I recently picked up a brand new Trek Emonda SL5 on a steep discount with plans to upgrade it to SRAM Force AXS eTap. Though, now that I’m doing a bit of riding on the mechanical 105 it came with, I’m wondering if there is even a point to upgrading the group-set as the 105 is prompt and doesn’t leave much on the table? Force AXS weighs in similarly (2780g for 105 vs 2812g for Force AXS). My question is this, is my money better spent on a pair of silky carbon wheels and rolling with the mechanical 105?
If so, what do y’all recommend for lighter wheels? I do a fair bit of climbing on many of my rides (5-8k ft) so weight is a consideration and the wheels this thing came with are BRICKS.
Money are better spent on the wheels IMO. There are tons of options, but possibly I’d look at the Bontrager Aeolus’, since they are likely optimised for the Emonda’s
The move to Force AXS will be expensive for the little performance gain - as you would be doing the whole system, including brakes. Its a real nice upgrade but $$ vs wheels its a not good value
I have a rim brake bike, so I got the falcon pro AR55 rim brake wheels with the grooved graphine brake track and DR swiss 240s hubs. Mounting tubeless tires has been a breeze, and I’m really impressed with the braking, while I’ve never used something like a jet black wheelset, I’ve used other quality non-textured aluminum and these seem equivalent in both wet and dry. A little under 1500g for a 55mm deep wheelset is pretty good for $1000, and they seem to be quite fast. Am planning on buying more from them in the future.
Only potential complaint is just timeline. Be aware that it might be a couple months between when you order them and when they arrive.
Wheels, but make sure you keep in mind moving to AXS might require a XDR free hub swap unless you want to try to run a Shimano 12sp cassette.
So whatever wheels you get, make sure there are readily available XDR free hubs and end caps if applicable.
Was looking at the Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist. Good balance for me as I ride a lot of hills but also live in quite a windy area on the coast. I will check out the others mentioned as well.
Any other suggestions for wheels that climb well (read: are light) and don’t break the bank?
Electronics shifting is so choice. If you have the means, I’d highly recommend you picking it up and stalk the forums here for a deal on second hand wheels
Electronics shifting is so choice. If you have the means, I’d highly recommend you picking it up and stalk the forums here for a deal on second hand wheels
It’s nice to have, but it’s definitely NOT all that. if anything goes wrong, it’s often way more expensive and a royal pain in the rear to deal with, almost dealbreakingly so. Of course, this usually happens when you are shipping or traveling with your bike, get somewhere new, and realize something’s not working properly - and then all of a sudden electronic shifting sucks. Ask me how I know!
Here’s a question, will the electronic shifting make a noticeable difference in my ability to climb effectively and efficiently? Relative to the difference light wheels would make ?
Here’s a question, will the electronic shifting make a noticeable difference in my ability to climb effectively and efficiently? Relative to the difference light wheels would make ?
Probably not. But it makes riding in general more enjoyable
I don’t find it more enjoyable. I actually miss the tactile sensation of the manual pulls when I use the electronic shifting.
There are 2 undeniable benefits though. First, you can put shifters on a TT bike on both the bar ends as well as the bullhorns, so you can shift from 2 positions. The other is that you can run some super-clean cable-free front ends, without the hassle of internal cable routing.
On the whole, I do think electronic shifting is better. Def a luxury item that doesn’t make you faster, but it’s nice on a TT bike. It is however, annoying when something does go wrong as I mentioned - you’ll have to take it to the shop in most cases to have it plugged into the diagonstic checker if it’s not something obvious. And I’m not joking at all when I say this preferentially happens when you ship/pack your bike, so you’re in a new place and often have limited time, and don’t know if the local shops will have the expertise or parts. A few well known pros have run into Di2 issues that probably wouldn’t have been an issue at all on mechanical (I’m not saying they should have ridden mechanical though!)
I don’t find it more enjoyable. I actually miss the tactile sensation of the manual pulls when I use the electronic shifting.
Funny you mention - I’m surprisingly in the same camp after trying it on a road bike. No doubt it shifts smoothly, and setup no doubt is easier, but with the SRAM stuff, I found shifting the cassette constantly with my left hand a bit annoying (used to the less frequent front shifts), and the battery stuck in the downtube on the shimano didn’t seem to me like a tech that would likely remain for long.
Sticking with cables for now. I’m looking forward to the 105 mech 12spd.
if you want gains in terms of the “luxury” and feel of your riding, groupset.
if you want additional factors to split hairs, the wheels will definitely be a huge aesthetic upgrade, too. i think they do also have some “luxury” feel to them as well, in terms of how they sound rolling along and freewheeling. electronic groupsets are a whole new universe in terms of installation and service (if needed). your wrenching abilities could be a factor as well if that matters to you. if you’re 100% self sufficeint home mechanic with mechanical gears, that could be a reason to stick to that and go wheels. if you’re going to LBS for everything anyways, probably a wash. but who knows, if you want to have the challenge to learn the new skills that come along with electronic groups, that could be a plus for you too.
i’d perhaps say that 105 is so good nowadays that wheels may be the upgrade which gets you the most in terms of difference vs how the bike came. if the emonda came with those affinity wheels, yeah if you swapped those for some hunt aerodynamicst 44s as you describe above, that would be an amazing upgrade.