Over the years, specialized wheel manufacturers (e. g. Mavic) faced stiff competition from bicycle brands offering their 'own' line of wheels. Shimano sells its own wheelsets, Campagnolo offers even though its fully owned subsidiary Fulcrum Shimano-compatible wheelsets, Specialized sells Roval wheelsets, etc. Wheelsets are a large market, not only as original outfitters but as spare and even tuning parts for older bikes.
Modern wheelsets use high-priced carbon but in aluminum, there are also great and lower-priced options available. I am very satisfied with budget Campagnolo Khamsin full alloy wheels; they offer all modern technologies for a great bang for the buck.
I advise everyone to take the time to search for wheelsets. There are great deals out there from web stores over e-commerce to 2nd hand platforms. I am willing to support brick-and-mortar stores, but the web is unbeatable in selections and prices.
Unlike 26' MTB wheelsets, the 700c road bike wheelsets are around for ages and they will stay this way in the foreseeable future. The front wheel's hub is 100 mm wide while the rear wheel measures 130 mm. There is only a choice between caliper and disc brakes, depending on your frame and fork. The rims should match your choice of tires - tubed and tubeless.
My Old Wheelset
I've bought my first road wheelset as 2nd hand right off a bike. The former owner upgraded his new bike to a better wheelset and I took the chance. We made the deal besides a night market even though there was nothing 'shady' about it.
The 'old' faithful did a good job through the years and brought me, honestly, a lot of joy. But the caliper brakes of my bike have worn down the sidewall to a point where it needed to be replaced. Before discarding or recycling I took some photos for memories and to clarify the actual weight on different road surfaces after around 20.000 km.
As the photos show, this basic wheelset is on the heavier side, as expected from a basic wheelset:
- front wheelset (without tire, tube & quick-release) = 813 g,
+ rear wheelset with 9 speed cassette (without tire, tube & quick-release) = 1474 g
= total 2287 g.
Don't get me wrong, these 'old' wheels brought me back to road race riding after an absence of nearly 40 (!) years, served me well, and ignited my desire to push for more. But it was really (!) time to move on...
New Wheelset
My biggest concern about the Shimano wheels was the use of ball bearings, assembled as cups and cones. The Japanese manufacturer claims easier service and higher lateral stiffness, but in real-world conditions, the assembly gets loose over time and, as a result, it 'wobbles' in the fork or rear triangle. You need tools or a shop to tighten them, something I did neither want to do.
For my new wheelset, I chose a lighter no-name hand-assembled wheelset with 'sealed bearing' hubs and 24 aero spokes/wheel. I bought the completely new front and rear wheelset for NT$3,049.00 or USD109.19 (6/29/2021) incl. freight.
Wheelset Specifications
Rim: Kin Lin XR240, alloy 6061-T6, height: 24 mm, Valve: French, 24 holes
Front Hub: Bitex RAF13, 100 mm, 24 holes, P.C.D: 30 mm
Rear Hub: Bitex RAR16, 130 mm, 24 holes, Shimano/Sram 8-11 speed, P.C.D: 50.6 mm
Spokes: Pillar 1432 cold forged aero spokes, stainless black with black nipples
Origin: All parts were 'made in Taiwan', and the wheelset was 'assembled in Taiwan'.
Wheelset Weight:
As the photos show, the new wheelset is on the 'lighter' side of life,
- front wheelset (without tire, tube & quick-release) = 732 grams,
+ rear wheelset with 11 speed cassette (without tire, tube & quick-release) = 1206 g
= total 1938 grams or 1.938 kg.
This is an instant saving of around 300 g per wheelset without tire/inner tubes but incl. the rear cassette!
Montage
Due to the standard measurements of 700c road bike wheels, the exchange of wheelsets is quite an easy affair, especially with caliper brakes. You open the brakes, open the quick release, move the old wheelset out, exchange the tire and tube, and put the new wheelset back on the bike.
Some folks change new 'software', I've used the old tires and tubes. The Continental GP5000 on the front and the Panaracer Race D Evo 3 on the back had some life left, the old inner tubes did not reveal any damage upon closer inspection.
Experience
Riding several 100 kilometers, I was surprised about the performance of these hand-assembled no-named wheelsets at a bargain price. They are too new to give an account of the reliability but they surely impressed me with the responsive, light, and fast attitude.
According to Kin Lin's homepage, these rims are 'only' for 19-23 mm wide tires, even though I have fitted 25 mm on the rear. The current trend goes to wider rims that claim 'more support of the tire wall' and 'reducing the tendency to roll off the rim'. I've seen carbon spokes snapping but never saw a tire 'rolling off' a rim.
I only use good quality tires for reliability, speed, and protection; I trust that their folding casing is strong enough to bring me home safely...
Shorts
+ good quality, light, fast, cheap.
- no modern 'wide' rim profile
Ride carefully, Gerhard
A Word of Caution
Always ride with a helmet and in a way that you are in control of the bike and not the other way around. Ride responsibly and defensively, and be prepared for a worst-case scenario! It is senseless to gain some seconds but spends weeks to recover in a hospital and/or at home for a stupid action! You, your body, your parents, your family, and your friends will surely appreciate your precautions before, during, and after a bike ride.