Shimano WH-7801-SL

Price Paid:  $0.00 at On a used bike I bou

Favorite Ride:
Escarpment @ west end of Lake Ontario

Bike Setup:
Full Carbon Scott with aero bars & Mavic Helliums as switch out wheels. It's amazing how different wheels can change the ride of a bike.

Summary:
I 'stole' a Scott full carbon for $3000 Cdn with full dure-ace 10spd & these wheels. He had Michln Karbns with tubes on her(didn't trust the technology)After 5-6 rides I searched out the Hutchn fushn 2's & made the switch.VERYNICE! But not perfect. You still needs Stans Slime or air will seep.The stems need to be finger tightened regularly too (or more seep through the tiny vent holes in the rims.10 miles out a flat is a flat whether tubed or not& while riding flat may not hurt the tire(as the ads say) it still feels awful tough on the rim.

Strengths:
Run them a little soft ( 100lbs) & they feel plush.Rolling reststnce has been redusd by design.-they say- 1000 miles no wear so far. The wheels themselves are bomb proof.

Weaknesses:
Air will seep along the rim without slime & some hassles with tubes are replaced with other hassles without tubes & So far only one mnufctr I can find.

Similar Products Used:
Tubulars with Glue?-fuggeddabuddet- Areo wheels are suicide in a cross wind with traffic. No other tubless tire mftcr

Price Paid:  $1000.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Wintergreen, Virginia

Bike Setup:
Eddie Merckx AXM, Dura-Ace 7800

Summary:
This is one of the best set of wheels I've ridden. The weight is light enough to climb well and accelerate quickly. The rim profile and low spoke count make the wheels fairly aerodynamic at higher speeds. Significant flex is not detectable under hard acceleration. There are about 1000 miles on the wheelset at this point with no truing needed or mechanical issues so far. If you buy these wheels, plan on using the tubeless system. As some other reviewers have described, traditional tires are virtually impossible to mount successfully. I found Michelin Pro3's will mount only with extreme difficulty and multiple pinched tubes. Hutchison tubeless tire mount easily and have been trouble free.

Strengths:
True do-it-all wheel, Shimano build quality and reliability, tubeless system works well.

Weaknesses:
Incompatible with traditional tires.

Similar Products Used:
Mavic Cosmic Carbone, Mavic Open Pro, Rolf Vector Pro

Price Paid:  $599.00 at LBS

Favorite Ride:
Anything without wind

Bike Setup:
07' Giant TCR A1, 105.

Summary:
Great lightweight and stiff wheels for the money. They roll very smooth and accelerate fast. I am very happy overall with these wheels. I have had a problem with some metal shavings comming off the rear braking surface and getting tangled in the rear brakes once or twice. It doesn't seem to be a common problem and isn't serious just annoying when it happens. Also when climbing out of the saddle I have had some brake rub (180lbs.) but only on very steep climbs while under heavy load.

Strengths:
Very light for clinchers and especially for the money.

Weaknesses:
Metal shavings off the rear brake, slight flexing under heavy load.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 at Green Lake

Favorite Ride:
anything on Mt Rainier

Bike Setup:
Tarmac-Dura Ace

Summary:

This is a follow up to a review I wrote about 9 months ago.

I Have a year on these and am miffed by how few people are using them. They are in a completely different league than tube type clinchers and tires. I never have flats while riding and have had only one or two slow leak (overnight) flats in 2000 miles. I was averaging a flat every 300 miles before as I ride quite a lot on a paved trail that delinquents like to break glass on.

I don't understand why anyone would buy these wheels and use tubed tires. From what I understand, they are very difficult to mount. The tubless tires are fast and easy and you have no worries about pinching the tube. This is before you consider that the tubeless tires have a Kevlar belt on the entire tire (the reason that flats are very rare).

I will never go back to tubed tires and plan to use these wheels on a new Tarmac when the new Dura Ace comes out.

Bram

Strengths:
no flats and they stay true

Weaknesses:
expensive and only one tire maker to date

Similar Products Used:
Mavic Sl's

Price Paid:  $600.00 at Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Ojai, CA Hwy 33

Bike Setup:
Litespeed Archon; nothing but the best.

Summary:
Purchased these wheels for three reasons: 1) nearly being blown off the road riding Ksyriums in cross windy ride, 2) a friend of mine has them on his tandem with no problems and 3)the majority of the hammerheads I ride with have these wheels.
I was pleasantly surprised by its stiffness and how easy they role. I didn't like the Hutchinson tubless tires for two reasons; they truely were a pain to install (getting a good seal when inflating) and the rolling resistance was subpar compared to Michelins or Conti's. They are just a tad lighter than the Ksyrium SL's (2003).

Strengths:
Stiffness in and out of the saddle.

Weaknesses:
Could be lighter.

Similar Products Used:
Ksyrium SL (all-purpose), Zipp 404's (single purpose; racing).