I was putting the final touches on my build kit at the LBS when we got to the wheels we went looking at alternatives to the Campy Zondas that I had originally picked out
For a minimal upcharge I can get the Easton/Velomax Tempest II’s and they are almost 200g lighter to boot
Would this be a good wheelset for a Clyde? - Im 240 lbs give or take…Im hoping to get down to 220 or so by the end of the summer…
How is the longevity of these wheels? I will be using these for both racing and training…
Do they come with skewers? (I read that they didnt…)
Those are 16 spoke front, 20 spoke rear, correct? I wouldn’t run that low of a spoke count and I’m 165lbs. No way I’d recommend them for someone your size. You’d be better off with something a bit more sturdy. Something with more spokes (28 minimum, 32 would be better) would be a lot stiffer and a lot more durable, and with the proper hubs, rims and spoke diameter, wouldn’t weigh more than the Velomax wheels in question.
I weigh 180 in the off season and 170 right now until recently used a set of Tempest II for training and USCF road/crit racing with few problems in about 20,000 miles but wife has them now as I switched to American Classic CR-350’s (28/32). The Tempest is pretty bombproof but and the only problems I encountered where self inflicted. I managed to shear a spoke nipple off on a drive side spoke in the rear wheel only because I had not read the service instructions which meant I did not realize that Velomax applies heavy duty threadlock to the threads at each end of the spokes so the nipple was unable to withstand any windup! I had another spoke break but that time was because of a rock that had been thrown up by another riders wheel during a training ride. In both cases, I called Velomax and got an RA then shipped the wheel directly to them and the wheel was back good as new within 3-weeks. Word to the wise, if you are a DIY mechanic, read the technical data at Velomax’s website on the hubs used on the Tempest II/Asent/Orion as it is not a straight forward design!
If you’re talking about the carbon tempest II’s then i would advise against using them for training and racing especially at 240 lbs. That puts way too much stress on a carbon rim and you’ll probably end up with more problems than its worth. If you’re looking at the aluminum 30mm rims then you’re not looking at a much different wheel in terms of depth and spoke count and you should be alright with either wheel. Also, take everything that the company tells you about their wheels with a grain of salt, remember they are trying to sell you wheels.