Best wheelset for $500 or less

http://www.williamscycling.com/road-wheels

I had a friend buy the 30's and he loves them. They are a little over $500 but I thought I would share them.

I'm a big guy too. Is weight really important at our size? I'd worry more about aero personally. I got a set of reynolds used locally for 500 and like them a lot. I'd heard a lot of mixed reviews but apparently I got a quality set

I'll continue my line of questioning and ask what do you wish to accomplish by having lighter wheels? Are you doing races that only go uphill? In nearly every triathlon weight is mostly irrelevant.

Unless there is something wrong with your current wheelset I would have you look to arodynamics as a way to get any noticeable improvement in your performance. At your price point I would look for a used front (I like my HED3) and a wheel cover for the rear (~$100).

2200 grams for a road wheelset is heavy - climbing or not.  That's around a half-kilogram of rotating mass over most decent mid-priced wheels.  In the tri's that I've done, there were enough climbs that lighter weight wheels definitely made a difference.  For example, the Philly Tri Oly course has 8 climbs. In the 2 years I was racing it as a relay team doing the bike leg, I switched to a lightweight (but non-aero) wheelset the second year - 1400 gr versus 2000 gr.  I knocked 5 minutes off my time.  I can't attribute all of that to the wheels, but my goal was to knock around 20 seconds off per climb, an the wheels certainly helped.

So, in my non-professional-big-guy opinion, unless the tri courses are significantly flat-to-rolling with minimal cross winds, I think that wheel weight does play a factor.  I find it interesting in many of these threads that folks talk about only the small gains obtained from aeo wheels (versus an aero helmet, for instance), the issues of dealing with aero wheels in cross-winds, and the only real gains when you're going over 22mph.  While, under the right conditions, aero wheels do make a difference, it seems like carbon aero wheels are the "status symbol" of triathlons. ("them's fighting words, on this forum!"  )

And finally, if the OP has a single bike and wheelset for training and tri's, does an aero wheelset make the most sense?

I messed up my current front wheel after hitting a rock in a turn and ending up way off the road (but on my bike).  I would like for them to be a little areo but I live in the texas panhandle and often train and race in 20+ mph wind so deep and or discs probalbly aren't ideal  They will also be my only wheelset so i will train and race on them.  I train and race on a variety of terrains from pancake flat to cat 3 climbs.  Any feedback on the williams 30x

Used wheels can be a good buy IF you know how to check 'em out CAREFULLY & trust their history.  Buyer beware.  Everybody on CL seems to claim their wheels were always kept indoors & only ridden gently for few miles to church on Sunday AM's

Might look into Neuvation M28aero's.  Stout (solid bladed spokes), a bit aero (27mm rim), & well within OP's budget (~$250- inc. Lithion tires presently).  And not too heavy (<1850g), not that that makes much difference for big guys.  If you want more durability there's the classic Mavic OpenPro/Ultegra combo that's only a bit more $$.

I would avoid Ksyrium Equipes.  I'm only 165-170# riding weight & mine have been bit of a PITA.  Needed truing x2 within 1st 1000mi, Mavic freehub design (plastic bushing) is high maintenance, & they have rather poor aero performance in available tests.

At OP's price point I would NEVER trust no-name carbon wheels for all-around use. 

Hey Shane or should I say Mr Triathlon or is it Bike Master? Which ever, do you ever have anything positive to say? Or do you just say other peoples opinions are no good if they don't jive with your opinion? Ftr - you sure come off as a jerk.

Completely disagree with this. First of all Shane rarely disagrees with anyone's "opinions" when they are presented as such. What he does do is point out errors in posts that are presented as fact, as he as done here. I would also point out that Shane is one of the most knowledgeable individuals on this site, one who clearly takes the time to not only do the research, but to understand it and, as called for, explain it in a clear and concise manner.

As far as "anything positive to say," and "sure come off as a jerk," I'd say that's a pot-meets-kettle assessment. 

I agree with Shane.  Aero will trump weight in most cases.  Generally speaking, it's also hard to find light weight wheels that are also strong (bomb proof), especially for someone over 200lbs.  I would choose strong over light weight especially if you are on a limited budget and looking to use them for training also.

