Shimano RS-80 wheelsets - clincher

4.25/5 (8 Reviews)


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Reviews 1 - 5 (8 Reviews Total) | Next 15

User Reviews

Overall Rating:1
Value Rating:2
Submitted by bob a Road Racer

Date Reviewed: October 10, 2011

Strengths:    cheap,look good,somewhat light.

Weaknesses:    junky hubs,get untrue fast,all in all a headache

Bottom Line:   
I bought the shimano rs80 wheel set because they looked good on paper and had descent reviews and they didn't seam so different then the dura ace 1380, but alas you get what you pay for. The finish on the wheels is not great at all compared to the dura ace that's finished with perfection. SO I said to my self oh well so much for that but if they ride like a dream who cares about the looks well it seams that the looks are not the only defect with these wheels the hubs were not so smooth and just got worse and worse as time went by so I sent them back to shimano and got a new pair of rs80 well they had same problems as the first ones I tried to tune the hubs my self and it improved them a bit. but not for long. Since then I have seen about 10 pairs of them some new in bike shops and some on friends bikes with the same problem and some with other problems too all in all just shell out the extra cash and get yourself the DURA ACE WHEEL SET

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Favorite Ride:   9w

Price Paid:    $550.00

Purchased At:   ebay

Similar Products Used:   fulcrum 0, dura ace 1380 hed ardennes

Bike Setup:   cervelo r5 with dura ace 7900


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by cyclingmollie a Recreational Rider

Date Reviewed: January 25, 2011

Strengths:    Reduced rim weight/angular momentum impart a feeling of lightness to the handling of a bike which has previously had heavy wheels. They have a good weight/strength/value ratio. They look good.

Weaknesses:    The spokes probably need to be ordered.

Bottom Line:   
The roads in East Lothian really need a strong wheelset. I used Mavic Open Pro and Ultegra hubs but knew I could improve my bike with lighter rims. I chose the RS80s over Ksyriums and Fulcrums because they seemed to get better reviews. The RS80s make the bike feel lighter i.e. the lighter rim reduces the inertia of the front wheel making changes in direction noticeably easier. That makes the bike "feel lighter" though the real weight reduction over the old wheels was only a total of 300 grams. I expected the higher tension of the spokes to transfer more road buzz but that isn't the case. The aero spokes make no appreciable difference to top speed. And compared to the improvement in handling the improvement in acceleration and climbing is much less obvious though if I try hard I can probably convince myself of them. The wheels look nicely understated so they won't look too out of place on an older bike.

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Favorite Ride:   Tifosi Altec 2

Price Paid:    $1500.00

Purchased At:   BicycleWorks Peebles

Similar Products Used:   Mavic Open Pro and Ultegra hubs hand-built.
Shimano RS500s.


Bike Setup:   Altec2 frame, Ritchey fork, Ultegra/Dura Ace mix.


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Tommy Walker a Recreational Rider

Date Reviewed: August 30, 2010

Strengths:    Lightweight, affordable, makes climbing easy, spins up nicely and handles very well.

Weaknesses:    At this price, none

Bottom Line:   
The RS80's are a great deal if you want an upgraded wheelset than the stock wheels that came on your bike and don't want to spend a lot of money. I put 700ccx 25 tires on them and they handle extrememly well and make climbing much easier. I wanted the aluminum braking surface. This is really all the wheel I will ever need for the riding I do.

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Favorite Ride:   W&OD Trail

Price Paid:    $400.00

Purchased At:   E-bay

Similar Products Used:   Ultegra 6600, Shimano RS10's

Bike Setup:   Cervelo RS, Ultegra Components, Speedplay peddles


Overall Rating:4
Value Rating:5
Submitted by PTK "Eirerider" a Road Racer

Date Reviewed: July 10, 2010

Strengths:    - Much bigger in performance for the money you pay
- The stiffness is impressive in ALL categories of road riding
- Yes they DO climb well at approx 1550g +/- (they'll never be in the same category as wheels that cost so much more, but they're not a million miles off either!)
- Yes the carbon laminate DOES soak up road shocks, even though it's not a 'true' carbon wheel. I've tested this as I was curious, so I've been impressed.
- The hubs/bearings in Shimano wheels have always been fairly good. So are these as they spin nicely.


Weaknesses:    - Not the most striking-looking wheels ever but so what - the subtle graphics and overall finish is nice and well packaged.
- Like any wheel after the first 'real' test and/or 200km of good racing, it may need a quick trip to your local bike shop for the slightest of truing and hub check. Is that a weakness...?
- No, they are NOT in the same league as super lightweight performance climbing wheels, but those wheel types will NEVER be bombproof. Shimano RS 80s are closer to that label by a long shot.


Bottom Line:   
I've got the latest RS 80s for training, and I'll be using them next week in a 5-day stage race in the Pyrenees (July 2010). Why? Robustness and all-round performance GUARANTEED. I can't get my pro wheelset for the race (long story) but I'm not bothered.
Putting aside Shimano's initial foray into wheel production (!!), they're starting to get there. Really, they are. (And I'm not big on Shimano groupsets anymore so there's no promotion going on here.) Shimano RS 80s are testament to that. Think of them as the equivalent of Kysrium SLs but without the troublesome hub issues.
The reviews here right are on the money, as you say. I used an earlier RS prototype version last year and they were good. Very good. I even had two victories on them on Polish roads - a massive and very messy sprint, the other was a breakaway on a very steep climb (14-25%). No joke. I was delighted.

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Favorite Ride:   Many high hills outside Krakow

Price Paid:    $435.00

Purchased At:   AIRBIKE, Warsaw (Pol

Similar Products Used:   - MAVIC Kysrium SLs (three pairs, used together for racing/training for 9 years, which were amazing in performance except for the (bad) hubs

Bike Setup:   - (Training Bike) FONDRIEST Stal, 8.5 kilos,
- Ultegra, Fizik, LOOK KEO, PRO bars & stems
- My team issue (CCC POLSAT) bike is a MERIDA carbon, DURA ACE etc..


Overall Rating:5
Value Rating:5
Submitted by Smirob a Recreational Rider

Date Reviewed: June 16, 2010

Strengths:    Strong, smooth and light. Cost if you can get a deal like I did.

Weaknesses:    Not very aero

Bottom Line:   
These wheels are light and stiff. They spin about the same as my OP/Ultegras but they spin up faster. Accelerating out of turns with these wheels is far easier and faster. They ride very well also, they aren't very deep but they roll well on the flats. They fly up hills no flexing and I weigh in at 280 lbs. I can stand and pound away. I am very impressed.

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Favorite Ride:   Ballona Creek Bike Path

Price Paid:    $400.00

Purchased At:   E-Bay

Similar Products Used:   OP/Ultegras, Sminano R500, and Forte Titans

Bike Setup:   CAAD 9-6 Triple Conti Gatorskins 25's



Reviews 1 - 5 (8 Reviews Total) | Next 15

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