Love them, but truthfully bought them because they looked so cool on my Vortex. They're fairly heavy, but bulletproof. Aerodynamically I think the Alps or 404's are better and lighter.

---

___________________________________



http://irondad06.blogspot.com/

http://irondad.blogspot.com/

would not start a news thread "best aeros ever", but IMO lightweight wheels are the best - not the cheapest.

---

--
kind regards
Kai Baumgartner

Sure you get what you pay for and at the US price for the SSC Carbon I would go for the 404. The point is at $750 for the pair (totalcycling.com) it got me thinking.

- Lionel

Its funny, I'm the same way in that looks are very important to me. The Mavic carbone SSC wheels do look very sweet. I don't know why I'm so hung up on the looks of wheels or a bike or my running shoes, but I am. Is it still better to look good than to feel good (like Fernando used to say)? How important are looks to other people? I wonder how much thought a company puts into the looks of something. I think that if they realized how much it affects people's purchasing decisions, they would put a lot more thought into it. While I'm on it, I don't like the new paint scheme of the Cervelo '04 P3. I love my silver P3. It looks very sweet with 404s.

---

- Steve
http://bailey.sts.winisp.net

cosmics are sweet but heavy. whilst weight isn't everything, this is rotating weight & as such is worse than say frame weight. the alps or 404 are excellent, aero & lighter. i love my alps.

you may want to check out the new 2004 Spinergy Tilium Carbon SS clincher wheels for $800 and 1700 gms a set, I just got a set and wrote a review here:

http://www.timetrial.org/tilium.htm

I'll have a set this summer. My buddy runs the LBS and is getting them on this years new bike. He will probably put 500 miles on them and sell them to me for three bills or so around July. Hell, I'll probably end up with his Orbea as well.

I know they are heavy, but they do look sweet. I'd prefer Reynolds or Zipps, then Corima or Hed, but the price will be right for the Mavic wheels.

There are certain negatives to the Carbones, some consider them old technology, faring over metal rim and all. They hold water, people complain of their durability, I'm sure you've heard all this before though.

Had one pair of Spinergy wheels a few years ago (XAero). Never again ! They rode great but needed arrived out of true and needed truing every 200miles. After 600 miles the rear hub exploded. I do not like the fact that they change their product line every year with the "latest, greatest".

- Lionel

Yep, I've given up on Spinergy wheels also, after problems with a pair of Xaeros, and carbon Xaeros (that I've since returned).

---

- Steve
http://bailey.sts.winisp.net

The Mavic Carbon have some benefits:
100% true (that's not the case with the carbon wheels).
Rock solid (Chippolini uses them in cobblestone races....)
Since it's alu wheels (with plastic spoilers) they are trueable (but I havn't needed any truing yet), no need for special brake pads, a nice road feeling, stiff.
Summary: Very solid, high quality wheels, nice hubs - but a bit heavy.