Upgrade from Mavic Aksiums
07-19-18, 08:16 PM
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Upgrade from Mavic Aksiums
I have a 2014 Cannondale SuperSix EVO 3. I enjoy riding this bike, so I would rather make one or two upgrades instead of upgrading the entire bike. The Cannondale has a Mavic Aksium wheelset, which is fine, but I'd like it to be a bit quicker and with some help with hills. I'm considering a carbon wheelset in the $1,000- 1,500 range. The Bontrager Aero Pro was recommended to me at about $1,000.
What do you recommend? What do you like?
What do you recommend? What do you like?
07-19-18, 09:27 PM
#2
Non omnino gravis
I genuinely don't understand the allure of carbon wheels. It's blingy, but you give up most of your braking performance for... well, I don't know what. You can get an alloy wheelset of similar weight and similar wheel width/depth for less than half the money. I would look at any of the builders putting together wheelsets based off of the Kinlin XR31. They're deep and stiff, so you can get them built with low spoke counts , generally for $500-600, even with upgraded hubs. My 20/24 set was under $500 and under 1600g.
If you've got $1,500 to throw around, pour it into Chris King hubs and CX Ray spokes. With XR31 hoops, under 1500g, about $1000. Nearly half of that is the fancy hubs.
500 bucks left to spend on a bucket full of tires.
If you've got $1,500 to throw around, pour it into Chris King hubs and CX Ray spokes. With XR31 hoops, under 1500g, about $1000. Nearly half of that is the fancy hubs.
500 bucks left to spend on a bucket full of tires.
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07-20-18, 04:29 AM
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Or get Dura Ace wheels - best of both worlds - carbon laminate with alloy braking track
07-20-18, 04:52 AM
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I have Aksiums on my Masi road bike. Heavy but bullet proof. I have Ksyrium Elites on my Guru road bike. Lighter and also pretty robust. Although I understand the allure of CF wheels, the downside of braking (rim brakes) and price put me off.
07-20-18, 07:08 AM
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I have a 17 Cannondale Evo 105 with the Aksiums. I recently upgraded to the Reynolds R4 wheels. For the $$$, I am more than satisfied and happy with my carbon wheels.
I can absolutely tell that they are an upgrade in the increased smoothness/comfort over uneven pavement and the additional speed I can maintain.
I have not noticed any issues with braking. Feels the same as my old wheels, but I do live in N. Florida and ride a straight 12' wide paved rail trail.
I hope this helps.
I can absolutely tell that they are an upgrade in the increased smoothness/comfort over uneven pavement and the additional speed I can maintain.
I have not noticed any issues with braking. Feels the same as my old wheels, but I do live in N. Florida and ride a straight 12' wide paved rail trail.
I hope this helps.
07-20-18, 10:53 AM
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I have a 17 Cannondale Evo 105 with the Aksiums. I recently upgraded to the Reynolds R4 wheels. For the $$$, I am more than satisfied and happy with my carbon wheels.
I can absolutely tell that they are an upgrade in the increased smoothness/comfort over uneven pavement and the additional speed I can maintain.
I have not noticed any issues with braking. Feels the same as my old wheels, but I do live in N. Florida and ride a straight 12' wide paved rail trail.
I hope this helps.
I can absolutely tell that they are an upgrade in the increased smoothness/comfort over uneven pavement and the additional speed I can maintain.
I have not noticed any issues with braking. Feels the same as my old wheels, but I do live in N. Florida and ride a straight 12' wide paved rail trail.
I hope this helps.
07-20-18, 10:57 AM
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07-20-18, 12:15 PM
#8
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Isnt the "new" Ultegra wheels an alloy/carbon construction. Cant recall the model name but Im betting they are less $ than DA. Imo, keep the Mavics in working order for a rainy day.
07-20-18, 07:32 PM
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I ride one of several carbon wheelsets most of the time.
Braking is just not an issue- wet or dry.
The main unfavorable situation would be PNW type conditions with lots of road grit & excess wear.
Agree that Aksiums are highly upgradeable, & got a chuckle from the idea of help on the Florida hills.
China carbons are pretty attractive.
Braking is just not an issue- wet or dry.
The main unfavorable situation would be PNW type conditions with lots of road grit & excess wear.
Agree that Aksiums are highly upgradeable, & got a chuckle from the idea of help on the Florida hills.
China carbons are pretty attractive.
07-20-18, 09:28 PM
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I ride one of several carbon wheelsets most of the time.
Braking is just not an issue- wet or dry.
The main unfavorable situation would be PNW type conditions with lots of road grit & excess wear.
Agree that Aksiums are highly upgradeable, & got a chuckle from the idea of help on the Florida hills.
China carbons are pretty attractive.
Braking is just not an issue- wet or dry.
The main unfavorable situation would be PNW type conditions with lots of road grit & excess wear.
Agree that Aksiums are highly upgradeable, & got a chuckle from the idea of help on the Florida hills.
China carbons are pretty attractive.
I would prefer not to purchase China carbons.
