Forum Replies Created
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Replies
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Yepp, I had the same
Yepp, I had the same experience with the Zondas, well built wheels but they did make the ride seem very harsh. I won’t buy them again for UK roads but perhaps if I lived abroad with some decent tarmac I might be tempted again. I would have to go 28s and lower pressure though. My Fulcrum (carbon) Quattros are fantastic but they did cost an arm and a leg.
Why not see if something from
Why not see if something from the Giro range will work? Type “Giro replacement pads” into your favourite search engine and have a look around. Low cost option so it may be worth a punt.
I reckon that cassette ratio
I reckon that cassette ratio and a slightly better wheelset aren’t deciding factors in this, give it 12 months and there is a good chance that both could be replaced by then. 11/32 & 11/34 are cassettes with a much bigger range than I would use personally, 11t is very much over-rated/under-used for many ‘normal‘ riders and a 34t at the back is a very low gear if matched with a 34 on the front.
Regarding the frame material, it really is a case of ‘it depends’. I would rather have a good frame fullstop, than a poor one irrespective of material and, IMO, there is a lot of nonsense talked about the magical properties of CF anyway. However, what makes a good and average frame is never easy to determine and most people just use the terms to mean that the frame they like has the right geo and excites them (stack/reach…colour).
Groupset? Totally agree that current 105 is very good and most people wouldn’t notice a difference between it and Ultegra (in fact I run a 4700/5800 combo on my AL winter bike and that gives me everything I want from a groupset, same goes for Potenza on my CF summer bike).
So, it all kind of boils down to…all the options look good and there are many others too. I would suggest the OP pops down to a decent LBS and has a look at a few, have a chat with the people there and some of the folks in your club…then pick one that fits, you like the look of and want to ride.
The track does look pretty
The track does look pretty worn generally but only you can really tell. If so there may not be much to gain by messing about with things. As PP has said, that scratch has the potential to eat pads, cause braking pulsing or other issues. In any case, it will always probably play on your mind, particuarly when going down a long descent. I would try and make an objective assessment about whether it is simply time to buy another set of wheels. I know that may be galling but wheels wear out with use and factory sets are always meant to just go in the bin when worn. That is one of the main reasons why I moved to quality handbuilts for my winter wheels as issues like this/wear are solved with a new rim and a rebuild.
Are you sure that you didn’t
Are you sure that you didn’t bend the hanger? There are alignment checkers but spare hangers are relatively cheap and easy to swap out. If things don’t improve then swap back and keep the spare safe as it can be reassuring to know that you have one packed when you are off on a bike holiday somewhere (not worth carrying on a bike though).
Unfortunately it is the law
Unfortunately it is the law of diminishing returns. A good £600 wheelset will feel faster and more nimble than an entry level £80 set…but spend 2 or 3 times that and you will find a much bigger difference on a day where you have good legs. A large amount of the cash spent on expensive wheels will go directly to the marketing dept who come up with “Oojemeflip” bearings, and natty phrases on why they might turn you into a world beater.
Be realistic about how much
Be realistic about how much turbo you think you will be doing. I just turbo when the weather is really rubbish or I am recovering from injury, so I just stick a bike on the turbo as it is. Most normal road tyres can take a bit of turbo use without falling apart, and any slick that accumulates soon disappears after a couple of miles on the road.
Personally, I wouldn’t try to
Personally, I wouldn’t try to apply much reasoning to an illogical purchase. Let’s face it, logic would dictate a purchase of Prime 50s costing around £500 with no discernible loss in performance or any other worthwhile metric. Justify the purchase only in terms of ‘because you’re worth it’ and get the ones you like the look of. Failing that, get something similar from Hunt/Prime, etc. and put the savings towards a nice break in the Alps, when conditions permit.
OP, you really are going the
OP, you really are going the wrong way around this and need to just start again. Have a little think about what kind of riding you do, what kind of rider you are (honest weight inc. any attachments) and what your budget is. Don’t try and shoot for the moon.
Then, get in touch with any of the regular wheel builders (DCR is great, but don’t rule out the others like Strada, etc). Don’t worry too much about spoke count, that will turn up with the options and the advice given.
FWIW, I think the Archetypes are great for winter/training wheels as they have a decent thickness of brake track and take some stick. Yes, the annodising wears off but they look all right when the process has finished. My wheels are built with 24/28 DA9000 hubs and, with CX Ray, come in around 1500g ish and have had 3-4 rebuilds. Cost was about £500, rebuilds are obviously a lot less.
Use the custom build option for its benefits, don’t focus on the limitations/risks of trying to get something that may or may not work.
20 years ago when you could
20 years ago when you could spend an hour in the saddle without discomfort I suspect that was riding outdoors? If so that is exactly my point, that riding outdoors is so variable in nature that many riders make lots of little adjustments for balance, sight, out of the saddle, etc., without even realising it and that all helps to keep things comfortable. If you are on the turbo, the common thing to do is to settle into a position and then hold it static for an hour or two which is a real killer for your butt. Hence, stress not. Learn to keep some variety in your turbo sessions (some HITT sessions will force you to get out of your comfort zone, for example, and give you a big gain for the little time) and re-evaluate things when you can get back out or you could end up with a saddle that is great for the way you turbo, but doesn’t work for you on the road.
^ what he said.
^ what he said.
If you sit in your favourite
If you sit in your favourite armchair for 2 hours it will feel bloody uncomfortable. Are you looking after the basics like making sure you do out of saddle/stretches regularly? If you do group rides and sit in for a while it is amazing how much the average rider fidgets around, which helps to alleviate the pressure naturally. Turbo sessions can end up as a 2 hour slump, which few saddle/short combos can cope with.
As above, decent tyres first
As above, decent tyres first and replacement chainring (like for like, no real benefits from anything else). The bike needs little besides so don’t waste your money. If you have a desperate need/desire to burn money then spend a grand on a gravel bike that doubles up as a winter trainer, complete with decent mudguards and approp tyres fitted.
Ref the top stack slicing…have another look at the setup before you do. It looks to me like the classic mistake of trying to go low but finding it uncomfortable. The bars have been rotated up to compensate for an over dropped stack. Try moving one of the 10 mm spacers from above the stem to below it, and rotate the bars so that the shifters are flat. This will also help your reach to the drops.
You don’t need to contact the
You don’t need to contact the manufacturer. The only issues you could possibly have are that 28s are too wide/narrow for the rim, but that is unlikely. Just check the rims for the ETRTO/ISO number. They will probably be 622-xx, where 622 indicates the bead seat for a standard 700c wheel and xx is the internal rim width. Hence, 622-15 or 622-17 is likely in your case, both of which will suit 25 or 28mm tyres. There are quite a few guides around on what will work with what.
Key point though is that there is little to gain from running 28f and 25r (as stated, a better combo would be 25f/28r) but give it a go if you want to and see what you think.
No problem with mixing tyre
No problem with mixing tyre sizes as long as the rims are fine with that. I know a few people who want to ride 28s but cannot due to frame clearance, so often end up with a 28/25 combo. Thing is though, one of the main benefits from going 28 (providing one drops pressure accordingly) is to improve comfort and the biggest bang for the buck is always the rear. There are some very marginal aero gains to be had going 28 on the front providing the rim is built for that. In most cases, riding 25 on the front is about right and buying tyres in pairs can be cheaper…
TLDR? Don’t bother unless you are getting sore hands due to excess vibration.