Another Wheel Question

coldplay610 said:

Hey everyone, I'm still on the quest to find a great wheel before the start of spring and I was wondering how Mavic Open Pros served anyone else. I know they are cheap but I hear they are super durable and will save me $$. How have they served everyone else? Also is the upgrade to Easton Circuits worth it? And how about any other recommendations for a great durable wheel for under 400? Thanks for reading this gibberish but your help is definetly appreciated!

Open Pros laced to a quality hub, when done by a good wheel builder, are great.
Sale people will tell you otherwise, but very few wheelsets are really an "upgrade" over these.
You get great hub quality (veloce/chorus/record/dura-ace/ultegra & co. have very nice bearings), durability, serviceability (standard non-proprietary parts) and cost waaay more than "boutique wheelsets" (ksyriums & co.).

This comment is just based on my experience.

coldplay610 said:

Hey everyone, I'm still on the quest to find a great wheel before the start of spring and I was wondering how Mavic Open Pros served anyone else. I know they are cheap but I hear they are super durable and will save me $$. How have they served everyone else? Also is the upgrade to Easton Circuits worth it? And how about any other recommendations for a great durable wheel for under 400? Thanks for reading this gibberish but your help is definetly appreciated!

I ride nothing but Mavic Open Pro rims laced to campy Record or Chorus hubs. Excellent choice. Go to www.excelsports.com in Boulder, CO and build the wheel you want with Mavic OPs. Excelsports can get you a wheelset within your budget including a high quality hub from Shimano or Campy. I have recommended this to others and they have not been disappointed.

Here's a newbie-ish question on this same topic: Do most people go ahead and put on a different cassette on their spare rear wheel, so that they've got it ready to go when they want it?

JollyMon said:

Here's a newbie-ish question on this same topic: Do most people go ahead and put on a different cassette on their spare rear wheel, so that they've got it ready to go when they want it?

- Mavik Ksyrium SL3 with 21-11 cassette for racing
- Bontrager Race Lite with 23-11 for training
- FSA RD-200 with 25-12 for spare when racing

If the race have some serious climbing, I switch the 25-12 to the Ksyriums

You can play when you have 6 wheels for one bike :-)

I agree with some of the comments as far as the Mavic Open Pro is most likly the best to get. I also have Ksyrium SSL and have only had trouble with them. I have split two rear ones and striped the inside of the rear hub all under warranty. They (KSYRIUM) look good but I can not see the quality there. I only weigh 205 lbs and they should not cause this much problem.

Go for the Mavic open pro.

JollyMon said:

Here's a newbie-ish question on this same topic: Do most people go ahead and put on a different cassette on their spare rear wheel, so that they've got it ready to go when they want it?

If you can afford it, yes. Some people have different gearing on their second wheel for more hilly or flatter terrain.

I've been using the Dura-ace WH-7800 wheelset and find the smooth rolling
hubs excellent and rims very stiff, even after a few serious pot holes in the dark, I haven't even had to re-true them.

larryaus said:

I agree with some of the comments as far as the Mavic Open Pro is most likly the best to get. I also have Ksyrium SSL and have only had trouble with them. I have split two rear ones and striped the inside of the rear hub all under warranty. They (KSYRIUM) look good but I can not see the quality there. I only weigh 205 lbs and they should not cause this much problem.

Go for the Mavic open pro.