I’m considering upgrading the original low-end wheelset on my C’dale (Mavic CXP-21 on a Coda hub), but my self-imposed budget is around $500 (£300 here in the UK). I’m looking for an all-round training and race wheel, which puts me in the market for the Ksyrium Elite, Bontrager Race-Lite or similar (I know, they’re training wheels for most of you, but I have kids to feed…).
My Oly bike splits are in the 22-23 mph range, and my critical decision factor is that I’m only going to blow cash on these things if I’m actually going to feel some difference with them.
Trawling the web for reviews, there’s a spread of opinion around this level of wheel that ranges from “I immediately went 3mph faster” (yeah, right…) to “I’m still faster on my training bike with cast iron rims and 48 spokes”.
Is it worth “upgrading” to this level of wheel or is it a purely cosmetic upgrade? Will I notice a difference? Or should I wait until I can afford some Zipp 404s?
You probably aren’t going to notice a difference. What about buying just a front race wheel? You should be able to get either a zipp 404 or hed 3 for under $500.
You can have state of the art aerodynamics very cheaply. Purchase a secondhand Specialized tri spoke, Hed CX, Hed Jet 60 or Campagnolo Shamal off ebay and then order a CH Aero disc cover from excelsports for the rear.
Why dont you buy a Renn disc (USD$400) for rear wheel, and buy a Mavic CXP33 rim, and lace that up as your front wheel. That would go under USD$500 Im sure. Not the prettyest front wheel, but better than box rims. And the rear speaks for itself. FAST!
The problem is Excel doesn’t have any. I called CH Aero and they said they are waiting for 60 units to be delivered. I might have to build one after all:
I was in pretty much your position last year with worn out Ultegra/Open Pro wheels.
I bought the Bontrager Race Lites and have not regretted it one bit. I got them for less than $300 when my local Trek dealer had a big sale last year. They are demonstrateively faster than my old wheels (1 mph higher top speed down same hill coasting). They’re not Zipps or Ksyriums, but I am entirely happy with my choice.
I think the improvement in bearing quality alone will be noticable, even with a simple build like ultegra hubs or even Duraace (assuming you are running Shimano). From the reports I have read, the Coda componemts can be a bit dodgy interms of quality.
I have no experience with the wheels, but Mike Garcia’s customers offer high praise for his custom hand-built wheelsets at the discussion forums at Bicyclng Magazine (bicycling.om). 1425 gram, aero (semi-aero) wheelset for under $400 (US) - if not for the fact that we are already riding on Velomax Tempest II Clinchers, for the price I think that deal is hard to beat!