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Advice: Race Face Aefect Straight Pull Wheel Set - Keeper?

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
I need to have a rear Race Face Aefect wheel repaired or rebuilt, it has straight pull hubs and double cross lacing c. 2016. I suck at wheels so I will have to pay a shop to fix it. The only shop I trust to do it charges $45 an hour, one side will have to be completely re-laced, the other side looks to be fine but who knows until you're actually in there? Minimum 2 hour charge because... Cannondale dealer.

I have ordered a basic DT Swiss built wheel and 46 tooth cassette, turns out it is not compatible with bolt on rotors, nothing from the old wheel can transfer. Front wheel is out of stock but I should be able to get one by the end of the year.

Is an Aefect wheelset worth maintaining? Or would you dump it and just move on? As is I can get about $100.00 for the set, maybe $25 for the cassette and $10.00 for the rotor.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,190
19,156
Canaderp
If the repairs will cost more than what the wheel is worth, I'd say ditch it. Why does one side need to be relaced?

Are there any local wheel builders? I use a guy here who only does wheels and doesn't charge any more than what a shop would charge. And he's upfront and honest about what ya need. Could be something to look for... I don't even know how I found this guy, on Instagram or something..
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
If the repairs will cost more than what the wheel is worth, I'd say ditch it. Why does one side need to be relaced?

Are there any local wheel builders? I use a guy here who only does wheels and doesn't charge any more than what a shop would charge. And he's upfront and honest about what ya need. Could be something to look for... I don't even know how I found this guy, on Instagram or something..
3 bad spokes, 1 broken spoke, you have to pull 2 to replace 1.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
Do you need a backup?
Not for this bike, I have another bike to use if this one craps out. This bike has a medium GX cage, not sure if it will work with both 42 & 46 cassettes and the same chain but if it doesn't I'll dump them, not worth another $120 for a new cassette plus the repair.
 

Serial Midget

Al Bundy
Jun 25, 2002
13,053
1,896
Fort of Rio Grande
The shop had an adapter which I dry fit, it would have worked out fine for $30.00, however, the adjustment required for the brake position made me choose a new rotor at twice the price. I suck at fine positioning that requires good eyesight because old. $530 to replace 5 spokes... I could have done it for half of that but I wanted an 10/46 cassette.

I ended up going with a Shimano M8000 10/46 instead of a Sram SG because less money and immediate availability. The bike has a medium cage GX derailleur, swapping to a long cage would have been another $100.00. I did not want to "invest" anymore money in low end Sram because I found downshifting to be clunky and slow over multiple cogs.

This turned out to be a good move. The wheel slipped right in and does not appear to need a longer chain. Shifting is much improved - no more clunk or delay over multiple cogs. Visually I cant see any reason why one cassette would shift better than the other. It's possible that the chain was always too long and 4 or 5 years of stretching made it that much more sloppy.