I am looking at a used 'cross bike (a 2000 Cannondale) and I have an idea of what kind of wheels I should pick up (Open Pros) but was wondering if anyone would be willing to offer some advice as to which wheelsets work best for 'cross? I mean, I am familiar with road wheelsets and their various advantages for given characteristics but does anyone have a primer for 'cross? What works for you?

Thanks!

B.

Ultegra or D/A Hubset (or Record/Chorus/Centaur)
fancy hubs are nice but harder to repack/regrease.
if you are riding really muddy or sandy stuff get velocity rims. aeroheads or fusions (or combo I sued to run aerohead front - fusion rear) deep vees are good, but they are heavier and narrower which can make it difficult with larger cx tires.

last word of advice

TUb's!

What works best is probably a relatively stoutly built, relatively light, deep dish rimmed wheel. But that's going to cost you :)

Use whatever standard road wheels you train on. If you can get tubulars for racing, they have some advantages, bu are a pain in the neck. A plain old 32 spoke box section wheel is great for cross, I train on some clinchers and tear the tires off my road racing wheels (32 spoke non-sexy box sections tubulars with ultegra hubs) and glue on tubular cross tires and that's all you need. Cross doesn't destroy your wheels any more than typical bike racer stuff during the summer. You want a 12-25 or 27 for gears, generally.

One wheelset that works great and seems to be a favorite are the Mavic Heliums, especially the tubular version. I have a set I bought 2nd hand offf ebay and they've been great for the last 2 or 3 seasons. Check ebay, there seems to be a set for sale every week. They're light and resistant.

i use hand built wheels: DA 9speed hubs 28/32h, DT evolution 14-17-14 spokes 3-cross with alloy nipples, and mavic 517 clincher rims. feather light, relatively inexpensive, easily serviced by me, and pleasant looking. i wouldn't use anything toooo rigid (ie ksyrium, zipp, et al) unless you plan on white knuckling the handlebar for an hour.

I would stay away from boutique wheels like ksyriums or any other hub system that requires a degree in engineering to replace a spoke, but i know many people have had good luck and results with these type of wheels.

I got a pair of Mavic Reflex's (clincher style) with DA hubs off of ebay for only $70 that are in perfect shape----note the buyer would not ship so thats why they were so cheap---less competition for me.

Ive raced on CXP's as well with good results (ie no breakage etc)

Right now i have a MA3 on the rear of my cross bike and its working fine.

good luck
jb

Unless you are competing at an elite level, just ride on what you have in your closet. Old stuff is good.

I use old dura ace 7403 8-spd hubs laced to old CXP30 wheels. At one time, they were my road training wheels, and they work fine with a 9- cassette and drivetrain.

I second the high profile aero rims because (1) they make for an incredibly strong wheel, and (2) the aero profile sheds mud. I am a big guy and tend to break stuff. If I wasn't using the CXPs, and had to buy new wheels with a box rim like a Open CD, etc, I'd probably opt for a 36h hub/rim rather than the 32 I now use. It's not like aerodynamics are really an issue at the speed ridden on a cross bike, and the extra strength is a plus. However, if you are lighter, and easy on equipment, the added spokes likely would be overkill!

[QUOTE=djg21It's not like aerodynamics are really an issue at the speed ridden on a cross bike, and the extra strength is a plus. [/QUOTE]

While drag is a continuous variable and affecting your speed anytime you're moving, the speed at which the power savings (or speed gain) that aerodynamic wheels becomes "significant" is often said to be around 12-14 mph. On almost any good cross courses there should be sections where you're going faster than that, sometimes a lot faster like on pavement. So while it may not be as significant as on the road, still aero wheels represents about the only place where you can "buy" speed. When you figure in the strength and mud shedding qualities plus the fact that many of the deep-dish carbon rims are as light or lighter than most rims, then it becomes a no-brainer if you have deep pockets.