Adamar

I am new to cycling and have been riding a Lemond Buenos Aires with the stock Bontrager Select wheels for about 5 months. I ride in an area with lots of hills, so thought it may be time to upgrade the wheels.

It seems alot of people like the Ultegra/Open Pro setup. How big, if any, upgrade are these over the Bontrager Selects?

Also, what other benefits are there besides weight? Will an upgrade wheelset roll or spin better?

For example, looks like the Ultegra/Open Pro costs about $100 less and weights approx. 44 grams more than the equivalent Dura-Ace/Open Pro. Is the only difference the weight or do Dura-Ace hubs spin better?

Thanks,
Adamar

demoncyclist

If you are only 5 months in, don't worry about getting new wheels. Your Bontragers are fine for now. If you should somehow wreck them, or decide to start racing, then you should worry about wheels.

operator

You don't need to upgrade wheels. Weight savings on wheels are usually horribly overexagerrated. Unless you're riding the tour de france.

oboeguy

What they said. You're too new in cycling to become a weight freak. Seriously, I have the same stock wheels on my '98 Lemond Reno. Why would I change them unless I were to race? I'm happy with doing centuries and for that... who cares about a little extra weight, hills or not?

zacster

While I'll agree that you are new to this to be lusting after lighter wheels already, but I'll also agree with Ben and say that a great set of wheels will make a big difference in the feel of the biike. But the bike itself has to be able to let that through. Putting stiff aero wheels on an otherwise poorly made bike won't make it a speedster.

I put Velomax Tempest wheels on my old steel Davidson and they felt great, but the Davidson was a pretty good bike. I have Campy Ventos on my carbon Kuota and they aren't that great and I'm ready to try something lighter and more aero. Some day I'll try the Tempests on the the Kuota, but I have to work out the Shimano/Campy issue.

55/Rad

Psychological gains shouldn't be underestimated. That stated, the Open Pro/Ultegra combo won't make a big enough difference to warrant the cost. Aim higher - like the Race X-Lites or a custom set of Speed Dreams.

55/Rad

operator

Psychological gains work until you suddenly realize you aren't actually faster than you were before.

55/Rad

Hopefully, this comes long after you determine the purchase was actually worth it....

55/Rad

CAAD5AL

I totally agree. I just not a "utilitarian" kind of guy when it comes to bikes (not that I'd knock anyone who is). For me, I'd never expect someone to purchase a car with total disregard for color, style, wheels, etc, all of which are more emotional than practical. Bikes are even more personal, so I'm all about doing things just because you want to. Tell me you just want new wheels because they look b*tchin - I totally get it. A bike you like more is a bike you ride more, and that's faster all day long.

That said, wheels (and tires) are an easy one because they truly do change the handling and personality of a bike.

Rushfan

I upgraded my wheels after a year because the stock wheels that came with my bike sucked big time. But Bontrager Selects aren't that different from Ultegra/Open Pros, which I now have. Wait until you have problems with the wheels, then start thinking about upgrading.

squeegy200

Apart from what was said already,
my personal take on this subject is that I also enjoy installing and building new hardware as much as riding it. Knowing that this is my own personal rig and I can tune it any which way I desire is part of the subjective experience.

Somehow, changing my black Shimano cables to the Siilver DuraAce cableset makes my next ride more enjoyable. As 55/RAD stated "Psychological" improvements make me stay in the saddle. If you decide to get another set of wheels, then your collective experience can be shared here on this forum. The next time someone asks impressions on new wheelsets, you will have experience and knowledge to contribute positively to someone else's experience.

My vote: if you can afford it, go get some new wheels.

pjbaz

I JUST (two days ago) bought a set of 2004 Velomax Orion II's. I haven't put them on yet but I can't wait to ride them.

Do I race? NO.
Do I really need them? NO
Did I want them? Hell Yeah!

I'm moving from Bontrager Race to the Velomax's. I expect them to spin up faster, as they are more than 3/4 (edited because my math was off) of a pound lighter, which should help me climb a little better overall. Do I expect them to make me a mountain goat? Not really.

If you have the dough do what you like. I got a good deal so it was an easy justification.

55/Rad is partially right- psychology is a big factor but add that to the "bling bling" factor and that's what I'm talking about.

PJ

bonkey

Hubs rolling better is a matter of bearings and races (the race is what the bearings roll on). Ultegra uses a Grade 300 ball bearing, .001" out of round. Dura Ace (and comparable hubs like DT Swiss 240s), use Grade 5 bearings, .0001" out of round. The less out of round your bearing is, the smoother it will roll.

You can always buy an Ultegra hub and use Dura-Ace quality bearings. DA bearings are usually $6 or so at your LBS.

As for the question on your wheelset. I would ride a heavier wheelset while training, and then have a racing wheetset, (like a DA hub on Open Pro with DT Swiss Aerolites... or zipps... or whatever).

There will be other issues too, like wheel stiffness, handling and durability... those are all things to consider as well.