Help?! Open Checkbook, New Wheels!!

If the road is very smooth you might make it to the end of the street... 😉

threadedIf the road is very smooth you might make it to the end of the street... 😉

Boy, that was helpful, Thanks for the insight "threaded". Not exactly sure what you meant?

Hoover F14 said:

threadedIf the road is very smooth you might make it to the end of the street... 😉

Boy, that was helpful, Thanks for the insight "threaded". Not exactly sure what you meant?

I think there's a general consensus on this forum, that Campagnolo wheels (Especially Zonda and Eurus) are really great wheels, and durable. If you get Eurus, it doesn't weigh that much neither. It's a cracking wheel, I've only heard good about it.

Most people here will probably say, that Ksyrium ES isn't good value for money (which it probably isn't IMO), but it's not a bad wheel and it is BLINGY!

Other good wheels to consider in that price range are probably Fulcrum 1 or to have a custom made wheel with a DT Swiss hub spoked to a good aero rim, which would be a cracking wheel aswell.

Since your in Japan I imagine DA hubs go very cheaply. I sure you could get a good strong durable fast set of wheels built for FAR less than the ESs.

195 is pretty healthy for somebody whos 6'3. Don't stress over super light weight, worry about torsionally and laterally stiff, it will help you feel faster and safer in the hills.

Since you seem to be a hill rider look at Neutrons instead of Eurus/Zondas. Probably not that cheap in Shimanoland.

Do you know any good Japanese based mail order shops on the web (perferrable in non laughable english)? I know a good italian one for campy, but I'm sure Shimano would be cheapest sold out of Japan.

Just wondering if the OP ever did get those ESs. Just bought a set. They aren't even hear yet. I too am 6'3" @ 195lbs. I bought them completely for the bling. Threw value out of the window with this one. Besides, cleaning my basement of unused bike gear, I ended up shelling out very very little out-of-pocket money ..

I think if you're paying even close to full-price for the ESs, then you can get a much better wheel elsewhere. I second the recommendation on the Zondas (can be had for about $650) or Eurus (can be had for about $850).

No, you're not too heavy for ESs, at 195 you should be just fine. One of the advantages of the Ksyrium line is that they're known to be really durable, so you shouldn't have to worry about truing the wheels frequently. For an everyday training tire, I'd recommend the conti gatorskins as they're decently light and they offer very good puncture resistance.

I would recommend what I just bought for myself recently. DT240 hubs, DT rr1.1 rims and DT spokes. The hubs have stupendous bearings in them, the rear hub has a narrow spacing on the flanges making for an aero spoked wheel. The ride is plush, yet lively and they are light for a clincher wheelset. I also like how quiet the pawl system is on the rear hub.

They are also very strong and have not gone out of true. I havent gone into any potholes (knock on wood), but they have suffered a number of hard hits on pavement changes and rough pavement.

rayhuang said:

I would recommend what I just bought for myself recently. DT240 hubs, DT rr1.1 rims and DT spokes. The hubs have stupendous bearings in them, the rear hub has a narrow spacing on the flanges making for an aero spoked wheel. The ride is plush, yet lively and they are light for a clincher wheelset. I also like how quiet the pawl system is on the rear hub.

They are also very strong and have not gone out of true. I havent gone into any potholes (knock on wood), but they have suffered a number of hard hits on pavement changes and rough pavement.

Careful with the rims, if you have the single-eyelet versions. DT240 don't build an aero-spoked wheel. (better aero than Ksyriums though)

bobbyOCR said:

DT240 don't build an aero-spoked wheel. (better aero than Ksyriums though)

Sorry-I just meant that the flanges are close together which makes the L+R spokes closer together so more aero.

rayhuang said:

Sorry-I just meant that the flanges are close together which makes the L+R spokes closer together so more aero.

Yeah. Marginally. They are a great hub end of story. (slight loss of stiffness though.)

