975]

mcelliott said:

20,000km on my first set no issues, bought another pair, will expect the same from them

They use cheap unbranded hubs in most cases that you cannot get spares for, would not be my choice.

Edited by wpa1975 on Wednesday 1st February 11:47

[lufbramatt]

Talk to a wheelbuilder like DCR, Spokesman, Cycle clinic etc. Will be able to tailor the components to your budget and use and they'll use hubs you can get spares for.

Hunt use generic off the shelf bits (Kinlin rims, Novatech hubs etc.) and etch a nice logo in the rims, they're fine but nothing special.

[wpa1975]

lufbramatt said:

Talk to a wheelbuilder like DCR, Spokesman, Cycle clinic etc. Will be able to tailor the components to your budget and use and they'll use hubs you can get spares for.

Hunt use generic off the shelf bits (Kinlin rims, Novatech hubs etc.) and etch a nice logo in the rims, they're fine but nothing special.

That is the main issue, Hunt do not tend to use Novatec hubs but Formula branded as Hunt and no spares are available or very hard to find.

As others have said, handbuilt with decent hubs is always a good option.

[IroningMan]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I don't think there are any magic beans anywhere, to be fair. If you want the wheels to really last - and with discs the rims should last well beyond the point where you're bored riding them - then Sigma Sports' Vel RSLs or something from LightBicycle will get you DT Swiss 240 hubs and Sapim spokes for under £1k.

[lufbramatt]

Interesting, they must have changed suppliers since I was looking at them. They did used to use Novatech. The Formula that make cheap hubs are not the same company as the Formula that make fancy disc brakes. They're used on cheaper Cannondale and Trek wheels.

The wheels I have on my Cannondale were from Spokesman, Kinlin XR31 rim (same as the Hunt "aero wide" rim), but with cx-ray spokes and Miche hubs. Better spec and cheaper than the hunt offering. Still run straight as an arrow after 5 years of all year riding.

[outnumbered]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Your Canyon is an Endurace isn't it ? This Merida doesn't look any lighter to me, 8.5kg ? Also it's race geometry compared to the Endurace, so the fit will be quite different.

[wpa1975]

lufbramatt said:

Interesting, they must have changed suppliers since I was looking at them. They did used to use Novatech. The Formula that make cheap hubs are not the same company as the Formula that make fancy disc brakes. They're used on cheaper Cannondale and Trek wheels.

The wheels I have on my Cannondale were from Spokesman, Kinlin XR31 rim (same as the Hunt "aero wide" rim), but with cx-ray spokes and Miche hubs. Better spec and cheaper than the hunt offering. Still run straight as an arrow after 5 years of all year riding.

I only found out through a friend, his brother has been looking for a new freehub for the last 4 months and Hunt cannot supply or confirm who makes the hub, we know 100% it is not Novatec, my guess is that it just some cheap Taiwanese / Formula hub that spares are unobtainable for.

A lot of these wheelsets tend to do this, yet when you ask they will say it is Novatec, DT etc yet it will not be, plus Novatec will always say Novatec on them as will DT.

[mikey P 500]

These are a good deal currently. On that aero frame you really need some aero wheels (over 50mm deep).

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/db56-pro-carbon-cli...

[JEA1K]

Anything with DT Swiss on it

[TGCOTF-dewey]

wpa1975 said:

I have not heard good things about Hunt wheels.

My choice would be DT swiss or Mavic

But have you actually used them.

I've got three pairs - albeit mtb - ranging from carbon to trail and enduro wheels. I've not had a single issue with any of them... Not even a bearing change. And they're used all year round. And I'm a 6'5" lump so hard on them.

My experience is echoed by the folks I ride with.

[wpa1975]

TGCOTF-dewey said:

wpa1975 said:

I have not heard good things about Hunt wheels.

My choice would be DT swiss or Mavic

But have you actually used them.

I've got three pairs - albeit mtb - ranging from carbon to trail and enduro wheels. I've not had a single issue with any of them... Not even a bearing change. And they're used all year round. And I'm a 6'5" lump so hard on them.

My experience is echoed by the folks I ride with.

Nope never used them but have heard enough bad reports to know they are not as good as they are made out to be, all smoke and mirrors.

Plus I work in the industry so know how hard they are to get spares for.

[wobert]

outnumbered said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Your Canyon is an Endurace isn't it ? This Merida doesn't look any lighter to me, 8.5kg ? Also it's race geometry compared to the Endurace, so the fit will be quite different.

Canyon and De Rosa in the same post….

It makes me Dizzee thinking about this….

Ah yes….

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

To answer your question, these were on offer prior to Christmas for £449.

I bought a pair, to fit to my Canyon Endurace CF SL (strangely).

I’ve not ridden them yet, but the reviews are good as is the apparent quality.

Not the lightest, but good VFM.

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Vel/50-RL-Carbon-...

Edited by wobert on Thursday 2nd February 12:45

[IroningMan]

wobert said:

To answer your question, these were on offer prior to Christmas for £449.

I bought a pair, to fit to my Canyon Endurace CF SL (strangely).

I’ve not ridden them yet, but the reviews are good as is the apparent quality.

Not the lightest, but good VFM.

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Vel/50-RL-Carbon-...

For the relatively small difference in cost I went for the RSL version - 4,500km later they are proving to be very good and have shrugged-off some potholes and stone hits. As you say, they’re not the lightest, but so far I can’t fault them.

[wobert]

IroningMan said:

wobert said:

To answer your question, these were on offer prior to Christmas for £449.

I bought a pair, to fit to my Canyon Endurace CF SL (strangely).

I’ve not ridden them yet, but the reviews are good as is the apparent quality.

Not the lightest, but good VFM.

https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Vel/50-RL-Carbon-...

For the relatively small difference in cost I went for the RSL version - 4,500km later they are proving to be very good and have shrugged-off some potholes and stone hits. As you say, they’re not the lightest, but so far I can’t fault them.

The RLs are currently £749, the RSLs are £899 (but on offer)

I agree, but at £449 (when on offer) the RLs are closer to the OPs price point