As far as hills are concerned, I do train hills once a week as can be done here in southeast Florida-- usually with about 1,000 ft of elevation on a 20 mile training ride. When I trained for the Horrible Hundred (4,700 ft) or the GFNY New York (8,500 ft), I routinely put on 3,000- 5,000 ft of elevation on Saturday morning rides 6-8 weeks leading up to the events. They're boring rides of repeated hills, but it can be done. I'm also considering the Six Gap in Georgia next year that has 11,500 ft of elevation. So yeah... hills in Florida.
07-20-18, 09:35 PM
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So the lesson today is that carbon wheels are not the wheel set choice for everyone. I will look into the DA C24s and others as well.
07-21-18, 10:20 AM
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Carbon basically took over, as far as frames go. Lot of bars and posts and even brake levers, too. I think a lot of people just think "lighter, stiffer" and assume any goodness in a carbon frame automatically applies to rims too. Plus while there are some excellent ti and steel frames being made, all the best wheels are carbon. I think all that stuff together creates a sort of allure in a lot of peoples' minds.
A nice thing about carbon rims is they don't bend. If you don't hit them hard enough to break them, they'll come back to perfectly true.
A nice thing about carbon rims is they don't bend. If you don't hit them hard enough to break them, they'll come back to perfectly true.
07-21-18, 03:46 PM
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Bontrager Aeolus Pro
I just put a set of Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5s on my 2007 Madone 5.0. The rear Race wheel cracked so I had an excuse to upgrade. As for braking. The CF wheels came with Swisstop pads. They work so much better in the dry. I have not used them in the wet yet. The old Race rims were scary in the wet.
The ride is improved. Smoother on rougher stuff. Bearing seal friction was high at first but is better after 500 miles. Aero is better of course. 2 mph improvement of average speed on the first ride. Could be mental improvement or just riding more.
Oh I weight 210 lbs so weight was not high on my list. They are lighter than the Race wheels. 222 grams. Main reason I got them was in the reviews they held up well. No reported failures or adjustments. Supposed to be durable. 2 year warranty. Got them from the LBS but hole I don’t have to take advantage of the warranty. The old Race wheel was replaced due to cracks after I had it for less then 6 months.
They do look good with the 5.0 flat black frame. Pro 3s would have looked less bold. Id
look less like a poser. But I’ll get used to the Pro 5s.
New Wheels
Old Wheels. (about 10 years ago)
The ride is improved. Smoother on rougher stuff. Bearing seal friction was high at first but is better after 500 miles. Aero is better of course. 2 mph improvement of average speed on the first ride. Could be mental improvement or just riding more.
Oh I weight 210 lbs so weight was not high on my list. They are lighter than the Race wheels. 222 grams. Main reason I got them was in the reviews they held up well. No reported failures or adjustments. Supposed to be durable. 2 year warranty. Got them from the LBS but hole I don’t have to take advantage of the warranty. The old Race wheel was replaced due to cracks after I had it for less then 6 months.
They do look good with the 5.0 flat black frame. Pro 3s would have looked less bold. Id
look less like a poser. But I’ll get used to the Pro 5s.
New Wheels
Old Wheels. (about 10 years ago)
Last edited by biker128pedal; 07-21-18 at 04:40 PM.
07-21-18, 07:17 PM
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What’s the difference between the Bontrager Pro 3 and the Pro 5?
07-22-18, 07:30 AM
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Pro
About 20 mm. 
Pro 5 is 50mm and Pro 3 is 30mm tall. For the Pro 5 one needs 80mm stem tubes. I have 60mm right now. The floor pump just barely works
Oh they are tubeless reasdy. They come with rim strips for tubes and rim strips for tubeless. And the tubeless stems. I run tubes.
Pro 5 is 50mm and Pro 3 is 30mm tall. For the Pro 5 one needs 80mm stem tubes. I have 60mm right now. The floor pump just barely works
Oh they are tubeless reasdy. They come with rim strips for tubes and rim strips for tubeless. And the tubeless stems. I run tubes.
07-22-18, 08:43 AM
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I would go with Fulcrum or Shimano. Say Racing 3s or Ultegra. Do not buy anything with expensive and overrated boutique hubs. All hubs need yearly servicing, and the boutique hubs simply make this more difficult and expensive. The mid range and above Shimano hubs are the best sealed and most serviceable of the two dozen or so wheelsets I own. Campy / Fulcrum hubs are not far behind, and are somewhat easier to service.
Go alu rims. I have at least 3 sets of expensive carbon hoops somewhere, but the alu wheels are the ones that get used.
Finally: performance: you cannot obtain elite level performance with clinchers. The clincher rim design is fundamentally flawed, so that in terms of rotating weight and safety, there is no overlap with tubulars. No matter how much you spend. If you are watching Le Tour: be reminded that every rider is on tubulars - on every stage. So don't spend too much on clinchers. If you are riding for money, you will be on tubulars.
Go alu rims. I have at least 3 sets of expensive carbon hoops somewhere, but the alu wheels are the ones that get used.
