surak

Trying to understand the best tradeoff between weight and aero for a sub-$800 budget road disc wheelset that will replace my heavy OEM wheels for commuting but also longer fun rides with a bit more climbing.

About me and my commute: shade over 145 lbs with a roundtrip commute of 31 miles that I do 2-4 times weekly, half flat and half hilly with ~1400 ft of elevation gain a day, getting faster but currently 15 mph morning and nearing 18 mph avg evening. I don't carry much with me. I'm used to the climbing on my route, so losing wheel weight is more for being able to do longer and hillier rides on the weekends. I have encountered stiff crosswinds but they're rare, whereas headwinds are big factor every 9 out of 10 rides on the flats.

I've seen very reasonably priced Hunt Aero Light wheels coming under 1500g, but they're 24 spokes so I'm not sure they make sense for me. I've also played around with ProWheelBuilder but don't know what I'm doing. It seems if I pick anything inexpensive with a higher spoke count or deeper rims, the weight shoots up very quickly, so I'm stumped about what a good spec would be.

noglider 

It's true that two qualities, light and sensibly durable, are hard to find in the same wheels these days. Someone gave me a lightweight set of wheels, 20 spokes in front and 24 in rear. I replaced the front with a wheel that has a dynamo hub and 32 spokes, offered to me used at a good price. The 24 spoke rear wheel seems wrong for commuting, but I figured I'd ride it until it causes problems. It's been about two years, and I don't think I've even had to true the rear wheel once. The bike has a front rack where I sometimes carry panniers. The only thing I put on the rear is a tool bag hanging from my saddle, so other than the fact that a normal bike puts 60% or more of the rider's weight on the rear, I'm not stressing the rear much. I weigh 170 lbs. This is my commuter bike.

I have a racing bike I ride less often. I built the wheels myself with the lightest rims I could find that accept 32 spokes.

Since you're lighter than I am, you might be happy with 24 spoke wheels, though I agree that they seem like a dumb idea. The weight and air drag savings isn't that big a deal, especially for commuting. But if it works, it works.

wphamilton

I've been using 20/24 spoke wheels (Vuelta Corsa Pro) on my road bike for about four years. They are clearly not "light-weight" wheels except relative to the wheels they replaced, but I have had zero concern that they wouldn't be stout enough. I weigh about 5 lbs more than you and commute about the same distance weekly.

RubeRad

My 2c, I would recommend getting the lightest 32H rims you can get (checking the forums for reviews of course) and order or build some wheels using them. Low spinning weight should be snappy for acceleration, high spoke count and a competent wheelbuild should build strength into the spoke tension, which will compensate for the rim being light.

tFUnK

Facing a similar situation I went with generic Chinese carbon disc clinchers. They saved about a lb compared to the stock wheels. 24/24 spoke count. Worked fine until I felt adventurous and sprinted through a stretch of rocky gravel. Rattled my rear light into my spokes, but I was able to true the wheel back out. I weigh 190 lbs and had a small load that day. I think 24h should be fine for your weight, depending on how much gear you ride with.

rfmarotti

The Chain Reaction Prime line has impressed me. I just have the aluminum clinchers though.

geluzj

rfmarotti

These are my secondary wheels on my main bike and I am also pleased with them.

surak

Thanks, two people vouching for those wheels sounds great, unfortunately I need fender clearance and it looks like the Alex rims take 28mm minimum... I have to run 23 and 25s in front. The price is amazing though, wow.