CargoDane

No shame in buying wheels from a professional wheelbuilder - or get a professional wheelbuilder to destress and tighten things up afterwards. Not everything is worth doing yourself. Sometimes, professionals are actually better than most of us.

I know that when I bought my handbuilt wheels from a pro that they were better than I could do myself and better than machine-built wheels.

frogman

Sounds good ! I used to do just my own maintenance and it gradually evolved into where I now I can build a bike from the frame up. The only thing left is wheel building. I am on a learning curve on lacing and building wheels. It's a long steep curve hahahaha The most critical skill to master in my opinion is being able to fix a flat when out on the road by yourself.
We are in Goathead country around here in Napa Valley, CA and I get plenty of practice

Mulberry20

Campy Zondas or Fulcrum Racing 3s go for what you paid for no brand wheels. Not sure you made a good decision.

Gary in NJ

Relacing and truing a wheel is great fun and satisfying. Take the project on yourself and save a ton of money...and be proud of your work.

HerrKaLeun

First read the warranty document and investigate if that document says your case is covered. If, after reading that document, you believe you are entitled to a new hub, point that out to them.

Your OP started with very little information. Like, when did you buy the bike and what does the warranty letter say the warranty covers and for how long?

RadDog

Do those come with a Dura Ace hub? Bikeshopwhelhouse has been around a long time and has been making aluminum rims for decades. I found out 8 reviews all good.

If I was going for the fastest, most aero rims, sure, but for what I want I like the decision.

Koyote

Don't pay him any mind. You got no-name rims, but some of the best hubs in the world - the hubs alone are worth almost what you paid for the wheels. And depending on which model you chose, you're getting DT or Sapim double-butted spokes - again, excellent stuff. You might want to have your shop check the spoke tension before mounting up the wheels, just to be on the safe side...But that's something I would recommend for any wheels that aren't bought directly from the human who built them.

mack_turtle

I've assembled hundreds of new bikes from the box. most of these were entry-level bikes from reputable companies. I would also ways check the adjustment on the hub cone nuts and they were just a little too tight every time. it might not be entirely the seller's fault that you didn't check and adjust the cones because that is standard procedure on every cup-and-cone hub I have ever seen, among hundreds of them.

RadDog

Hubs were checked out long ago...I said so earlier, but maybe was not clear enough. That is the first thing I look at when touching a new rim, I like to see how smooth it spins. Taking the old wheels off, the front hub is becoming a bit crunchy. Now the Dura aces.....like butter. I come to the same conclusion I did 30 years ago: Good hubs are worth the money (assuming you ride the bike). I had a set of Phil Woods 30 years ago, and I treated those hubs like jewelery, and was marveling at their smoothness (my last messenger bike was also the main feature in my livingroom back when I was doing that job).

Got the new rims on and mounted. Lighter and snappier. Bike accelerates faster and holds speed better (which was, so I thought, not an advantage of lighter wheels). Front end feels light and even a bit squirrely, but the rims that were on the bike weighed a ton more than 1000 grams more than the new rims (1620).

Dealing with some brake rub issues and also need to dial in my hood/bar position (being experimenting after some elbow issues). Rims will need re-truing.

They are DT double butted. This rim did not have the Sapim option.

Pop N Wood

Man. Some people need to learn how to read

RadDog

I do the same thing....read the first post and respond. I should edit the first post with : I CHECKED THE HUBS, lol.

But thank you, everyone. I went out and rode normally. I try and be careful about curb hops, but I do them a bit to test wheels out. I have never used a watt meter but I am def a sprinter who generates power (at the expense of endurance). I squatted 275 lbs for 27 reps (deadlifted 600 for 1) so I can flex pretty much anything. I sprinted hard on these and once I got the brakes to stop rubbing they ran well.

This is going to be a training bike ridden one hour per day every other day in part in preparation for bodybuilding competitions, but I also love to ride. At some point. if my body can take the training I will increase to an hour per day (on top of weight training). That is all my body can handle. The priority for this bike is reliability. With all the madness of competition prep, the last thing I need is a bike problem. Since I am not racing you might say there is absolutely no need for a carbon frame and Dura ace hubs but the thing is, light bikes are simply way more fun to ride. Every article tells you aero is more important than weight, but for me the bottom line is light=fun. I don't think I need fancy 60 mm carbon rims, but what do I know? This is my first carbon bike and I love carbon, it reminds me of a high end steel frame, I have always been a steel guy. I prefer frame based suspension, LOL.

mstateglfr 

You should check the hub tightness while setting up the bike.
I'm surprised that hasnt been suggested yet.***

RadDog

Holy SNIT GET THIS! Out of the blue, Bikeshopwarehouse offered to send me a new rim set. One one hand, I want to tell everyone that their customer service came through, on the other I was still kind of screwed. My plan was to ride the Weinman DP 18s for a year and then upgrade to a nice set of rims. Were I live is flat as a pancake and I wanted aero, so yeah some 50cm high carbons to slice through the air while my old butt peddled as fast as possible.