Finally: performance: you cannot obtain elite level performance with clinchers. The clincher rim design is fundamentally flawed, so that in terms of rotating weight and safety, there is no overlap with tubulars. No matter how much you spend. If you are watching Le Tour: be reminded that every rider is on tubulars - on every stage. So don't spend too much on clinchers. If you are riding for money, you will be on tubulars.
07-22-18, 12:27 PM
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I would go with Fulcrum or Shimano. Say Racing 3s or Ultegra. Do not buy anything with expensive and overrated boutique hubs. All hubs need yearly servicing, and the boutique hubs simply make this more difficult and expensive. The mid range and above Shimano hubs are the best sealed and most serviceable of the two dozen or so wheelsets I own. Campy / Fulcrum hubs are not far behind, and are somewhat easier to service.
Go alu rims. I have at least 3 sets of expensive carbon hoops somewhere, but the alu wheels are the ones that get used.
Finally: performance: you cannot obtain elite level performance with clinchers. The clincher rim design is fundamentally flawed, so that in terms of rotating weight and safety, there is no overlap with tubulars. No matter how much you spend. If you are watching Le Tour: be reminded that every rider is on tubulars - on every stage. So don't spend too much on clinchers. If you are riding for money, you will be on tubulars.
Go alu rims. I have at least 3 sets of expensive carbon hoops somewhere, but the alu wheels are the ones that get used.
Finally: performance: you cannot obtain elite level performance with clinchers. The clincher rim design is fundamentally flawed, so that in terms of rotating weight and safety, there is no overlap with tubulars. No matter how much you spend. If you are watching Le Tour: be reminded that every rider is on tubulars - on every stage. So don't spend too much on clinchers. If you are riding for money, you will be on tubulars.
I'm not in a rush to do an upgrade, so I'll discuss aluminum vs carbon with my LBS and members of my local cycling club. I appreciate everyone's input and welcome more as any of you see fit.
07-22-18, 12:37 PM
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07-22-18, 03:09 PM
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Bassmanbob. I read in more detail your first original post. Talk to the guys at your LBS. Sound like you trust them. You may want light weight aluminum rims for climbing. Just watch the weight. For me I wanted to build my next set of wheels. I've built a whopping 4 sets over 57 years. Or may it is 5. Anyway my rear wheel rim broke the day before the 4th. I was off the rest of the week. I panicked and justified the new wheels.
Peer pressure is also to blame. When I ride them it is like when I first got the Madone 5.0 (5.0 road better for me than the 5.2), the ride justified them.
07-22-18, 03:20 PM
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https://mybikeshop.com/products/hed-jet-6-plus.html
07-22-18, 03:54 PM
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I just put a set of Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5s on my 2007 Madone 5.0. The rear Race wheel cracked so I had an excuse to upgrade. As for braking. The CF wheels came with Swisstop pads. They work so much better in the dry. I have not used them in the wet yet. The old Race rims were scary in the wet.
The ride is improved. Smoother on rougher stuff. Bearing seal friction was high at first but is better after 500 miles. Aero is better of course. 2 mph improvement of average speed on the first ride. Could be mental improvement or just riding more.
Oh I weight 210 lbs so weight was not high on my list. They are lighter than the Race wheels. 222 grams. Main reason I got them was in the reviews they held up well. No reported failures or adjustments. Supposed to be durable. 2 year warranty. Got them from the LBS but hole I don’t have to take advantage of the warranty. The old Race wheel was replaced due to cracks after I had it for less then 6 months.
They do look good with the 5.0 flat black frame. Pro 3s would have looked less bold. Id
look less like a poser. But I’ll get used to the Pro 5s.
New Wheels
Old Wheels. (about 10 years ago)
The ride is improved. Smoother on rougher stuff. Bearing seal friction was high at first but is better after 500 miles. Aero is better of course. 2 mph improvement of average speed on the first ride. Could be mental improvement or just riding more.
Oh I weight 210 lbs so weight was not high on my list. They are lighter than the Race wheels. 222 grams. Main reason I got them was in the reviews they held up well. No reported failures or adjustments. Supposed to be durable. 2 year warranty. Got them from the LBS but hole I don’t have to take advantage of the warranty. The old Race wheel was replaced due to cracks after I had it for less then 6 months.
They do look good with the 5.0 flat black frame. Pro 3s would have looked less bold. Id
look less like a poser. But I’ll get used to the Pro 5s.
New Wheels
Old Wheels. (about 10 years ago)
07-22-18, 06:42 PM
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07-22-18, 07:21 PM
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Picture
Humbug. Thanks. I need a better picture with the new wheels. This may be a little better.
[img]blob:https://www.bikeforums.net/45683bab-e013-4bd5-8b8b-8d0e3ce9c068
[img]blob:https://www.bikeforums.net/ece8f5ca-a2f2-4ac6-b430-bcc6e46ec4fb
[img]blob:https://www.bikeforums.net/45683bab-e013-4bd5-8b8b-8d0e3ce9c068
[img]blob:https://www.bikeforums.net/ece8f5ca-a2f2-4ac6-b430-bcc6e46ec4fb
Last edited by biker128pedal; 07-23-18 at 10:02 PM.