Used is a good route, especially if you are looking for something aero.  Several brands also make a Clydesdale build.  Generally these have more spokes.  I have a few friends that have had good luck with SRAM S60's or Zipp 404's as everyday wheels that you can also race with - you should be able to find a nice used set in your range.

If you want new, I would look at these, but they may be slightly more than your budget.  I think these are good training wheels that can be used for racing.

• Velocity (they even have some aero wheels that are strong enough for training)
• DT Swiss (I would look at 585's for your weight)
• Mavic Open Pro's.

If you Google, you may find some of these on sale now.  WheelBuilder.com and bicyclewheelwarehouse.com are also good places to look.

I bought a lightly used set of 40mm Felt TTR 2 off ST for $300 (incl shipping).  I was riding OEM Easton Vista SL (28mm round spoke) of which the rear is now a trainer wheel. Haven't had any issues with them.

gsmacleod - 2012-08-19 12:47 PM Sorry, tried to get back and edit my last post with some useful info but was chasing my daughter around.

jimi7218 - 2012-08-19 10:49 AM

2200 grams for a road wheelset is heavy - climbing or not.  That's around a half-kilogram of rotating mass over most decent mid-priced wheels.  In the tri's that I've done, there were enough climbs that lighter weight wheels definitely made a difference.  For example, the Philly Tri Oly course has 8 climbs.

There are eight climbs but also eight descents - while the extra weight hurts going up, it helps going down. It is still a net loss with a heavier wheelset but the difference for a typical AGer is going to be less than 10s for a rolling course with 500g of weight savings. Also, the difference between rotating mass and frame or rider mass does not matter in triathlon or TT's, unless they have a point to point, uphill course.

In the 2 years I was racing it as a relay team doing the bike leg, I switched to a lightweight (but non-aero) wheelset the second year - 1400 gr versus 2000 gr.  I knocked 5 minutes off my time.  I can't attribute all of that to the wheels, but my goal was to knock around 20 seconds off per climb, an the wheels certainly helped.

Congratulations on your improvement - that's quite a fitness gain year to year!

So, in my non-professional-big-guy opinion, unless the tri courses are significantly flat-to-rolling with minimal cross winds, I think that wheel weight does play a factor.

You can run the numbers if you like - while it seems intuitive that lighter would make for meaningful time savings, the numbers turn out to be quite small.

I find it interesting in many of these threads that folks talk about only the small gains obtained from aeo wheels (versus an aero helmet, for instance),

My aero wheels (which, with the disc cover are heavier than my training wheels) are consistently ~2s/km faster than my training wheels. OTOH, large mass differences (three empty 750mL water bottles vs three full 750mL water bottles) give no noticable difference in my testing.

the issues of dealing with aero wheels in cross-winds,

This is much more of an issue in gusty conditions and a disc rear (heavier but very aero) will improve handling dramatically. For most, simply getting some time riding with their aerowheels will allow them to be comfortable riding in wind.

and the only real gains when you're going over 22mph.

Completely false.

While, under the right conditions, aero wheels do make a difference, it seems like carbon aero wheels are the "status symbol" of triathlons. ("them's fighting words, on this forum!"  )

I don't have aerowheels as a status symbol; I have them because they are faster and my field testing bears this out. Aerowheels are faster in almost all conditions that triathletes will race in and they will make a difference that is at least an order of magnitude greater than any weight savings will.

And finally, if the OP has a single bike and wheelset for training and tri's, does an aero wheelset make the most sense?

I agree; a good training wheelset is what the OP needs if they need a new wheelset. My favourite is a set of Open Pros (32) laced to Ultegra hubs - not light, not aero but great everyday training wheels. Then, if the OP wants a fast race setup, all they need is a deep front wheel and cover for the back and they're good to go. Shane

Uh..., gsmacleod, thanks, I guess, for your deep analysis and critique of my post regarding my experiences (probably quite relevant to the OP, and none of this was expressed as hard facts!)  At least I know who to contact before posting anything in the future, and making a fool of myself again! 

(P.S. How did things work out for you with the 3 full water bottles attached to your rims?  Since we are talking rotational mass, you did take that into consideration, did you not?  )

My goodness!

Thank you Shane for being one of the best contributors to BT.  I have no idea how you keep your sanity sometimes.