timdesuyo
Speeding Up
- Mar 29, 2010
- 138
- 1
I've got a little bit of an issue hanging over my head, and you guys probably know waaaay more about this than I. So here goes.
I will probably need to make a wheel decision sometime before fall, maybe sooner. I have cheap generic 650c wheels. The front rim has a dent on the lip, they're both a little out-of-true, and the cones on the back wheel are a bit scratched up. They seem ok to ride for now, but it's definitely put replacement in my mind.
The bike manufacturer is willing to just sell me a replacement hub, so I could just steal the axle, cones, and bearings out of that, and deal with the other issues for a while, procrastinating the decision for a while.
I could get a wheelset from the manufacturer (Tokyobike) for 18,000. They aren't particularly spectacular wheels, but they haven't let me down yet.
The Y's Road custom shop in Shinjuku was less than helpful when I went today, and they just showed me a catalog from a brand name that I didn't know and now escapes me, that had a wheel set for 50,000.
Wiggle doesn't stock any 650s except for Zipp and the like... which would be lipstick on a pig. I know Tim mentioned a couple other internet sites when I asked him over noodles on the Golden Week beginner ride, but I've totally forgotten what they were.
Another question I've had is do the 700c wheels make that much difference? I'm generally happy with my bike, but I got my butt handed to me by you guys on the climb.
So, I could go the cheap route, and not worry about it. I could spend 50,000, which is almost as much as the bike cost originally, and get some expensive cheap wheels, if you guys think that would make a big difference in my riding experience, or I could ride these wheels as long as I can, maybe replace the cones only, if I could find some, and save my pennies for a new frame, if you guys think that the 700c tires will help me keep up on the next ride.
Of course, I could just go back and re-read rule #5, buy the cheap wheels, and commute everywhere with gallons of water in my backpack, and go do some mountain climbing solo, until my legs are the size of trees, and then beat your carbon-fiber wonder up the hill anyway... but I'm wondering if you guys have any tricks up your sleeve for maximizing the value of a low-budget wheel purchase, or know anything about brands to avoid / buy, or shops to ask at...
Thanks again, guys. I really enjoyed my first ride with you all, and I'm definitely going to do it again.
I will probably need to make a wheel decision sometime before fall, maybe sooner. I have cheap generic 650c wheels. The front rim has a dent on the lip, they're both a little out-of-true, and the cones on the back wheel are a bit scratched up. They seem ok to ride for now, but it's definitely put replacement in my mind.
The bike manufacturer is willing to just sell me a replacement hub, so I could just steal the axle, cones, and bearings out of that, and deal with the other issues for a while, procrastinating the decision for a while.
I could get a wheelset from the manufacturer (Tokyobike) for 18,000. They aren't particularly spectacular wheels, but they haven't let me down yet.
The Y's Road custom shop in Shinjuku was less than helpful when I went today, and they just showed me a catalog from a brand name that I didn't know and now escapes me, that had a wheel set for 50,000.
Wiggle doesn't stock any 650s except for Zipp and the like... which would be lipstick on a pig. I know Tim mentioned a couple other internet sites when I asked him over noodles on the Golden Week beginner ride, but I've totally forgotten what they were.
Another question I've had is do the 700c wheels make that much difference? I'm generally happy with my bike, but I got my butt handed to me by you guys on the climb.
So, I could go the cheap route, and not worry about it. I could spend 50,000, which is almost as much as the bike cost originally, and get some expensive cheap wheels, if you guys think that would make a big difference in my riding experience, or I could ride these wheels as long as I can, maybe replace the cones only, if I could find some, and save my pennies for a new frame, if you guys think that the 700c tires will help me keep up on the next ride.
Of course, I could just go back and re-read rule #5, buy the cheap wheels, and commute everywhere with gallons of water in my backpack, and go do some mountain climbing solo, until my legs are the size of trees, and then beat your carbon-fiber wonder up the hill anyway... but I'm wondering if you guys have any tricks up your sleeve for maximizing the value of a low-budget wheel purchase, or know anything about brands to avoid / buy, or shops to ask at...
Thanks again, guys. I really enjoyed my first ride with you all, and I'm definitely going to do it again.