Researching a New Wheelset...Comments from the Companies.

I've been talking about getting a new wheelset for weeks now and with the extra $250 I won at work, I'm ready to make it a reality. I've been doing some online research reading reviews, talking to teammates and fellow riders, and have narrowed my decision down to 3 different wheelsets. I've been focusing on weight and of course, price. I'm planning on purchasing a new bike this winter and want to save the serious coin for that.

So with all this mind, I thought it would be a good idea to email the makers of the three wheelsets to get their opinions and recommendations. I sent the same email to each of the three and got a pretty interesting response back. Take a look:

My email to them: "I'm wanting to get your opinion on which of your wheelsets would suit me the best. I'm 5'10" and 192lbs. I'm a Cat. 4 road racer and race in weekly criteriums as well. As my skills are increasing, I'm wanting to upgrade from my stock Shimano R550 wheelset. I'm turning into a good sprinter for my team and would like something that will be able to handle my weight and sprinting abilities." - pretty generic, but looking for something geared toward performance.

This is what I got back:

Company #1 - "either would be fine. The #!$ wheels are the best deal I have ever offered. They don’t come with skewers but you can use your current ones. The #!$ Aero wheels look cooler." - Did not answer my question at all, but the AERO's look cooler? (How About faster?) Do you want me to buy your product? I think not.

Company #2 - "Thanks for the email. Either wheel will work for you, but if it were I buying the wheel I would go with the #@!$ $%. The #@!$ is a bite lighter, which doesn't really matter too much for your weight, but it has the 30mm deep rim. For a sprinter like yourself it is more adventageous to go with the deeper dish. They excellerate well and look sweet. They hold up well for training too. I just spoke with $#@! and he said we have plenty of riders at your weight racing on them. The $#@!% are about 90 grams heavier and are built with Pillar spokes instead of Dt and have a different hub then the #@. Big price difference between the two. We have a lot of pro riders actually racing on the $#@!%. I hope I didn't confuse you. I just want you to have info on both and make your own mind up. Let me know if I can do anything else for you. Thanks again for the email" - A little better response, but once again, is looking sweet a performance benefit? (Oh btw...the more expensive one is better!)

So with these two responses back, I decide to email a friend with years of racing experience under his belt and this is what I got - "Most noticeable weight savings are the rotating mass parts of the bike - wheels, crank, pedals, shoes, etc. You will notice faster acceleration with lighter parts, especially over longer distances. The 100g savings is not huge .22lb (1/4 pound, but probably noticeable, especially if it is at the rear wheel. $220 is very reasonable for a wheelset. These are not the lightest around, but good for a heavier rider and with an aero profile will be great on the flat and downhill. You can always get lighter, but at a bigger cost, and you have to consider if the lighter wheels will handle your weight for the conditions you want to ride. Train on a heavy, older set of wheels and race on your good ones." - Just what I was looking for. This is the information I needed to sway my decision. My friend should sell wheelsets!

News Flash...after doing all this research, I find out that I have a new wheelset arriving this week as a gift. Hmmmmm...Now I get to research tires and a new cassette....JV
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