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Wheel upgrade, Maddux to what?

by Joebristol
Thu, Feb 15, 2018 15:07
12

I’ve put down a deposit on a Cannondale Caad12 Disc 105 to collect when my C2W voucher comes through. The bike shop asked if there was anything I wanted changing on it (obviously at a cost) before I pick it up.

At the time I thought no, but now I’m wondering if it’s worth changing the wheels out before heave been used. Assuming the shop would give me some credit for them towards some other wheels how much weight would wheels need to lose for me to notice the difference?

I run tubeless on my mtb so I’m curious about running tubeless on the road bike as I get more punctures on my current one then I ever have done on mtb (usually glass working through a tyre or a pinch puncture).

I’ve found online reviews on the hunt wheelset that’s just about sub 1500g and costs £399 which is tubeless compatible. Not sure what else is out there for that cost or less that gets to 1500g ish?

I believe the standard wheelset is 1990g but I don’t know if it’s tubeless compatible or not at the moment.

I could just be being daft and maybe I should just get on and ride it as it is - and spend the money on a charger damper for my Rockshox Yaris on the mtb!

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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12 comments

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Joebristol | 6 years ago
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Sounds like a pain to me - why sell a wheel that has an obvious techicnal flaw with it? Surely just use the correct spoke nipples or drill the rim correctly?

Hmmmn, I might ring the bike shop tomorrow to have a chat and see what’s what on the wheel swapping front.

My Boardman came with Ritchey wheels that weren’t great - I didn’t snap any spikes but the rims wore really quickly and the bearings were awful. I just stuck a set of Mavic Aksiums on there and have had no issues with them at all.

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Joebristol | 6 years ago
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I’ve heard the spoke nipples are the wro type for the way the rims are drilled but I don’t know if that’s right or not.

I think I’ll pop in and see what they bike shop’s thoughts are on changing out the tyres and wheels for something better / if they’d give me credit for it.

If they aren’t then I’ll just ride t stock and see how it goes - if I fancy something better in time then I might look at some fulcrums / hunts and set them up tubeless.

I’m not particularly heavy I don’t think - around the 12 stone mark. Although maybe for road riding I am reasonably heavy? 

In terms of current punctures I’ve got 23c tyres on and tend to run them around 100psi to try and avoid pinch punctures - I still occasionally get them - the cycle track I commute on sometimes has some evil ridges where roots are growing under the tarmac. Going tubeless with bigger tyres should help a lot.

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dottigirl | 6 years ago
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I read some info about the Maddux wheels a while back - something about the nipples not being right, hence them not lasting very well? Something a wheel builder would easily sort, but beyond the skills of most.
If the LBS will do a deal for something better, and not charge extra for swapping parts around, I'd go for it. A lot less bother in the long run.

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kevvjj replied to dottigirl | 6 years ago
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dottigirl wrote:

I read some info about the Maddux wheels a while back - something about the nipples not being right, hence them not lasting very well? Something a wheel builder would easily sort, but beyond the skills of most. If the LBS will do a deal for something better, and not charge extra for swapping parts around, I'd go for it. A lot less bother in the long run.

I have the Jalco wheels on my GT Grade. They ar ethe same as Maddux. The issue with the nipples is that the rim drilling doesn't allow them to tilt towards the hub flange, this means the spokes are bent as they come out of the nipple. I have broken four spokes on the non-drive side rear, one of which broke as I was tensioning a replacement!  All spokes were broken at the nipple. You can buy better quality nipples that will overcome the poor rim drilling but, to be honest, the single gauge spokes are shite quality too. I figure that I will have replaced all the non-drive side spokes and nipples in the next 8 months and so will have a half decent wheel...

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OR_biker | 6 years ago
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I had a bad experience with the Maddux wheels that came stock on my CAAD8 a few years ago (granted, not disc brake).  While relatively hefty wheels they didn't hold up my weight too well (205 lbs. at the time).  I could hear the spokes flexing while standing on the pedals, and the rear hub developed excessive play within the first month and a half - maybe 300 miles of riding.  Luckily, the bike shop was good about contacting Cannondale and getting slightly upgraded wheels in the form of Mavic CXP 22 rims laced to Shimano 105 hubs.  Still pretty heavy but rolled nicely.  Unfortunately, the brake tracks wore relatively quickly.  Got Fulcrum 5 LG's to replace them and the difference was significant!  For a ~$300 wheelset they felt worlds apart from the Maddux set that I started with.

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
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They do seem a bit crap when exchanging stock wheels, maybe consider the tyres as a potential upgrade (if you've a bit of voucher money left)...

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check12 | 6 years ago
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Fulcrum racing 5 disc wheels for 280 (on wiggle) 17mm internal width

2 x conti 4000s in 25 or 28 (25s are about 28mm wide, 28s about 31mm wide) for about 60 

new wheels and tyres for ~340

if you ride for a bit with the stock wheels you’ll appreciate the upgrade.

 

your current punctures sound like not enough pressure and if you use a torch (one in a phone will do) and look for glass in your tyres and flick it out with your fingernails you might avoid some punctures. 

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zzk | 6 years ago
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Doubt the shop will give you credit for the stock wheels, but a wheel upgrade will probably be the best improvement you can make to the bike. I think it depends what you want the bike for. Commuting the Maddux will be fine and also workman like training or winter wheels if you plan to ride year round. If your after something better for events or summer or just fast riding then the Hunts get some good reviews. There lots of quality wheelsets out there and choice is personal and should be determined by your weight and needs. I'd take the bike as stock, ride it and look out for some deals on classy wheels and invest when your ready.

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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I wouldnt worry too much if they're compatible or not, decent rim tape and valve will work perfectly to create a good seal.  The profile for clinchers is near as dammit that of tubeless.  Why else sell wheels that have clinchers but are tubeless ready

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Joebristol | 6 years ago
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Thanks for the reply - it comes standard with 25mm tyres that I don’t think are tubeless compatible. The seat stays looked like they had quite a lot of clearance but I didn’t check the chain stays. Imagine I could get 28s on there. 

I’m currently running 23c on my Boardman racer with tubes. Obviously the ride is quite hard, but it accelerates really well. 

Will swapping to 25s / 28s see a more sluggish ride in terms of acceleration? 

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n_g replied to Joebristol | 6 years ago
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Joebristol wrote:

Will swapping to 25s / 28s see a more sluggish ride in terms of acceleration? 

No. The added weight is miniscule.

The benefits of reduced rolling resistance from the wider tires will far outweigh that.

 

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
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I dont know the maximum tyre size.  I would personally, buy some tubeless rim tape and orange sealant, put on some Schwalbe G One Speed(30mm) if they fit and enjoy the smooth tubeless ride 1

 

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