Colnago C50 spec

Sorry to butt in, Tim, but I can vouch for Mavic hubs. I have a pair of screw-on (501)hubs in use on my old touring bike. Seven years old, never needed a moment's attention, and way smoother than anything the Big Two have come up with (and that's from a devout Campagthlic). I can't speak for the newer ones built into race wheels, but I doubt that quality has lessened. Plus, Boardman rates them, and you know what a fussy bu@@er he is. WRT the Shimano wheels, I can't understand having spokes entering the rims from the side. Distinctly unaero, puzzling given the raison d'être of minimal spoking pattern. As its your money I'm spending, I'd plump for a pair of Mavic Cosmic Carbones. Beautiful.

Best wishes (you lucky @*?#!!)
Robin

For people who like peace and quiet: a phoneless cord

Nice choice for colours, Tim. As for wheels I would go for the Mavic. They are solid. A friend of mine had bad experience with 2 sets of Shimano wheels... he claim that they are just too soft especially on bad roads.

Roland

Just to clarify, I have in mind the new (2004) Dura Ace wheelset:

http://dura-ace.shimano.com/publish/content/duraace/en/home/the_product0/wheels.html

..not the slightly dodgy older versions.

There's something slightly worrying about Ksyrium SL hubs (perhaps not other Mavic ones). In particular there is a serious gap, in both my original 2000 ones and my 2002 SLs, before the freewheel engages - so that when you turn the crank, it goes through twenty or thirty degrees before the whell actually starts turning. This is annoying and doesn't seem to happen with other manufacturers' hubs.

Incidentally I like Carbone Cosmics too - on the flat. But I suspect they weigh too much to be a decent climbing or all round wheel.

Tim

couldnt help it:

"all round wheel"

ho ho

Swine!

Hi Tim
sorry for being so late, but I've been skiing in Austria for a whole week.

Congratulations for the C50! It surely must be a great bike, but you know, I have gone a completely different route... and I'm very happy with it! I'll post a picture in the next days.

The Dura Ace 10s is terrific, I've tested it and is certainly miles ahead of the current production. But beware! I've been told of some minor downsides (absolutely unofficial) due to producing it outside Japan. Some say a brand new batch of groupset is now being produced in Japan and these groupsets will have the minor problems fixed.

Wheels... a real dilemma of any roadie. After much experimenting, I have reached my personal nirvana, which is currently composed of:
Mavic Cosmos for training, Mavic Ksyrium SL (tubulars) for road racing, Mavic Cosmic Carbone for road racing and TT, and Mavic Comete (rear) for TT.

Nevertheless, I understand your worries about Ksyrium hubs. Mine have the same problems as yours (only the Ksyrium BTW), but it happens only once a week, not more. I think I can get it fixed though. Mavic hubs are fully serviceable and probably a good mechanic can solve it.

Suggestions... well of course it depends on what you're looking for (weight? speed? durability? all of them?).
Frankly speaking, the BEST wheelset I've ever owned is certainly the Campy Nucleon that I sold for cheap to a friend of mine when I went for Ksyrium. But I wouldn't mix Campy wheels and Shimmy grouspet and certainly you wouldn't do that neither.

The new alu DA wheelset looks great and certainly rides great, but it's quite expensive and not the last word for weight.
I'd steer clear from esoteric, extra light, expensice wheels, but it's my own POV. Among these, I would probably suggest Zipp 303, that some friends of mine have (and some are selling, though). Alternatively, Corima Winium (carbon rims, tubulars).
Have you also considered DA hubs and Mavic Reflex (tubular rims) for racing? Do note many pro race with such wheels.

At the end of the day, if I was you (climbing attitudes) and owned a C50/DA 10s, I would probably go for DA or Ksyrium wheels. Plus a cheap training wheelset (DA hubs/Mavic rims or Cosmos or Ksyrium Equipe). If you are obsessed by weight, 303 or Winium are worth considering.
Personally, I don't like Shimano or Bontrager carbon wheels and do not suggest them.
Finally there are ADA Prorider/Lightweigth (two brands, same product) wheelsets... wet dreams...

Please keep me informed, I'm very interested in knowing your choice.

Stefano.

PS
a friend of mine has a Zipp set for sale (used in five races only, no training), if you're interested.

Stefano -

Thanks for your reply. I agree with you about Nucleons/Neutrons - wasn't there some arrangement (like a third party casette) which allowed Shimano groupset/Campy wheelset compatibility?

Given the amount I'm spending I will get my dealer to let me test both the Ksyriums and the DA wheels when the frame arrives (in...er...three months).

I raced my Principia with Corima Aero carbon wheels (tubs, very light), but thought them too fragile in some ways. Also some friends of mine have had bad experiences with both Zipp and Corima Carbon wheelsets, where the carbon 'delaminates' when it gets really hot.

I do really like the idea of Reflex rims on DA hubs (not least because they look so 'ordinary' to most). Nearly bought a pair of Mavic GEL tubular rims with a similar thing in mind last year.

Tim

Tim

quote:

---

wasn't there some arrangement (like a third party casette) which allowed Shimano groupset/Campy wheelset compatibility?

---

Marchisio Engineering is the answer. Marchisio cassettes are extremely popular down here (I have two myself, currently installed on the Comete, 11/21, and the Ksyrium, 12/23). They work pretty well with both Shimano and Campagnolo groupsets. The real advantage is that you can build your own cassette, simply choose the sprockets that you need and assemble. Each cassette consists of:
- 8, 9 or 10 sprockets (you choose each of them)
- spacers (different spacers for 8, 9 or 10 s)
- 8, 9 or 10 ferrules (maybe this word is not correct, I hope you understand) which go between the hub and each sprocket. You must specify if the hub is Shimano or Campagnolo kind.

In Marchisio system, each sprocket can be used for both Shimano or Campagnolo groupsets as long as you have the appropriate ferrule.
It's made of Aviotek (trade mark?) which is a special aluminium blend.

I hope you will have a chance of testing before you buy, even if both Ksyrium and DA 7800 are certainly very good wheelsets. As far as the look is concerned, I'd probably go for the DA.

Can you still find a pair of GELs these days? At 280 grams each you would probably get a terrific set of climbing wheels. Don't forget the spokes! No doubt in this case: Sapim CX Ray (terribly expensive), three pattern lacing.

You never mention training wheels... you won't be training with the wheels we've talking about, WILL YOU?

Oh, BTW, having a C40 as a spare bike sounds outrageous

You're quite right about carbon rims deteriorating... Moreover, getting the brake pads to work fine is a real nightmare, as many friends of mine have experienced. I'll stay away from carbon rims unless someone gives me an ADA Prorider wheelset for free....

Stefano.