Wheelset for Specialized Allez

I was under the same impression - that's one of the reasons I went for them. As I say - the other 3 cups and cones are pristine.

I have always maintained my own wheels without problems, and worn out rims, but never hubs, and never in 6 months of summer use!

The RS81 rims have barely any wear, and it really stings to throw away such an expensive wheel, but I've asked around and it's not economic to repair (unless someone knows otherwise?)

I was under the impression that shimano hubs were virtually bombproof and long lasting....as long as you check the cups and cones are at the right preload.
I have never owned a pair, just what I've read on tinterwebs...

Personally I would avoid Shimano wheels. I have just had to bin a RS81 wheel as the cups in the hub were gone. They only had 6 months use over the summer.

With almost all other wheels you can replace the cartridge bearings. Shimano have cup and cone hubs, and the cups are not replaceable. Once they are damaged you have to chuck them away!

I have probably been unlucky - the other 3 cups are still pristine - but not worth the risk IMO when there are plenty of other good options out there.

Morning,

I spent a lot of time last year deciding what to do with my Allez and in the end I have ended up with two sets of wheels and a groupset upgrade. The effect it has had on the bike is noticeable and it has mostly spurred me on to ride more.

Firstly, I went for a full Shimano 105 5700 (10spd) upgrade with a slightly racier gearing (double rather than compact) as the hills on the South Coast are manageable. The jump from 8spd to 10spd was a definite improvement, I spent less time feeling like I was between gears.

Then for the remainder of the summer I used a set of Shimano RS81 wheelset. It was a bit of an extravagant purchase but after speaking to a lot of members of the club and spending a bit more on these than I had originally budgeted I couldn't be happier. These wheels coped with everything I have thrown at them, club rides, TTs, Triathlons, full day rides. Still running straight and true.

As the summer turned to Autumn and Winter I began to use this bike as a commuter. it's a fairly muddy, rural route (on road) and after scouting it out I decided that I didn't want all the grit and muck wearing the RS81s prematurely. I then went for some Shimano R501s (yes I know they are stickered as 500s) which I picked up in a sale for £72 a set. I can't say that I noticed a massive difference in weight (the mudguards and light battery have added a fair chunk), however I am regretting going this cheap with wheels.

I am already on my second rear wheel after hitting a pretty horrific pothole. The rim split quite badly at the join. I never had this issue with the original Alex rims or my RS81s.

Tyre wise it is Micheline Pro4 endurance all year round for the moment. Before I started commuting on a regular basis I would have said that these were puncture resistance but the roads of Hampshire have certainly tested this. I will be considering other tyres for my next purchase. For me slightly higher tyre weight is less of a selling point than puncture resistance.

Are you saying you need a Sora cassette and chain? I've got a 27t and chain gathering dust in the garage....

Hello! I run a 2013 base Allez with an 8 speed 2300/2400 groupset. Got a set of Fulcrum Quattros with GP4S that I run year round. The 8 speed works seamlessly with the Fulcrum hub, and I love it!

I think that you'd be better off saving for a summer/nice bike a year or two in the future rather than upgrading the groupset completely.

Regarding shifting etc, I keep my gears nicely maintained and indexed, I do feel a sense of joy when my fellow riders (on 105, Ultegra etc) are clanking and crashing the chain compared to my seamless changes! If you keep any groupset well maintained, the shifting will be roughly the same. And of course, with 8 speed, parts are generally more durable and much cheaper to replace!

Quote:

Winter tyres have, waaaaaay more p*uncture protection and also grippier rubber in wet&dry conditions (so more confidence on greasy winter roads) and slower, stronger casings....

Nah.
You want grippy rubber, buy top-of-the-range race tyres.
You want slow, hard, generally dispiriting tyres, you buy things with puncture protection. I like riding my bike and in the wet and cold and shite weather, I like riding it with nice tyres. I'll leave the 'winter' tyres to the hi-vis boys...

I'd spend money on wheels and tyres before a groupset.

But if buying wheels I'd look at Fulcrum 5, Shimano (RS61 or Ultegra) and perhaps the Pro Lite Bracciano.
http://road.cc/conntent/review/115857-fulcrum-racing-5-wheels
http://road.cc/content/review/126799-shimano-wh-6800-ultegra-wheels

roadgenius4 wrote:

well i havent had any flats so far- what would you reccommend for a 25c winter/wet tyre?

Schwalbe Durano, Michelin Pro 4 Endurance or Conti GP4 Season. But if you're happy with your Maxxis tyres carry on using those.

The difference between winter and summer tires is huge.
Summer has less puncture protection, softer, grippier in the dry (ime) rubber and faster casings., these generally are way nicer to ride.

Winter tyres have, waaaaaay more p*uncture protection and also grippier rubber in wet&dry conditions (so more confidence on greasy winter roads) and slower, stronger casings....

Wear out your stock tires in winter and get summer tyres....for summer. The difference can be incredible.

as Crikey said, its all about the rubber compound (and casing) than 'sipes' (cut outs) which are generally put there for visual buying confidence than servicing any useful function.

I've found Conti 4-seasons in 25c are a very good all rounder, with better puncture resistance than GP4000.

shop around, they are cheap on-line.

I ride completely slick 23c tyres all year round.
Grip comes from tyre compound, not marks on the surface, hence why the best 'winter' tyres are race tyres...

Quote:

winter/wet tyre

...it's a bicycle, not a rally car.
Choose a tyre that works all year round, rain or shine. Continental GP4000s work well, as do any of the racier choices from Vittoria, Vredestein, Michelin, Schwalbe and so on.

Tyres are one of the few things that make an appreciable difference to the way a bike rides; spend a bit.

Get a decent set of wheels like fulcrum racing 5 £170 if you shop around, will let you run 8/9/10/11 speed using the supplied spacer.

The shimano wheels are a good 'like for like' replacement if a wheel gets stolen or damaged in crash, but won't make much difference from performance point of view.

Good set of tires also makes a big difference, the stock tire (espoir?) are heavy and slow rolling.

Worry about group set as it wears out.

It would be better to spend more on your wheels than your groupset, the effect is more noticeable.
Most new wheelsets are 9/10/11 compatible so it would make sense to buy a nice-ish pair of wheels, then in a year or two, then buy an upgraded groupset.
I too am in the same boat, i have a specialized allez with sora and tiagra. it has a set of planet x al30's on it and hopefully will soon have the new 105 11 speed groupset...however i am only wanting the new groupset as i crashed a few weeks ago, smashing a shifter. (it makes more sense to spend £300 on a new group than ~£120 on new shifter).
if you want upgrades on a budget, come summer, get a nice pair of tyres and a new set of cables, this will make a surprisingly large difference to speed, comfort and shift quality.
hope all this helps