A wheelie quick question!!

Hello! I'm wanting to upgrade the wheels on my scott road bike and i'm torn between a mid range set of factory road wheels such as the Mavic Ksyrium Equipe or getting a hand built set from a lbs such as err 105 hubs with some form of mavic rim etc.
So what would you got for? Factory build or a bike shop build?

Perhaps i've been unlucky but i've had more bad builds from shops than pre-built wheels from on-line shop like chainreactioncycles.com

But once you find a good wheel builder then keep them close

yes tony keep them close but please stop offering to scrub my back everytime you let me out of the cellar to bath :shock:

Shimano 105 hubs are fine (~630g per pair inc skewers) and there are some good mavic rims. Open pro perhaps if weight is an issue. It's double eyeleted so that a good start and ones I have worked with have all built well.

However do not dismiss the Miche RC2 hub (~565g inc skewers). Cartridge bearings while being same price as the 105 and lighter than ultegra hubs. I use these hubs laced to Rigida chrina's with sapim race spokes on my road bike. Not a light set of wheels (because of the rims, I was on a budget) but so far after 2k miles they have proved themselves.

Loosing weight at the hub is not a something to spend extra cash on but why go for the heavier hub option for same money?

I think a 32 hole openpro build with miche hubs and race/comp spokes is ~1885g for pair. With 105's you can add 60g to that weight. However these weights are sum of listed weigths. I have no accurate scales as weight for me is a secondary priority.

It is possible to reduce weight further, if that is the objective, by using thinner guage spokes at the front and NDS rear.

I comparison the Mavic Ksyrium Equipe is meant to be ~1800g in reality. Also an open pro rim is probably lighter than the Ksyrium rim.

If you have or find a good wheelbuilder, keep then in business and get a pair built.

I reckon I'll go with some nice hope road hubs. Got the mountain bike version on my marin and really like them. Just those mavic factory wheels have the straight pull spokes etc so wondered if they give much benefit. Also dt swiss make a nice looking pair of white rims. Are dt swiss rims ok?

Which DTswiss? Hope hubs are excellent I run a pair on on of my MTB's. Straight pull spokes are more expensive, not every shop will have mavic spares if one does go and I have never broke a spoke at the elbow. None of the wheels I have built have broke a spoke at the elbow either. I think a straight pull spokes is a solution in search of a problem caused by poor wheel building and poor quality spokes.

I did wonder what the straight pull spoke did lol. Not sure which dt swiss it is now, I seen them on some website. If not those than I'll go with mavic.

bm0p700f said:

None of the wheels I have built have broke a spoke at the elbow either. I think a straight pull spokes is a solution in search of a problem caused by poor wheel building and poor quality spokes.

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come off it youv'e only been building wheels for 5min's the the grand scheme of things give them time they break