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Is it worth the $$$?

2K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  Goforit 
#1 ·
Rolling on a-class sr20's, which weigh 1,906g, was thinking Mavic kysrium elites, however the weight difference is 325g. I was kinda hoping to shave off around 450 grams. anyone think dropping $650 on the mavic's is worth it?

Also open to any suggestions.
 
#6 ·
263 lbs., i've lost a total of 19 lbs. since I started cycling and eating somewhat healthier, aiming to get back down to 190 lbs.

main reasons for wanting lighter wheels is for faster acceleration, seem like it takes a lot of energy to get the bike up to speed with my current wheels. I'd also like to shed some weight off my 18 lbs. bike.
 
#11 ·
#14 ·
Congrats on the weight loss.

Just so you know, your legs are rotating mass as well. Keep losing the pounds until you reach your goal. Then when you do, reward yourself with an upgrade.
 
#15 ·
Don't do it backwards, BigTex. The preferred route is to drop weight off your own frame first, before even thinking about destroying a perfect set of light wheels. Think of new wheels as a "reward" for achieving the weight loss. Pedalin' is hard right now because of your own weight...not the heavy wheels.
 
#16 ·
Riding 18/20 spoked wheels at 260lbs is really just asking for a serious failure! You need a good, strong set of wheels that'll keep you on the road. Definitely dont worry about bike or component weight at this point.

You'd be well served with a well built 32/32 or 32/36 spoked wheelset with a decent ~500g rim and strong hubs.
 
#17 ·
Riding 18/20 spoked wheels at 260lbs is really just asking for a serious failure! You need a good, strong set of wheels that'll keep you on the road. Definitely dont worry about bike or component weight at this point. You'd be well served with a well built 32/32 or 32/36 spoked wheelset with a decent ~500g rim and strong hubs.
This ^^^ Great advice.

it takes a lot of energy to get the bike up to speed with my current wheels
It's not the wheels that are causing this.
 
#18 ·
I agree with just riding your current set into the ground. I recently bought a much lighter wheel set and, believe me, it's not like you put it on and say - Wow I can really accelerate now! Seriously - I couldn't tell the difference from an acceleration/speed standpoint. Handling is affected, but, whatever, one can get used to anything. If you must - get a cheap set that's 300g lighter than your current one - you can do that for like $300.
 
#19 ·
For around or under $600 you can have someone build you a 32/32 spoke build wheelset. If you want to buy new pre built wheels go for something like Neuvation or similar places that offer good wheels at low prices compared to the big wheel makers (mavic, easton ,etc.) . At the big wheel builders you are paying for more than the wheel called marketing or fancy stickers. Many of the big wheel makers use the exact same rims (Kinlins or another rim maker) as the small wheel builders. Plus smaller builders use parts you can find in bike shops if you need repairs, not expensive specific parts that only work that wheel from the builders that have to be mailed out which means down time.
 
#23 ·
Go to a couple of bike shops in your area, and see if they have a good wheel builder in house. It's nice to have a wheel trued/repaired without having to pay to ship it to France... ;)

Make sure your wheelbuilder at the local bike shop has built a lot of wheels and not someone who builds a wheel every couple of months. You might want to contact several of the wheelbuilders who regularly contribute to this website for some advice. These guys have built more wheels than most local bike store mechanics could ever imagine.
 
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