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I need wheels

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,010
5,875
borcester rhymes
Anybody have opinions on a good, sub $300 wheelset for road biking? I need to replace my aging topolinos...

Are the ebay carbon novatec sets any good?
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,578
2,001
Seattle
I'm too lazy to do the googling for you but you should be able to find someone to build you a set of Mavic Open Pros on 105 or Ultegra hubs for that price. They won't be the absolute lightest wheels you can get for the money, but they'll be fine and last just short of forever.
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,815
105
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
I'm too lazy to do the googling for you but you should be able to find someone to build you a set of Mavic Open Pros on 105 or Ultegra hubs for that price. They won't be the absolute lightest wheels you can get for the money, but they'll be fine and last just short of forever.

this.... I had a set many years ago built by Colorado Cyclist of Mavic Open Pro 4CD's with ultegra hubs. raced and trained on them and never had to true them
 

tomasis7

stroganoff
Nov 5, 2014
623
65
Electronic bong-shed LEGAL
Running on open pro for a while. Other might think those are soft. Other more expensive choices are Kinlin, Pacenti, etc. Which offer more stiffness due aero shape.

Heck, mavic open sport would work well. Building alu rims is easier. Dt comp, brass nipples.
 

blindboxx2334

Turbo Monkey
Mar 19, 2013
1,340
101
Wets Coast
my room mates dad has a set of those carbon/novatecs, he bought them off alibaba.

he really digs them, other than the fact the rims pulsate when he grabs the brakes.. so he went back to his alu mavics.

i am assuming this is with lower quality wheels/rims though.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,379
24,026
media blackout
i am actually considering swapping for the DB Century Disc and selling the klunker I have.
i have a nashbar special CX frame. it's actually disc compatible (canti too), so i'm running it disc. i use it for both CX and road, and it'd be nice to pick up a second set of wheels so i don't have to change tires, just swap wheels.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,010
5,875
borcester rhymes
Not yet. We'll kind of. I bought the db century. It's pretty nice so far. I swapped over my 105 stis and was going to a few other parts but they don't really work. I might grab a build kit from Merlin cycles or something to make it right,

ANYWAYS I went with the disk bike because Chinese carbon clinchers with rim brakes was a turn off, but I'd have no problem with them and disc brakes. I'm thinking the yoeleo 50/60mm setup, 25mm u shape.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,010
5,875
borcester rhymes
I don't have a ton of miles on my diamondback, it has been OK though. Build quality is mediocre but no complaints, everything goes together as it should, it just won't win any awards. I replaced a lot of parts, but DB does a good job of giving you an effective bang for your buck. There's little on the century that wouldn't last a while, but I wanted a carbon post, and I upgraded the shitty bb5s, and the wheels were really pretty bad.

I didn't realize this was my thread. I ended up getting some ebay specials second hand, 50mm x 23mm wide, and they are awesome. Novatec 792 hubs, they roll well and are light enough. Altogether the bike is looking and riding pretty good.