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Upgrade wheels and pedals??

Hi All

This is my first post on road.cc but certainly not my last. Despite being passionate about road cycling for years, I am about to buy my first road bike! The excitement is palpable!!

After whittling down a huge list of potential first bikes and almost being tempted to spend way too much (the divorce would have been more expensive  4 !!) I have decided on the BMC Teammachine SLR02 105. Decision based on cost, reviews and the fact that I've loved it since I set eyes on it. Almost bought the ultegra version but wanted spare cash to upgrade the wheels.

So, first part of my request for advice: I'm happy to keep the rs 11's for winter training/eating up the miles but want a faster, lighter, easier rolling pair for races, sportives and better weather cycling. Budget around £500 ish and so far I've seen good deals on Shimano rs81 c35 & c50; dura ace 9000 c24; Cosmic Carbone SLS (a little over budget), Cosmic Elite S and Ksyrium Elite S WTS. Any recommendations would be hugely beneficial or are there a wheelset/brand out there that I'm missing?

Second question is: Should I be looking anywhere else other than Look Keo Blades and Speedplay pedals? I've ridden clipless for an age now on MTB so not new to them. Again, any advice very welcome.

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Walks

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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21 comments

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Zermattjohn | 10 years ago
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Wiggle got no C24's in stock. Evans also have em for £640 but they might do a price match.

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Walks | 10 years ago
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Wiggle have also got them sub £600.

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Zermattjohn | 10 years ago
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You can get some Dura Ace C24's for about £600 at the mo. Bit extra but save on pedals, maybe just go for some Shimano standard road SPD's for £40 ish and get them, wheels will give you more upgrade than pedals in my opinion.

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Cyclist replied to Zermattjohn | 10 years ago
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Zermattjohn wrote:

You can get some Dura Ace C24's for about £600 at the mo. Bit extra but save on pedals, maybe just go for some Shimano standard road SPD's for £40 ish and get them, wheels will give you more upgrade than pedals in my opinion.

Who is doing the DA C24s for 600 quid?

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Zermattjohn replied to Cyclist | 10 years ago
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Walks replied to Zermattjohn | 10 years ago
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I'm thinking the same. Already got some C24's ordered and now just deciding on the pedals but may go Dura-ace again. Got decent SPD's on my mountain bike and, whilst I appreciate road's are a different beast, I think they may feel more familiar initially. Time for trying out other brands later me thinks.

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BikeBud | 10 years ago
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I bought some Shimano Ultegra wheels - solid, stiff, quite light - love 'em.
My Dad has some Fulcrum Racing 3's - also very good.

RS11's aren't bad. Perhaps ride them for a while before splashing out on new wheels? At the moment my cycling budget goes on things that make my body fitter/faster, rather than my bike.

The first thing I'd consider is decent tyres - they make a world of difference in terms of bike handling & confidence, and can drop a nice chunk of rotating weight too.

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notfastenough | 10 years ago
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I like Speedplay (and don't seem to have the high-maintenance thing that others report), but then I have old knee issues which the speedplays are good at accommodating. I had a chat with Jon-Allan Butterworth (paralympic sprinter who is involved with a new LBS near me) and he said that Speedplays worked for him when he was coming back from a knee injury, but as a sprinter he prefers minimal float to really 'lock in' his position - think he mentioned Look blue cleats.

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La Brisa Fresca | 10 years ago
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I bought some Campag Shamals in sale from Wiggle reduced from a grand to 600 ish. They are superb. Very light 1450, ceramic bearings, very smooth with mid section aluminium rims. They do come in either campag or shimano compatible hubs. Recently reviewed in this months cycle sport mag. really like them

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ajmarshal1 replied to La Brisa Fresca | 10 years ago
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La Brisa Fresca wrote:

I bought some Campag Shamals in sale from Wiggle reduced from a grand to 600 ish. They are superb. Very light 1450, ceramic bearings, very smooth with mid section aluminium rims. They do come in either campag or shimano compatible hubs. Recently reviewed in this months cycle sport mag. really like them

I did the same, couldn't ignore them at that price. Tested them in the alps last month and they were exceptional.

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Jimmy Ray Will | 10 years ago
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Pedal wise... there is nothing better function wise than the old Time RXS pedals. Great modulation of float, cleats that tune to your bio-mechanical needs, cleat/pedal body interface that doesn't degrade over time.

Only problems are that the bearings can die on you, and the cleats have a habit of breaking if you stamp your foot or something.

As for Wheels... I've had the RS81 35mm wheels on the bike for training/chipper racing, and I have been suitably impressed. They are not the lightest by a stretch, and by the noise they make, I question their aerodynamic qualities, however they are reliable to date, and the rear transfers power to the road commendably.

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Walks | 10 years ago
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Thanks for all the advice people. It's really helped me narrow it down on the wheel front. As for the pedals, it may have to be trial and error until I find the ones that suit me. Hoping for a first time hit with those!

Just cannot wait to get out on the bike!

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hampstead_bandit | 10 years ago
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My missus got her 2014 fulcrum 3 for just over £300 from an online retailer in France

Got my 2014 fulcrum 5 price matched by Evans for £170

Very impressed by both wheel sets, especially the sheer value

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ajmarshal1 | 10 years ago
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You can get Fulcrum Racing 3's for a smidge over £300 at the minute if you shop around. That is a spectacular price and serious bang-for-buck for a superb set of all round wheels. If I were in your shoes that'd be what I'd be looking at.

As for pedals: They're like saddles. No-one can agree on which are the best. The usual derision dictates that Shimano break, Time cleats wear out, Look squeak and Speedplay are too high maintenance. It's all rubbish of course but you're unlikely to get a concensus.

I personally like Time road pedals.

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TheHound | 10 years ago
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wheelsmith.co.uk

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Simon E | 10 years ago
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Why not ride the same type of pedals as your MTB?

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therevokid | 10 years ago
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I ride speedplay .. they nice, but boy are the "high maintenance" !!
Going to go back to Looks myself. Perhaps you might consider Shimano DA
pedals ?

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Derny | 10 years ago
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Great choice of bike. Either the 105 or Ultegra model will be a blast to ride with any set of wheels.

Your choice of wheels needs to take into account your terrain and road conditions, weather, body weight, riding style. Some of the wheels you mentioned are very different. Some are also not that much better than the stock wheels.

If you can get either of the RS81 wheelsets for £500 ish that sounds like a great deal.

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Hoester | 10 years ago
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One word. Swisside.

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Hoester | 10 years ago
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One word. Swisside.

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Walks replied to Hoester | 10 years ago
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Thanks Hoester. Great recommendation as I'd never heard of them. Just checked them out and really like the look of the Hadron wheel set and at a fantastic price for the quality. Definitely on the very short list. Cheers

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