All,

Thanks alot for all your help, I did the research into Campy wheels and went with the G3 Eurus. I saved alot of money (~$350) and bought some new Sidi Ergo's with the money saved. I have several Japanese riders in the local group riding Mavic Ksyrium ES's, so that drove me to something different as well. also went with the Mich Pro2's. Again, thanks for all your inputs.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Hoover F14 said:

All,

Thanks alot for all your help, I did the research into Campy wheels and went with the G3 Eurus. I saved alot of money (~$350) and bought some new Sidi Ergo's with the money saved. I have several Japanese riders in the local group riding Mavic Ksyrium ES's, so that drove me to something different as well. also went with the Mich Pro2's. Again, thanks for all your inputs.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

The Eurus are a fantastic wheel, ride the hell out of 'em.

i'm 6'5" and 200#'s. i ended up using my kysrium sl's as everyday wheels and they have been bomber! i think the es should stand up well beside the sl's as the only change that should effect strength would be the shallower front rim.
with that being said i think that any high end wheelset should should be checked weekly or even twice a week on the truing stand. especially for big guys.

Well, the Eurus makes any bike look better than the Ksyriums. That G3 pattern is so cool. But for the price of the ES I would rather get Ritchey WCS Carbon wheels.

Wish my CF Soloist came with Eurus instead of Ksyrium SLs. But I'm gonna put Zipp 404 clinchers on it when I have the money.

rockrock513 said:

i'm 6'5" and 200#'s. i ended up using my kysrium sl's as everyday wheels and they have been bomber! i think the es should stand up well beside the sl's as the only change that should effect strength would be the shallower front rim.
with that being said i think that any high end wheelset should should be checked weekly or even twice a week on the truing stand. especially for big guys.

Check a high-end wheelset weekly on the truing stand? No thanks. I'd never accept a wheel that fragile for everyday use. To me, saving a watt or two is a poor tradeoff compared to having equipment that requires constant maintenance, or worse lets you down when you're miles from home. I've seen a spoke break on an SL, and the wheel was too far out of true to ride home....a major inconvenience on a 60 mile ride.

To me, a "high end" wheelset should perform for years without any attention. Why else would you spend a huge sum on wheels?

actually i would even check a 3cross training wheelset the same if i was logging 200-300mi a week on them. but i don't look at that type of attention to my gear as a chore or inconvenience. i enjoy it 😄

JTE83 said:

Wish my CF Soloist came with Eurus instead of Ksyrium SLs. But I'm gonna put Zipp 404 clinchers on it when I have the money.

Hey JTE83,

Can I ask why you're thinking clinchers as opposed to tubulars when you buy your 404s? I'm faced with the same decision but I figure since I'll probably only use the 404s for racing (aside from the occasional "show off the bling" ride) I figured I go with tubulars to take advantage of the (minor) additional weight savings and road feel.

I know the clincher/tublular battle has raged on in other posts, I just like to hear others' opinions (which is why I'm on a public forum I guess).

But I have to agree, there's nothing like a set of 404s to make a bike look fast.

Pad

JTE83 said:

Well, the Eurus makes any bike look better than the Ksyriums. That G3 pattern is so cool. But for the price of the ES I would rather get Ritchey WCS Carbon wheels.

Wish my CF Soloist came with Eurus instead of Ksyrium SLs. But I'm gonna put Zipp 404 clinchers on it when I have the money.

Ritchey WCS Carbon wheels? And their questionable hubs? Nah. Save yourself the pain and just have a set of wheels built up with the quality hub of your choice, the spokes that trip your trigger, and Zipp 360 rims.

dhk2 said:

Check a high-end wheelset weekly on the truing stand? No thanks. I'd never accept a wheel that fragile for everyday use. To me, saving a watt or two is a poor tradeoff compared to having equipment that requires constant maintenance, or worse lets you down when you're miles from home. I've seen a spoke break on an SL, and the wheel was too far out of true to ride home....a major inconvenience on a 60 mile ride.

To me, a "high end" wheelset should perform for years without any attention. Why else would you spend a huge sum on wheels?

+1. My Reynolds Stratus DV's, after 2000+ miles, are still as true as when I first mounted 'em. I'd have sold 'em if they needed to be trued frequently. Needing frequent truing is not the sign of a quality wheelset.

My other wheels, with around 3000 miles on 'em, a custom set from Ligero wheels, needed a little touch up to bring 'em back into true, but that was only after a car forced me off the road, onto the shoulder, and into a roughly 1" wide and 2" deep crack in the pavement. Flatted both tires, gouged the hell out of the rims and brake surfaces, but only mussed the trueness a bit. Across 8 spokes (out of 24 2x) the wheel was 1/16" + a red hair out of true.