bfloyd6969

Hello all. I have a 5 year old Windsor Dover. The stock wheelset that came on it are Alex DA22 rims (36h) and all I know about the hubs is that they are "Alloy" - some generic hubset. I would like to get some new wheels for slightly better performance. Would these Vuelta Corsa Pro's be an upgrade, a wash, or a downgrade?

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...97_-1___202478

$200 is about what I have to spend, however if these are not an upgrade then I'll just continue servicing the ones that I have like I have been. If there is something I should consider, please let me know. Thanks.

twodownzero

Save your money and ride more.

RollCNY

I had Alex S500's on a stock bike, and upgraded to Easton EA50's from Nashbar.. which they still sell for $200. That was a great improvement, that I have never regretted. I bought my friend a set as a wedding gift, I liked the wheels so much. Only warning with the Eastons is that they can be a nightmare to mount certain tires on.

I know nothing about the Vuelta's but they get many positive comments.

Spend your money, and ride more.

halfspeed

If you're going to get a wheelset that heavy, opt for one with more spokes.

milkbaby

If you don't have nice tires and tubes, you could try upgrading those before upgrading the wheels. You might feel a bigger difference in riding performance that way.

twodownzero

I have Vueltas on my Motobecane Vent Noir. They are sexy looking and they have held up well, but if they didn't come on the bike, and I had a set that worked for now, I would hold out and spend more on a nicer set of wheels that were actually lighter.

2021 grams is not a light wheelset at all. Save your money and look for something in the 1500-1600 gram range that is appropriate for training use and I think you'll be much happier.

datlas 

+1. Maybe a pair of Continental GP4000s tires?

canam73

I wouldn't upgrade anything that isn't broken on a Windsor Dover. If you are riding it for exercise and it fits you well then just keep riding it. If you think you want something fancier then use the $200 to start a new bike fund. Your money will go a lot farther by buying a whole bike than if you try to upgrade a Dover one piece at a time.

NaOH

I wouldn't upgrade the wheels unless I could spend a at least triple that budget. That way it can be a wheelset you can use on a newer bike. Otherwise, you'd have spent a good chunk of cash on a wheelset that prob would have came stock on a newer nicer bike.

bfloyd6969

Thanks for the replies, tips, and advice everyone. Much appreciated. I'll try the new tires/tubes route first after I get the stock wheels re-serviced.

Homebrew01

Spending money on "contact points" (shoes, clothes, saddle, helmet ....) can often be a more noticable improvement than a marginal equipment upgrade.

ravenmore

The nicest aluminum clinchers I've ridden I put together for around $200. Got a group deal on some Formula hubs ($100) and Kinlin rims ($80/set). Got some light spokes and had them built up. Came in under 1400 grams, roll like butter, and are stiff. If you look around best bang for the buck is buying nice parts and having the wheel built for you.

dtrain

Spokes and labor for $20? You gotta be rounding down quite a bit there.

ravenmore

said 'around $200'. It's been a while so I don't remember the exact amount. Friend built the wheels for me for free btw.

himespau 

that's always a bonus.

pgjackson

What he said above. Unless you are planning to spend a lot of money on wheels (and I'm talking about $700-1000), you really won't notice a difference. If you are just itching to buy something, I'd recommend the Forte Titans at PB. 1800g, $150 a set and they are good looking wheels. Not a performance upgrade, but they will certainly be a visual upgrade.

dtrain

So maybe around $300 (without the friend)? Still a great deal for the weight - especially if they've been trouble-free.

RollCNY

Maybe I am simple, but the concept that no wheel worth less than $600 is worth buying is goofy. There are many $200 wheels that are more than a cosmetic upgrade. The only measure of improvement is not weight, and I personally value a stiff wheel over a light wheel every time.

The comment that save for an expensive bike and it will come with better wheels is also goofy. The "better" wheel that $3-4000 bikes come with are invariably Fulcrum 7's, Askiums, CXP-22's, or some DT clunker (1800/1700), none of which is worth $200 in the first place. My $200 EA-50s were a very nice upgrade over stock S500's, based on climbing stiffness and how often I break spokes or have to true.

bfloyd6969

Thanks for the replies and advice everyone - all replies are taken into consideration.

I think RollCNY put into words best what my thoughts were on the upgrade. I agree that 2000+ grams for a wheelset is heavy after looking around more, but isn't there more into what makes a good wheel other than weight? The wheels I'm riding on now are semi aero and 36h for both the front and rear. I feel like they are clunkers at times (dead feel) and I was wanting to try to find a more lively road feel (if there is such a thing?)

I'll surely look into the Easton EA50's and Forte Titans more thorough. I can also stretch my budget a bit more and perhaps get into some Krysiums or Aksiums for under $250-ish at 1700-ish grams.?

Thanks to everyone for the help.

twodownzero

Read Sheldon Brown's article on wheels. If your wheels are affecting your ride, they're broken. The amount of "suspension" effect from a set of wheels is so tiny that you could never possibly notice it.

milkbaby

The Vuelta Corsa Lite seem like a lot lighter upgrade for $260: https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...94_-1___202478

I still think you should definitely try some higher quality rubber regardless of what you do with the wheels (unless you are already rolling on some nice stuff)...

pgjackson

My friend, you are riding a Windsor. No set of wheels is going to make it lively. Recommend you start saving for a new bike.

ravenmore

I destroy wheels. I've gone through more wheels than I care to list, plus a few chains and snapped a cog on a campy cassette. I'm a pretty big guy and these wheels have done incredibly well. I did pull spokes through the original rim on the rear (driveside) but the mechanic I took it to (I had a spare rim - loaded up on the group buy), said the tension was high. I've got several thousand miles on the rebuilt wheel with no issues - still straight and true.

OP - my recommendation is to look for deals on these components and buy them separately then have them built:

*Sapim CX Ray spokes - used by many top wheel manufacturers such as Zipp.
*Kinlin Rims - aluminum rims enhanced with niobium which makes for a lighter and stronger rim. No joke - my 27mm rims are about the same weight as a Mavic Open Pro while being stiffer and more aero.
*Hubs - lot of good hubs out there that are light and cheap. I've been incredibly impressed with my Formula hubs. They are silky smooth and very light. Their hubs get re-branded a lot - I think Velocity sells them re-badged. Also check out bikehubstore.com.

If you do this you can build an amazing wheel set probably for around $300 if you look for deals. It will make a difference especially if you pair it with good rubber. Schwalbe Ultremos with light weight or latex tubes feels like a good tubular to me. If you upgrade your bike in the future, you can take the wheels with you.

lotekmod

I add myself to the "try new tires" list. I did this a few years back when I was feeling ho-hum about my bike but didn't have the cash to do any serious upgrades. I threw on some new rubber and it felt like I had a new bike. Try it, and keep your current tires for spares.

bfloyd6969

Thanks for the input everyone. Yes, it is just a Windsor but I like the fit very well. It is their Kinesis double butted aluminum and I didn't think it was that bad. My single speed bike is a Schwinn Madison with 4130 frame and fork and it is actually more harsh of a ride. I thought the harshness was from the deep V rims, which is why I thought wheels do affect how the bike can feel on the road. It has been recommended to me to change the wheels on the Madison to a more box style rim for a more lively feel. I assumed this also applied to geared road bikes, no?