Since I did not have that kind of money at that point I had to get non aero aluminum.

Oh well, BSW was late, but it seems they are trying to do he right thing, so credit too them. I guess I have back up wheels now.

When I get them, should I check the hub tightness?

CargoDane

Yes you should. And they probably became aware of your thread, hence their belated reaction. I know that I will certainly remember their lack of customer service after this thread.

RadDog

Yes. It is probably best to only buy their bikes if you are a good wrench. I have little mechanical talent, but I put together my Bikes Direct bike just fine. No problems. I had my mechanic dial in the derailleur and brakes (I am new to disc....I AM good at fixing brakes) and I have not had one problem with that bike. It seem that if bikes get sent back to bikes direct and then farmed out to BSW or another company called Bike Island. You can get some great deals if you know what you are doing and can wrench.

One thing I am pretty good at is internet fitments. Otherwise I would have sold this bike, but it fits well and I like the frame. Putting it together has not been easy, but man does it rip now.

I did not set out to buy from the internet. I went to the LBS and asked "do you have a bike for $700?" and was immediately shooed out the door.

CargoDane

I think a company should at least partially be judged on how well they react when something goes wrong. And on this, they completely failed. Even offering you a new set is at this point only them attempting some damage control.

MarcusT

I never buy from a vendor that does not list a physical address on their website. That's the first sign that they don't care much for customer service.
Their BBB complaints are few, so maybe a new one will get them moving.

RadDog

That's actually how I got their attention. If they had just offered me a cheap rear wheel in the first place I would have been happy. I could then have saved up for some *****in carbon wheels that some guy won the Giro on and are waaaaay more than my slow butt will ever need. I enjoy explaining that sort of stuff to my wife. I did get the bike cheap. The Ritchey finshing kit is nice. I have perfectly fine 105 shifters, but when I get to the crank the bike will be pretty much all Ultegra. Except my Dura ace hubs. Did I mention I have Dura ace hubs? I do. I work that into random conversations with people who could care less.

I am a failed Political Scientist by training (that and human performance are my "thing") and when people ask me why Trump lost I explain "because he made Dura Ace hubs more expensive."

Bike is stupid fast...but I am a Dinasauer and never rode a modern bike before. I am a mean, crotchety old man, but I can't believe how nice some of this stuff is. With just Ultegra he bike shifts, handles, accelerates like a dream. I do miss steel. It has a feel that even carbon fiber can't fully replicate....but back then, to build a frame to match less expensive modern carbon frames would cost a fortune.

Pop N Wood

So does this mean whining pays off?

trailangel

It's not a rimset... it's called a wheelset. Why do you need aero carbon rims to train with one hour a day every other day?

pdlamb

No news there.

Phil_gretz

Please answer this question: When you received the bike, did you remove the rear wheel to check the rear hub bearing for proper adjustment and application of grease?

I ask because this responsibility falls to the buyer/assembler when purchasing a bike via drop-shipper. If the bearing races were destroyed by having been ridden in a poorly adjusted state, then... it's on you.

CargoDane

I don't think so. Buying an assembled bike should fall under the "fit for purpose". If I buy a car, I shouldn't have to take it apart and check everything before driving it off the lot. But, knowing how bad bikes can be assembled by some numbnut would mean I'd check. But it shouldn't be necessary.

HerrKaLeun

i doubt an LBS takes all bearings apart to check them. this should be correct from the factory. the final assembler (DIY, or LBS) should just have to check easily accessible things, like lose bolts, or misalignment, RD etc.

I have to say when I bought a Shimano hub (just the hub) it felt a bit tight. they say that will break-in. this may be true, but I adjusted the cones anyway. but this should not be expected when you buy a bike.

In Communism they built cars that were built so badly, that people who bought them had to disassemble to fix the brand new cars. I hope we are beyond that.

RiceAWay

Did you have a warranty and if so what does it cover?