skuke
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 323
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Quote:
Darby wrote:
The other issues that I weight 30 - 40 lbs more than he does.
If everything else where equal, your 40lb would give you a higher terminal velocity. ...you should go faster.
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Skuke
95 Carbonframes Tetra Pro
92 Bridgestone MB-1
90 Moser 51.151
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Umlungu
contributor
Reged: 03/04/05
Posts: 187
Loc: Plano, TX
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Hehe, no problem on the rantings. We all do it.
I bought the Fulcrum wheels earlier this year and even though they are heavier than the topos they do feel faster to me. I had ceramic bearings installed in them and I have always wondered if the topos would roll farther or faster with a ceramic upgrade too. I am not willing to go down that road though considering all the issues with bearings and whatnot I've had with my topos over the last few years.
Just a thought.
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Darby
sage
Reged: 08/03/06
Posts: 437
Loc: Orange County California
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Quote:
skuke wrote:
Quote:
Darby wrote:
The other issues that I weight 30 - 40 lbs more than he does.
If everything else where equal, your 40lb would give you a higher terminal velocity. ...you should go faster.
Yes, I agree. I should be faster down hills. It doesn't really bother me that I am not Lance Armstrong because I will get faster in time. I just want to make sure there isn't anything wrong with my bike.
Bruce
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Darby
sage
Reged: 08/03/06
Posts: 437
Loc: Orange County California
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Quote:
Umlungu wrote:
Hehe, no problem on the rantings. We all do it.
I bought the Fulcrum wheels earlier this year and even though they are heavier than the topos they do feel faster to me. I had ceramic bearings installed in them and I have always wondered if the topos would roll farther or faster with a ceramic upgrade too. I am not willing to go down that road though considering all the issues with bearings and whatnot I've had with my topos over the last few years.
Just a thought.
How do you like your Fulcrums? I like the Topos ability to smooth out the road. How do the Fulcrums perform in that regard? I may be asking too much from a set of wheels. Better performance and a smoother ride.
Also, a local bike shop is pushing there custom wheels. Do custom wheels have any advantage over stock wheels?
Bruce
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Umlungu
contributor
Reged: 03/04/05
Posts: 187
Loc: Plano, TX
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I have to say, I really really love the Fulcrums.
They are a few hundred grams heavier than the topos and don't have quite the cushy ride that the topos do but, from what I can tell, they accelerate faster and roll longer than the topos. I'll take that trade off any day.
One thing they do have in common though is both wheels require special spokes which most roadside support vehicles will not carry. The spokes for my Fulcrum Racing 1s are $25 each and are sized differently for front and rear wheels. I have never broken a spoke on the Fulcrums or Topos but you have to keep in mind that should one ever go out it is likely your day will be done.
I'm keeping the topos around to ride on the Bamboo Pro because they are light, give it a great look and make a unbelievable ride even smoother.
If I didn't have the Bamboo I'd probably sell them and get spare pair of Fulcrums.
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Darby
sage
Reged: 08/03/06
Posts: 437
Loc: Orange County California
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Quote:
Umlungu wrote:
I have to say, I really really love the Fulcrums.
They are a few hundred grams heavier than the topos and don't have quite the cushy ride that the topos do but, from what I can tell, they accelerate faster and roll longer than the topos. I'll take that trade off any day.
One thing they do have in common though is both wheels require special spokes which most roadside support vehicles will not carry. The spokes for my Fulcrum Racing 1s are $25 each and are sized differently for front and rear wheels. I have never broken a spoke on the Fulcrums or Topos but you have to keep in mind that should one ever go out it is likely your day will be done.
I'm keeping the topos around to ride on the Bamboo Pro because they are light, give it a great look and make a unbelievable ride even smoother.
If I didn't have the Bamboo I'd probably sell them and get spare pair of Fulcrums.
The increase in performance is important. Since I only own one bike, I would probably sell my Topos if they performed better. Which Fulcrums do you own?
My local bike shop recommended Zipp 303 wheels for me. He said that they have a carbon rim so that they do ride some what smoother than most wheels.
I will see if I can find a set of Fulcrums at a local bike shop.
Thanks,
Bruce
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rnhood
friend
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 39
Loc: NC
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I weigh 192 lbs, and have the Topo AX3.0 with ceramic bearings on my Tetra 62. I have yet to be out coasted going downhill. And, I would say that I coast faster than 9 out of 10 bikes. The 1 of 10 will coast at virtually the same speed - though not faster. This is my take after numerous different club rides with a various cycling groups.
Having said this, I am currently running Michelin ProRace 23s which might also account for my perceived superior rolling performance. I previously had Mavic CXP-33 with 23 and, 28mm tires (not Michelins though) and, they definitely fell short of my current set-up in coasting ease - so it seems.
My AX3.0s feel very firm and light. There is a muted feel to them but, I just don't detect any "give" or compliance in them. Going up a hill, they are a pleasure. They seem to track well also, especially when leaning hard into a turn on a fast descent (ie., Blue Ridge Parkway).
The AX3.0's don't brake as well as the Mavic CXP-33 wheels. I suspect the slight wider Mavic rim (2mm) is the reason for this. More leverage on a wider rim, I guess. Also, my Topos sometimes exhibit a loud ticking sound from the ratchet pawl - as opposed to the normally refined and quiet ticking when coasting. A quick or forward pedal will often alleviate this but, I suspect that the pawl/ratchet is not perfectly stable inside the hub. I am currently trying to decide whether to send the rear wheel back and have this looked at while still under warranty. It isn't a big deal but, it isn't quite normal either. However, I don't believe there is any immediate risk involved.
