Lombard

No, I would consider that you chose your wife well.

timtak

Shimano Road Cleats at 20 USD a pair from amazon.com (or jp)
https://www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-Cleat.../dp/B000NONWIK

Shimano Cleat

Chinese non brand cleats are a death trap at first because they are made of just one type of hard plastic that slides like ice on smooth tarmac but when they get roughed up a bit they don't slip and they last about twice as long at 5 USD a pair.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...1cea1802kxgrLK


Chinese Cleat

terrymorse 

Gonna call BS on that call.

If all wheels were built correctly in the first place, there would be no wheels going out of true.

wolfchild

I will have to agree that properly built wheels shouldn't go out of true unless they are extremely abused by doing huge drops and jumps. I have several wheelsets which I built myself and I also have machine built wheels, none of them have ever suffered a broken spoke or needed truing. I used straight gauge spokes, quality eyeletted rims and high flange hubs , I also don't use spoke tension meter and prefer to go by feel.

Jeff Neese

Cute story about the senior citizens with arthritis building wheels, but nobody said anything about the wheels on my bike having "low tension". We were discussing the fact that good bike shops would automatically check the wheels as part of pre-delivery prep, and not just on Trek bicycles. I've heard never to trust wheels right out of the box, from more than a couple bike shop owners and mechanics. It seems from some of the feedback that has become less common, maybe because machine-built wheels are better than they used to be, or the general level of service has declined. I know I wouldn't take delivery of a bike before that was done.

mschwett 

as a relative newbie to “serious” cycling, i find it interesting what things some cyclists have accepted as “normal.”

if i bought new wheels and they needed to be trued in <500 miles, i’d be very annoyed.

i’ve bought quite a few wheelsets, new bikes with new wheels, and had a couple factory replacement e-bike wheels over the past 5 years and not a single wheel has needed to be trued. price points from $200 to $2000. i would consider time spent truing or getting trued new wheels a “big waste of time(money.)”

smd4

We never did anything more than a cursory check of the wheels when building bikes. If the wheels were noticeably untrue when adjusting brakes or derailleurs, we’d straighten them up, but certainly wasn’t part of any “pre-delivery prep.” This was mid-1980s to mid-90s in CA.

PeteHski

I've never had to true good quality wheels either. Only wheels I've had go out of true were very cheap ones I used as a teenager back in the 80s. I beat the crap out of a set of Mavic Crossmax XLs from 2004-2014 and checked them on my mate's wheel jig every winter and they never needed any tuning. With premium modern carbon rims (road or mtb) it doesn't even cross my mind.

elcruxio

Does that then mean that one of your wheelsets has the same mileage as one of your chains?

Lombard

Very funny.

I sure hope to get more miles out of a wheelset than a chain.

bbbean 

Wrong metric. The goal in a road race is to out race your competition. Absolute speed doesn't make any difference. Also, changing routes and the makeup of the peloton make it difficult, if not impossible to compare races over the years and pull out any single factor.

If you want to see the impact of technology, look to the hour record and time trials. Improved understanding of nutrition, training, and psychology also come into play, but it's pretty clear that the bikes of 2023 are dramatically better than the bikes of 2013, 2003, 1993, 1983, etc.

DVC45

Even if you hit a pothole at a certain speed?

DVC45

Clipless pedals and >9 gears at the back. If you are not into competitive cycling, those are a waste of money, IMO.

Maelochs

You are quite the comedian

shelbyfv

I don't necessarily disagree with the 9 speed but try to find even mid level new components in 9 speed.

genejockey 

As a larger, older cyclist in a hilly area, >9 speeds in the back is absolutely not a waste of money. And while it may be true that you don't gain any power by "pulling up" with the off foot, knowing that it's being held securely in place on the pedal is a big benefit.

And of course, there's the whole "if you're not a racer" crap.

terrymorse 

A properly built wheel can take an enormous amount of load without damage, or going out of true.

EJM73

Expensive light weight bikes (unless you race). We don't have team cars and support vehicles so we carry 8 lbs of self support kit anyways. Buy a mid-grade bike.

tomato coupe

Yes they can. But, that doesn’t mean they don’t need to be trued occasionally.

elcruxio

8 lbs? You take a track pump with you on rides?

I don't think even my complete touring tool, spare part and quick fix kit is anywhere near 8lbs and that's a pretty extensive collection of stuff.

Lombard

^^^This.^^^

terrymorse 

All the wheels I've built up, and the factory ones I have stress relieved and retensioned, has never needed truing.

Have I just been lucky? I don't think so.

EJM73

well never weighed it but tubes, multi tool, mini pump, phone, wallet, seat bag, tire levers and 2 full water bottles weigh a little bit.

tomato coupe

My wife has never had a flat, but that doesn’t mean flats don’t happen to other people.

elcruxio

So i just had to check
Dynaplug 14g
Tube 105g
multitool 192g
pump 150g
wallet 200g
Phone 163g
water bottle 69g (nice...)
water 950g
Gels 210g

everything together 2053 grams or around 4.4lbs. I counted only one water bottle because I typically only take 2 if I'm doing more than 100km.

That's actually kinda alot. I wonder if I should get a lighter bike to offset that...