petermk

Hi all,

I hit a rock or something about 2 weeks ago and the real wheel of my Soul 3.0 set became untrue. I finally took the bike to LBS today. They did the best they could and the wheel is now rideable but still far from true. So, I guess it's time to look for a new wheelset. I am not sure I want another Soul set after what happened. I've also looked at the Williams 30, Hed Ardennes LT. My budget is around $600-700.

Thanks

canam73

Weight? Riding type/terrain/habits?

petermk

I am around 160 lbs. I do solo rides in Brooklyn, NY, so it's mostly flat.

kv501

Boyd just came out with the Altamont, an update of the Vitesse which has had rave reviews. Haven't owned either but have ridden the Vitesse set. Unbelievable for the money and I have to think the Altamont will be too.

You can get the Vitesse on closeout for $550 (front and rear), or $650 for the new Altamont.

Psimet also gets good press here, and I've never heard anyone say a bad word his stuff. A little different business because he doesn't list a line of specific models, you get in touch with him and go over your needs/wants and he builds according to that. Psimet2001 and coachboyd are both contributors here.

canam73

For what you are talking I would get Pacenti SL23 rims lace White Industry hubs by a handbuilder. Standard DB 2.0/1.8/2.0 spokes unless you feel you need an aero advantage then get CX Rays on the front & NDS. Brass nipples all around. There are similar rims from Kinlin, H+ Sons and HED for more or less money. For spokes I would go at least 24/28 or even 24/32, but I'm the opposite of a weight weeny when it comes to non-race situations.

If you prefer pre-built or semi-custom (like the souls but built domestically), Boyd and November offer similar wheels. I would look for handbuilder in your area, but otherwise Psimet who frequents these forums is well regarded.

petermk

Anyone have experience with https://www.revolutionwheelworks.com?

MagicHour

I'm 165 lbs and went with ROL Race SLs. I've only got about 85mi on them so far but are pretty nice. Sean and Paul were great to deal with; for my weight/ex cat 4 recreational riding they recommended either D'Huez 24/28s (better for big climbing) or Race SLs (sturdy, all rounder). They did have a 10% sale for the new year so I got a pretty good deal on these shipped.

Living in Brooklyn I went with the Race SLs, I think the deeper 28mm rim is going to be sturdier over the long haul, on ****e roads around nyc. I'm really liking the bladed CX Rays - they do seem to help with the wind a bit.

SirHustlerEsq

Very happy with my Flo30s for the increase in handling/stiffness, shock damping, and surving a crash where the bicycle bounced at least 40'.

Jay68442

I agree with MagicHour, ROL Race SL's are great wheels. https://www.rolwheels.com/wheels/wheel/race-sl

c0urt

open pros on 105 hubs ?

bit dated but they work

Bah Humbug

There are better options than Open Pros. Why not HED Belgium, DT Swiss RR440 or RR585, Kinlin XC279?

canam73

Those look decent, but if I'm not mistaken they are the above mentioned Kinlin XC 279 laced with Sapim cx rays to import hubs (not sure if novatec, Bitex or chosen maybe somebody can identify them). All told about $350 in parts from the bikehubstore or others. There are a lot of good builders who will put that together for a lot less than the $325 extra they are asking for it and will stand behind there work. Or if you are crafty, throw in the cost of a nice truing stand, wrench and tension meter and build them yourself. And if you do go with a custom build or diy, you can customize them to your needs. For instance, go with brass nipples and use heavier spokes on the DS.

petermk

Well, I am definitely not building a wheelset myself. Is HED Ardennes LT a good option for $675? https://www.westernbikeworks.com/prod...ncher-wheelset

Jay68442

Well I don't know about the parts you mentioned but I owned a set of ROL's and they were a good wheelset. I put many trouble free miles on them and they always stayed true. I'm sure there are cheaper options available and many good wheel builders out there.

Bah Humbug

It's not bad. The November FSW23 or Boyd Vitesse are a little better, I think, and very similar. Those are big-name wheels, though, and I love mine that are built on the same rims.

petermk

I did a bit more research and ran into the Fulcrum Racing 3. Any opinion on these?

petermk

Also, there's the Campagnolo Zonda, which is pretty much the same as the Fulcrum Racing 3 but cheaper

jjjj

+1 for the Pacenti SL23 custom builds. I have them built with a power tap hub. I love them. One word of caution. They are tubeless ready, which means changing they are a bit tough to mount a tire. With proper technique it is not a big deal.

nastystang

I have been looking at the Rol D'huez. great looking wheel, light and aero. Also was looking at the Fulcrum 3's. Bought a new bike so automatically going to get new wheels but seriously choosing a wheelset is no easy task. The Boyd close out Vittesse are a great wheel like mentioned. Boyd has a great rep as does Psimet so would be interested in what you wind up with.

halfspeed

This is excellent advice. I'd add that the H+ Son Archetypes I built are some of the best quality rims I've ever used and definitely worth a look (though they're a bit heavier than the Pacentis). I've built with Novatec hubs and have been quite impressed with their quality as a cheaper alternative to the WI, just get the nicer bearings. 32H is probably a bit overbuilt at the OP's weight.

VA_Esquire

Velocity A23 rims built with White Industries hubs?

tanguy frame

Western Bike Works is having a winter sale on wheels - they have some Fulcrums for under $200 for a set, and other smoking' deals. Check 'em out.

petermk

I was going to buy Fulcrum 3 from that website but then discovered that Campy Zonda is pretty much the same thing but cheaper. So, I ended up ordering a set of Zondas from wiggle for $420. It's hard to beat that as far as price/quality. I didn't wanna go custom for a winter set that I am also going to use on the trainer.

Thanks

rpenmanparker 

Apparently you have a Campy drive train, no? Isn't it that Fulcrums come in Shimano and Campys come in well...Campy? I understand the 11-speed cassettes are close to interchangeable, but it maybe you aren't on 11. Just sayin'.

petermk

No, I have Ultegra 6700. Campy Zonda comes with Campy or Shimano freehubs. I ordered the Shimano version, of course.
https://www.wiggle.com/campagnolo-zon...cher-wheelset/