Price Paid:
$230.00
at Performance sale Favorite Ride:
Any long paved trail Bike Setup:
Cannondale Synapse alloy, 105-10 drivetrain, compact 50/34 crank. Summary:
At the price I paid -- a half-off sale with another coupon stacked on that -- these wheels were excellent value, indeed untouchable by anything else, and my only regret was not having the storage space to buy a second set. They're not quite worth the $600 list price, though.
This is a solid wheelset. Overall, the rims are very well designed, and durable. They have survived potholes and kerb mountings with only minimal truing, and unlike cheaper and flexier Shimano wheelsets like the R540 they do not recoil violently over potholes or act like rubber bands when cornering. However, Shimano has a -- let's be polite here -- idiosyncratic approach to spokes, and servicing these wheels will be a pain should you break one. Even finding a mechanic who's happy working on hub-mounted nipples as opposed to rim mounted is going to be a little tricky.
The cheaper Shimano wheelsets are very flexy, and frankly dangerous in cornering on a downhill. These are reassuringly solid and they will give you a safer and more controllable and smoother ride over broken pavement.
I'd avoid them if you're heavy. I'm 171 pounds but I'd be nervous about hitting potholes and at least one major kerb mounting like I have if I were, say, 200 pounds. Even at 171 pounds a two inch kerb made a nasty crunching noise. These are a low spoke count wheel, 16 front and 20 rear, and even with the outstanding offset design of the rear rim, putting a 200 pound or more rider is asking a bit much of them.
I second the previous reviewer about the hub bearings. Mine aren't nearly as bad as he describes his, but it's only a matter of time for the front bearings which don't spin that smoothly anymore and it's not as though I have a huge amount of mileage
Look out for these wheels on sale (I figure anything at $450 or below is fair), or alternatively look at a set of Eastons or go a nice, practical, light-ish aluminum-rimmed wheel in whatever brand is sponsored and discounted by your bike club if applicable. Strengths:
Value when on sale (note my value rating is a compromise between 5+ for what I paid and about 3- at list).
A revelation compared to the junk you'll likely get as standard on a $1,500 bike (they always cheap out on wheels more than anything else). Do yourself a favor, once you've got a saddle that fits, if you only do one more upgrade ever, do the wheels.
Sturdy for a height/weight proportionate rider
Very good rear wheel design with offset rim
Attractive look Weaknesses:
Question marks on bearings
Non-standard spokes are difficult to service and replace
Similar Products Used:
Shimano R540 (extensively) -- much too flexy for anything more than recreational riding
Test rides of various stock wheels, most of them even more wobbly than the R540.
|
4 of 5
5 of 5
4 of 5
3 of 5
