Originally Posted by
the sci guy
there's too many posts to individually quote and respond to since my last post, but wow thanks to the bunch of you with suggestions. Gave me a lot of other options to consider. $400 was really going to be the top of my budget, and those Zondas are real nice and what's $15 more, right? But then tack on shipping and stuff I'm not sure it might be too much.
The set of WH-7700 Dura-Ace wheels that came off the exact same frame I found for a buddy of mine, weighed in at 1,900 grams.
The Mavic Open Pros that came off THIS bike (in a burnt orange color!) are from 2000/2001 era, have a 15mm width (reads 622x15 on the sticker) and weigh 1850g.
(I'm upgrading to modern 105, so I don't believe an 11spd cassette would fit on that hub - plus I want new wheels anyway)
To answer a few random Q's I saw above:
-No, they don't have to be "handmade", I was just looking for something a little nicer than typical bike shop cheap fare
-no carbon
-i prefer lower profile wheels - i don't care for the deeper dish racing wheels
-i'm not a weight weenie and this bike won't be raced, it's for long days in the saddle, but also quick spirited group rides.
-the frame fork and chainstays could easily take 700x28 tires, but the bolt bubble on the rear brake bridge is low and rubs on any tires with a higher volume than 25/26mm. I even tried a 700x28 on a slightly wider rim, but it didn't work - but that was with my buddy's Dura Ace wheels I mentioned above. I wouldn't mind trying again with some 17mm wide rims with the 28s I have hanging in my garage though. But I'm pretty much resigned to having to get a set of 25s or 26s. Is it still true that Pasaleas run a little larger? Because that's what I have so maybe a 700x28 in a Kenda or a another brand would fit?
So what do you want out of these wheels, then? What’s the point of paying $400 or even $300 if you don’t care about aero or weight? What is going to make any wheelset “nicer” than another?
You can grab a pair of 16mm high, 18mm internal width Sun CR18/Tiagra wheels from Handsome Cycles for $230:
https://handsomecycles.com/products/...-hub-black-36h
Tiagra hubs are sealed and adjustable as 105, so I don’t think there’s any tradeoff there, and the CR18 is as venerable as they come, but laced up 36 spoke, they should be extremely reliable.
I run the polished version of this wheelset on one of my bikes, and have 25c rubber on them. Handsome built them very well insofar as I can tell, and the 25s fit snug and tight to the brake wall; looking down at the wheel, the tire does not protrude past the rim at all, which I think is a sweet look and makes the handling super responsive.
Polished Sun CR18 rims w/ 25c AC Torchbearer tires