[Xela]

I am trying to think of what to ask the wife for for Christmas. I am leaning towards a new wheelset. I currently run the Ksyrium SLs for my do everything wheelset. Super happy with them as they have never given me a problem. I don't think they have ever even gotten out of true. They are about 4 or 5 years old now, so I was thinking maybe it's time for something new.

Looking for something to be a do-all wheel set that is maybe a little lighter than the Ksyriums. I have a set of tubular 303s that I rarely use, so I have the ultra-light race wheels covered. I also see that the Ksryium SLs have lightened up over the years since I bought my set, so maybe I should just upgrade to the new ones.

Any suggestions?

Anyone have any experience with either of these?

Fulcrum Racing Zero 2-Way Fit - - Wrench Science Custom Bike Builder

Mavic Ksyrium SL Premium - - Wrench Science Custom Bike Builder

[chh55]

I am also a SL user (the older silver ones from 2006) and mega-satisfied. A few fellow club members have the newer "Helium" version which I ogled with a certain degree of envy. On a ride last fall I heard a sound like a 22 shot and saw that one of the Helium guys had rolled out of the paceline with a broken spoke. I thought they were bombproof but he said that was the second time for him. He's not a little guy but not a Clydsdale either, probably about 185 or so. I don't think Mavic states a weight limit for them. So take that for what it's worth.
If you've found a wheelset that you like why go looking? Save the money and go somewhere nice with your wife instead!

[Xela]

Originally Posted by chh55

I am also a SL user (the older silver ones from 2006) and mega-satisfied.

Same ones I have.

Originally Posted by chh55

Save the money and go somewhere nice with your wife instead!

Oh, she's already taken care of that and booked our vacation for next year. I'd rather be coming to your part of the world, but we're going to China and Japan. Never been over there. We did Germany and Belgium last summer and had a blast!

You're right about the wheels. Hard to really justify spending that much money on something to replace something that I really have no complaints about.

[IanHighfield]

Xela, I understand the urge for something new, but maybe staying with such a good wheel as you have had is not a bad idea if only drab. All I do is time trial race and have found dropping weight in wheels only works so far. You go too light and flex comes into play. Spokes start to work and unwind. Wheels go out of true. You actually slow down mostly to wheel wobble, hop, or bounce as we call it.

On flat runs a certain amount of weight acts as a flywheel to some degree. This is proven to maintain bike speed in gusty wind conditions. I've time-tested everything and stay with fair weight wheels of sturdy construction. Same goes for tyres. Nice light track tyres are fast and light. But they have a much higher rate of puncture. One holed tyre kills your trial or your day in the sun. My findings are the findings of all my mates too. They warned me first but I had to learn the hard way. The best weight to take off a system is to the rider. Get as fine as your body type can handle if you have not already done this.

If you change wheels, maybe stay in the same weight class. Or try the lightest round thing you can find and test this for yourself. That is always the best thing for a rider in the first place. If you make a mistake, you'll have learned a good bit. Besides, it's all fun to mess about with wheels and things.

Ian

[Weav]

Xela, it's about that time of year again and I thought it's time to ressurect this thread.

What did you get last year? I would have recommended the Fulcrum 2-way fits. Same great technology as Campy and Shimano, both run on loose bearings instead of cartridge bearings like your Mavic's and the hubs spin and spin. Plus the chance to try tubeless.

Also, I would have considered a custom build to suit your needs. There are some fantastic custom builders around the country that would build you a nice servicable set of wheels tailored to your needs and they would be durable and easily serviceable when the time comes.

I ride the Dura Ace 7850 SL Tubeless and love them, coming from Fulcrum 7's that came stock on my bike, dropped a pound off my bike with just the wheels. Love them!

[Xela]

Thanks for resurrecting my thread, Weav! I went with these, and it doesn't hurt that they look so good on the bike. BTW, selling my Look 595 frame is what allowed me to purchase these.

http://www.twospoke.com/forum/f51/campagnolo-shamal-ultra-2-way-fit-4589/

[Weav]

Nice Bike Xela, sorry to hear you sold the 595 but who really needs two top notch carbon frames anyways. That is a nice Specialized, love the Look of it. What stem and bar are you running? Looks like a compact bend. I'm asking for the 3T Ergonova Pro bar/stem for Christmas.

[Xela]

Good eye. It is a compact. It's FSA's K-Force Shallow Drop. The stem is a FSA OS 99. Been really happy with both.

[Weav]

I had considered the FSA Wing Pro Compact and an FSA stem but ended up choosing the 3T over it.

[ZenCyclery]

I would suggest to steer clear of the Ksyriums. The internals of those hubs are not known for durability and parts take a while to get. The spokes are too big and oversized causing them to lack aerodynamic efficiency. Additionally, the semi boxed shape rim on the Ksyrium isn't the most aerodynamic hoop out there.
Concerning the Fulcrums, those may be a better option but 1460 grams is a bit heavy for a wheelset of this caliber. Also, if your a bigger rider the 16/21 spoke count may not be sufficient for power transfer and durability purposes.