Do the ceramic bearings make a difference? I don't know but, I would sort of guess not. The bearing steel in the ABEC 5 bearings is plenty hard. So much so that, I would think any further hardness is pretty much academic as far as a bicycle wheel is concerned. If I was buying another set, I would save the $200 and get the standard bearings. Frankly, I would say my superior coasting performance is due to the culmination of my weight, a perfectly aligned stiff bicycle frame, very low rolling resistance of the ProRace 2 tires, and perhaps my body shape, though at 6'2" 192 lbs and 56 years old I just don't see myself as aero.
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Umlungu
contributor
Reged: 03/04/05
Posts: 187
Loc: Plano, TX
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I have the Fulcrum Racing 1 (black) wheelset with aftermarket ceramic bearings installed.
Interesting development last night with my Topolino AC29 wheelset I thought I would share.
While looking at the rear wheel with my mechanic (I converted the rear wheel to campy and have been tweaking it to work right), he noticed the driveside hub was torn in 2 different places. I had seen them before but thought they looked like plastic molding seams and I paid no attention to them. As we got up close and eyeballed the hub we saw 2 distinct tears in the hub material. This wheel had all spokes (with corresponding hub halves) replaced last summer except for the drive side rear and it looks like that will be replaced now as well. After this repair I think the only original parts left on the wheelset will be the axles, skewers and front rim.
So just a word of warning, please inspect your hub housings for small cracks in the plastic that might look like plastic seams.
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Darby
sage
Reged: 08/03/06
Posts: 437
Loc: Orange County California
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Quote:
Umlungu wrote:
I have the Fulcrum Racing 1 (black) wheelset with aftermarket ceramic bearings installed.
Interesting development last night with my Topolino AC29 wheelset I thought I would share.
While looking at the rear wheel with my mechanic (I converted the rear wheel to campy and have been tweaking it to work right), he noticed the driveside hub was torn in 2 different places. I had seen them before but thought they looked like plastic molding seams and I paid no attention to them. As we got up close and eyeballed the hub we saw 2 distinct tears in the hub material. This wheel had all spokes (with corresponding hub halves) replaced last summer except for the drive side rear and it looks like that will be replaced now as well. After this repair I think the only original parts left on the wheelset will be the axles, skewers and front rim.
So just a word of warning, please inspect your hub housings for small cracks in the plastic that might look like plastic seams.
Thanks for the update on your Topolinos. I am really starting to think about replacing them with a different wheel set. However, I haven't quite figured out what I want. Where I live there are a lot of nasty hills so the wheels should probably be light but then aero wheels would help on the flats. Is it possible to get wheels that both are aero and good climbers? Also comfort something that the Topolino wheels do very well and may be hard to find in another wheel set.
I am starting to look at custom wheel builders since they seem to be able to build a good wheel set for less money that buying off the shelf.
Bruce
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Darby
sage
Reged: 08/03/06
Posts: 437
Loc: Orange County California
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Quote:
rnhood wrote:
I weigh 192 lbs, and have the Topo AX3.0 with ceramic bearings on my Tetra 62. I have yet to be out coasted going downhill. And, I would say that I coast faster than 9 out of 10 bikes. The 1 of 10 will coast at virtually the same speed - though not faster. This is my take after numerous different club rides with a various cycling groups.
The AX3.0 didn't exist when I bought my Topo C19s or I would have probably bought them instead. The AX3.0 wheels, I think, fixed some problems Topos have had with their hubs. I never had hub probems but I broke a spoke after 4 months or riding my Topos and it almost caused me to sell them. I am considering another wheel set that will give some of the advantages of the Topos with more durability.
Bruce
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Umlungu
contributor
Reged: 03/04/05
Posts: 187
Loc: Plano, TX
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I have a friend who rides the 303s and he likes them alot. He recently put ceramic bearings in them and is very happy with the upgrade too. Keep us posted on your wheel situation and if you go the custom route, I would definitely like to see pics!
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Darby
sage
Reged: 08/03/06
Posts: 437
Loc: Orange County California
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Quote:
Umlungu wrote:
I have a friend who rides the 303s and he likes them alot. He recently put ceramic bearings in them and is very happy with the upgrade too. Keep us posted on your wheel situation and if you go the custom route, I would definitely like to see pics!
Umlungu,
Thanks for the feedback on the 303s. I called Zipp today and they recommended the 404s but I live in a very hilly area so the 404s might not be a good choice for me. The ceramic bearings sound like a good upgrade but Zipps bearings are a $1,000 upgrade which is more that I can spend.
I keep you updated as to what I end up with.
Bruce
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rnhood
friend
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 39
Loc: NC
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I also considered the Bontrager Race-XXX-Lite wheels. They were very nice, lightwieght and well designed. Only their carbon rim turned me to Topos, because I just was not sure how I would like their braking performance. However, if I had to do it again I would probably pick the Bontragers. They rode real nice and were very light. The only difference between these and the ones the Discovery Team rode (Aeolus), is the added fairing to give them more aero properties, at the slight expense of weight. They are good wheels. The new Shimano 7850 clinchers are another possibility. They are well regarded, from what I read on the 'net.
I know many of the independent wheel builders preach the, "I can build you a set as light as any clincher on the market" but, once you tell them you are not a midget then they change their tune - and want to put in more spokes, change the rim, and build a heavier set of wheels. Not that there is anything wrong with a nice robust set of wheels but, your available options widen considerably when talking about heavier wheels.
If you ride in the wind very much, I would caution you on the deep rims (deeper than 30mm) as these (mainly the front) become quite susceptible to "push" in wind gusts and cause a sudden lack of control or stability which can be quite unnerving. I much prefer rims 30mm and less for normal riding.
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