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Help Custom Wheel Makers in Tokyo/durable wheel suggestions?

Haironfire

Warming-Up
Sep 14, 2010
2
0
Hi everyone,
I'm new to the site and have been grateful for many of your posts. Cheers.
I'm planning on a trip from Tokyo to Fukuoka and need to get some new rims. I have a road bike, but obviously don't want all the fancy schmancy racing rims for the trip - it's about 2000km.
I need 32 holes, hoping for Ultegra hubs, maybe Mavic CXP 22 rims or something similar, and who knows what spokes and nipples.
Anyway, I went to Y's in Shinjuku today and they said it'd be 4000yen/wheel for assembly of custom setups. Not theft, but I'm thinking there must be some shop out there that carries this kind of setup, or will do it for less if I buy everything from them.
My budget is not huge; I can only afford about 45 000yen, including building fees for the rims if I must... maybe a tiny bit more. Sigh.
Every bike shop I go to in Japan only seems to have 16/20 spokes, which just pushes the price up and gets less durable.
Anyone have any suggestions? Seen this kind of setup somewhere?
Thanks,
Haironfire
 
Yeah....just buy the factory built Ultegra 6800 wheels.

I use these as my winter bombers and love them.
 
My LBS charged 3000 yen per wheel for Ultegras/Open Pros, and SEO cycle quoted the same price. So, I think you can do better than 4000, but not a whole lot better.

Cheapest I've seen in Japan is online at World Cycle; you can customize the build by choosing your rims, spokes, etc. (though it's not as detailed as, say, the Excel Sports online builder.) Price for an Ultegra/Open Pro set is 36,000, which is close to NA builders once you factor in the shipping costs (CXP22 rims would be 31,300 yen).

http://www.worldcycle.co.jp/category/3144.html

Welcome to the boards, by the way!
 
BTW - I've heard the wheelbuilder at Y's Ueno is the tops! She's supposedly built alot of pro wheels and very very good. Actually they recommended me the Ultegra 6800 as a real 'sleeper' wheel - great for the price.
 
Wheels

Thanks for the quick replies!
Worldcycle looks pretty good, thanks for the link Phil.
Two recommendations for the Ultegra 6800s factory wheels. Thanks for the suggestions, but I googled them in multiple ways can't find anything. No pics or specs. Nothing! Not even from Shimano. Does anyone have link I could check out?
Cheers,
Haironfire
 
I use them and have raced on them..... I've used them since I killed my Pinarello Most Chall wheels back in March.

My LBS (Sagami Cycles) recommened them as a set of wheels that would take the punishment I dish out... I will put over 1200 watts out in a sprint so they need to be able to take that and I've been very impressed, so much infact that I bought the Dura Ace versions.
 
Yeah, I can't find these 6800 wheels either, including on Shimano's Japanese site. Do you guys mean the Ultegra WH-6700, which I think are their latest?

(And not to be contrary, but I had an earlier iteration of the Ultergra factory wheels (WH-6600, I think) and they were the flexiest wheels I've ever ridden. First spoke broke at around 3000km and I was surprised they lasted that long. Still, newer ones might well be better.)
 
Pete is right I meant the 6700's my bad :(
 
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