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Which wheels should you buy? All of the 2010 wheels have rear rims that are slightly heavier (40 grams) but a lot stronger. They are the strongest rims we have ever offered. It’s out experience that 95% of all wheel failures are rear rim cracks (see more on that below). Since all of the wheels use the same rear rim all of them are pretty durable but here’s a basic overview of each model. M28 Aero wheels use cut out flanges on the hubs and have a heavier front rim making these the strongest overall wheels we offer. They rear hub uses the same steel cassette body on the above wheel which will also not notch up like the alloy cassette bodies. The R28 SL wheels are our lightest set and use an alloy cassette body. We sell about 2000 of these a year and while alloy cassette bodies due notch up with the steel sprockets it’s rare for it to cause any real problem other than a cosmetic one (they are under the sprockets so you can’t see it anyway). While these are very light wheels they are also very strong. The R28 Aero wheels are essentially the same as the R28 SL wheels except use the cool looking aero spoke. The spokes are aero but the biggest advantage to them is that we use fewer spoke than the SL wheels giving it more of an aero advantage. The performance of both R series wheels is about the same but most people feel the aero wheels look cooler. We sometimes have customers who are surprised when their rims crack after 5,000 to 10,000 miles (sometimes more and sometimes less). All of the newer generation lower spoke count wheels lack the durability of the older 32 and 36 spoke wheels. This is simply because there are fewer spokes that are therefore putting more pressure on fewer spoke holes. The newer wheels are a lot more aerodynamic and lighter but it comes at a price. Just like the newer, lighter, chains wheels also wear out quicker. Our solution to this issue is that we offer rim replacements starting at $65. This gives you the option of riding very light weight wheels every day. A wheel warranty program is also available for $10 for front (alloy wheels) and $20 for rear (alloy wheels). No one else, to my knowledge, offers such a competitive price for not only purchasing but also maintaining wheels. Wheels take the most abuse of any component on the bike. It’s good to have a back up. The biggest issues for spoke and rim damage are tire sizes, tire pressures, and gearing. Small tires at high pressure transfer all of the road shock into the wheel. Not only that, higher pressure tires offer higher rolling resistance, poorer handling, and a harsher ride. That’s why pros use pressures that are relatively low (typically below 90 PSI). Most people weigh more than 140 pounds so they need a little more pressure but the idea is to use as low a pressure as you can without getting rim flats. Using a larger tire (like a 25C tire) will also help a lot. Finally, using big gears and pulling the bike side to side is putting a lot of stress on both the wheels and the rest of the bike. Spinning lower gears is the way to ride. |
