Fahrenheit531 

I'm looking at new wheels for my Voyageur 11.8. The original rims are really chewed up and the hubs don't strike me as particularly awesome so I'm considering a set of brand-new Wheel Master wheels instead of rebuilding what's on there.

The price is fair, at about $120 for the 27" QR set. Choice between Weinmann or Sun rims with DT Swiss spokes. The hubs are unspecified and likely nothing special (Wheel Master? JoyTech? guessing here.). They'd be living a commuting and general-purpose life on my decently-equipped beater, receiving little to no love or special attention.

Does anyone have any real-world experience with these?

unworthy1

I've bought a few for flippers, haven't kept any on my own bikes but also no negative feedback from those who bought the bikes. They seemed like real good value and can't recall if I picked Sun over Weinmann rims but I'd choose whichever has double walls and/or eyelets, all else being equal. These are machine-built in China AFAIK so you get that level of QC but the ones I bought were good enough to use with little or no "touch-up" truing/tensioning.
YMMV

mississippimud

I have a set , great wheels for the bucks ,mine have the Origin 8 hubs, I say go for it you won't be disappointed

TenGrainBread 

We stock some of those wheelsets in our shop for replacement wheels. The hubs will work but are not great quality. The wheel will certainly need re-tensioning/truing once it arrives. The wheels are heavy but will last. For a beater I would say it would work if you can true them yourself.

Fahrenheit531 

Thanks for the quick replies. Have spoke wrenches, can true 'em as needed.

@TenGrainBread: I'm curious about "heavy." Sun CR18 seem a standard alloy rim option for C&V, and I can see the non-butted spokes adding a bit... are they heavy, or just "you wouldn't wanna race with these" heavy? Doesn't matter big-picture I suppose, as the bike comes in at 27 or so lbs anyway; curious though.

TenGrainBread 

The wheelset comes in at 2200g, roughly. That's about a pound heavier (400-500g) than budget wheelsets I've seen with something like 105 hubs and Alex rims, which Velomine used to sell for $120-150. I don't think a pound would make that much difference on a relatively heavy bike but to some people that's a lot of weight.

Fahrenheit531 

Got it. Thanks. And yeah, on this bike I don't think it'll kill me.

Fahrenheit531 

Well, the wheels showed up and have been ridden a couple of times.

Origin 8 hubs with sealed bearings, stainless non-butted spokes, and Weinmann rims that I was surprised to discover did not have the traditional box-type profile (meh. I'll live.). Round and true straight out of the box. They roll quite nicely, gave up only a few minor spoke pings as they sorted themselves out on the first ride, and weight is very comparable to what was already on the bike. At ~120 bucks for the set, I'll call them a budget-friendly win.

noglider 

Spoke pings are a sign of a badly built wheel.

mstateglfr 

...or just the result of a wheel thats been built but not relieved before use. A few initial pings for the spokes to untwist and seat in the hub is totally fine. Just check the spoke tension after a few rides. Its a budget priced machine built wheelset, expecting a builder to relieve the spokes is unreasonable and not possible.

Prowler 

Really? Or just typical of a brand new, just out of the box, machine built wheel from China? I'll grant you those wheels are not flawlessly de-tensioned. I often hear a couple pings on brand new wheels for the first few seconds as I roll the bike back and forth thru a test ride - never for very long and no reports of further pings after that. I don't sense that a couple of spokes de-tensioning as the wheels take load the very first time as a sign of poor quality.

Should I? Are they doomed to cause endless trouble for the owner and grim failure?

ColonelJLloyd 

This. I have a lot of trouble getting the wind-up out of spokes with H+Son TB14s. Not sure what it is. I lube the eyelet well. I have to ride them a few miles to get it out.

canklecat

I got one of those Wheel Master wheels to replace the rear on my comfort hybrid. Good enough for that bike. Weinmann Zac 19 double wall rim, Wheel Master hub (loose bearings, cones), heavy gauge stainless spokes.

The spokes pinged a bit the first couple of weeks. I figured it was just galling where the thicker spokes crossed.

Put the wheel on in April, have ridden nearly 2,000 miles, no problems. That includes chip seal, potholes, gravel trails and hauling up 50 lbs of groceries every week.

I'd get their wheels again for a bike like this.

noglider 

I don't mean it's a doomed wheel, it's just not the highest workmanship. @ColonelJLloyd, I take your word for it that it can be hard to get rid of in special cases.

ColonelJLloyd 

I doubt it happens to more experienced wheel builders, honestly.