Shimano WH-R550

Price Paid:  $200.00 at NSW , Aust

Favorite Ride:
the lake

Bike Setup:
Giant OCR, Ridley.

Summary:
Came on my OCR Zero Giant. Thought they were good but snapped rear spokes constantly, I am only 76kg. Wheel finally bucked and I gave it up. I know of many others with same problem. Spokes are definitely poor stainless steel quality. Hubs are weak.

Strengths:
Got to be joking.

Weaknesses:
weak spokes, very weak rear wheel

Similar Products Used:
Token C30A, Rigida DP40, Fulcrum R3

Price Paid:  $0.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Seattle hills. Any.

Bike Setup:
'06Fuji Team Carbon, 440 all carbon fork, Easton ea70 stem, Ritchey comp seatpost, Specialized hbars, cervelo saddle, Ultegra 6600 kit, tektro rx40 fb (koolstop thinline linearpull pads tho), 105 single pivot rb, Truvativ rolleur crk, SPD m505 pdls, whr550 fw, cxp33 on a DA hub rw. And Conti gatorskins because it's rainy here, and they rawk.

Summary:
Bomb. Awesome for the price (low drag too? Seriously?) and tough to break. Yes they're tanky, but all this jibberjabber about spokes breaking is foreign to me. Awesome crit wreck two months after I got the bike (fully 30+mph and bike diving for real) and taco'd the front. Was able to true it back to dead on, and am still using it. The rear finally flat-spotted a few months ago when a center island snuck up on me in the middle of the night and I canned it on the edge (almost hopped it, boo). Sold on the shimano wheel design from these: I would love to get ahold of some d/a's. Yesyes, they're a li'l tricky to true, but haven't had to do too much truing (6'0, 175ish) and I am a wheel destroyer (commute/race/bikepolo/bunnyhop/stairs? yep, up and down too). Confident descenders, Nice and stiff for powering out of the corners. Well mannered. AND the hubs are smooth (not as silky as my DA hubs, but dag.) Five stars overall (You get more than just an economical wheelset)! Seven stars for value!

Strengths:
Cheap, stiff, nice hubs, burly. These wheels are gonna be legend. Legend!

Weaknesses:
Um, they're tanks, but they're like a $200 dollar wheelset, so hush now.

Similar Products Used:
Easton ea90 sl (very nice!), Spinergy's, God knows how many different rims I've had on different hubs, but lots, darn it.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Fleet Cycles, Freman

Favorite Ride:
Touring

Summary:
The Shimano WH-R550 wheels came as original equipment on my Giant CRX-1 flatbar commuter. The wheels have done over 8,700 km, mostly on rough bike paths. I started out riding weighing 115 kg and have carried panniers regularly on this bike. After 8,700 km the rear wheel has failed, with cracks in the rims. This is after breaking two spokes over their life. The front rim continues to run true.

Strengths:
Overall good solid commuting/training wheels. Not too heavy and seem to handle my commuting conditions pretty well.

Weaknesses:
Cost of replacing spokes. These are expensive babies.

Similar Products Used:
Mavic Kysium Elites

Price Paid:  $500.00 at Cycle Surgry

Favorite Ride:
Harrington Point

Summary:
This wheel is great for training, its at a reasonable price, and it also looks cool, it holds speed well up and down hill and also on the flats, recomend to anyone looking for a good quality solid training wheel

Strengths:
Good all round wheel, perfect for training and atchally not to bad going up hill, not to heavey set

Weaknesses:
I cant seem to find one, there good for training, i wouldnt race on them

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Hills and open highways

Bike Setup:
Cervelo SLT, Ultegra/Ultegra SL.

Summary:
I've put over 1,600 miles on these wheels. Some of the roads I've ridden on haven't been the smoothest, and some where very rough. I've actually hit some nice cracks in the pavement (not intentionally)going downhill over 30 and 35mph. No time to avoid them, so I braced and hit them. I've even use them for ITT's and the roads had some cracks as well. All this with a rider that has weighed between 172 and 182 lbs and I've never had a problem with these wheels and they are still true. I would replace the rim tape though.

I'm giving these wheels a 3 rating due to the weight of the wheels.

Strengths:
Durability, looks good, aero, cleans easily, all black.

Weaknesses:
a bit heavy, issue of spoke replacement if needed.