[TMR]

Did a search and came up with nada. I have some Mavic K Elites coming with my new bike. I've used them before, and I like that they're plenty stiff and relatively bombproof. However, they're a little on the heavy side, so I was looking into the Ritchey WCS protocol wheels. I'll be getting these for a deal so I would be able to flip the Mavic's for around the same price I paid for them.

My question is whether or not the WCS wheels are worth it. They'll be quite a bit lighter, however I'm wondering about their stiffness and durability. Granted, I don't weigh very much at 135 ish, however I'm able to put down some torque when it comes to spinning it up. I'm aware of the AC/Ritchey hub recall of last year, and from what I know they've ironed it all out. Would anyone be able to chime in on WCS reliabilty and ride quality vs K elites?

Thanks.

 

[blandin]

For what it's worth, I was considering these wheels a while ago, and since I'm a heavier rider I sent Ritchey an email. This was the response.

Thanks for your support. There is no weight limit on any of our wheels. We also have a new wheelset coming out called the WCS Protocol Limited. It uses lighter weight Sapim X Ray spokes and a Swiss made DT rear hub.

Thanks,

Ming Tan
Sr. Marketing Manager
Ritchey Design
Syncros Applied Technology

 

[roadboy]

nice alternative

i think the ritchey wheels would be the way to go. If you only weigh 135 then im sure the wheels will be plenty strong, plus it's something different, I mean it seems like everyone is on mavic wheels (myself included) but it's nice to see other high quality products out there, and if you can drop a few grams in the process than why not?

 

[mantraxl]

Well, within the last hour, I have had the joy of slowly prying the cogs of a 10s ultegra cassette off of a friends rear Protocol, one by one. At 135 lbs, you shouldnt have wheel strength issues, but I dont like that they cant make the cassette body fit cogs properly.

my $0.02

Eli