Road Wheels.

It's not the same man! Nothing rides like the SL's, even the lightest wheels a pro could build. SL's acclerate WAY different.

It's not the same man! Nothing rides like the SL's, even the lightest wheels a pro could build. SL's acclerate WAY different.

DT 240S road hubs, Sapim CX-ray spokes, 28 rear and 24 front, with Velocity Aerohead rims will be 80g less than Ksyrium SL 2006 (about 1450-1470g total) and stiffer.

The lightest wheels a pro could build won't be as stiff, but they'll be a hell of a lot lighter… How about Tune hubs, CX-Ray spokes 20/24 and American Classic 350 rims. Around 1250g total. Not for the big guys, but great if your name is Rasmussen.

Just go get some Zipps and be done with it. If that's your thing.

I like my heavy wheels, they match my bike, and body!

I want zipps… but i like my elites very quick.. :) im young gotta take baby steps in the new unknown

I want zipps… but i like my elites very quick.. :) im young gotta take baby steps in the new unknown

I like Zipps too, but putting them on my bike, would be like running a World Cup Boxxer on a Banshee Scream. Just sillyness.

DT 240S road hubs, Sapim CX-ray spokes, 28 rear and 24 front, with Velocity Aerohead rims will be 80g less than Ksyrium SL 2006 (about 1450-1470g total) and stiffer.

The lightest wheels a pro could build won't be as stiff, but they'll be a hell of a lot lighter… How about Tune hubs, CX-Ray spokes 20/24 and American Classic 350 rims. Around 1250g total. Not for the big guys, but great if your name is Rasmussen.

Done both. Light wheels built vs Ksyrium. Ksyrium wins. The feel is TOTALLY different. The way they accelerate inspires you to chase big trucks.

good call.. I was doin that DT van just racing cars ect.

The way they accelerate inspires you to chase big trucks.

I'm curious, could you describe what you mean by "the way they accelerate"? Are you talking about flex? Rolls up to faster because of less weight at the rim?

And do you notice any difference on, say, long alpine climbs where speeds are relatively constant?

Let's see if I can verbalize…

When I had my SL's, they had like an INSTANT snap when you wanted to turn the screws up. Once they were up to speed, they kept rolling fairly good, and responded to changes in speed extremely quickly. They were unlike any lightweight wheel I had ridden.

Before that, I had ROLF Vector Pro's. They were good too, but they were so stiff. The rougher the road, the worse they felt. In fact, they skipped on rough corners. The SL's were very forgiving. I used them in the Harris Roubaix one year, and I never felt beat up on the dike sections. However, the Vector Pro's didn't respond quite as quickly to tempo changes, but I would say though, that they would be a faster wheel on the flats or in a Time Trial because they tended to work more like gyro's with the deep dish rims and thus more weight on the outside of the rim.

Since they responded so well to tempo changes, I found that during long road races where people like to attack, it was easier to stay on a wheel through the tempo changes. I'd have to say that they were the ultimate wheels for pretty much everything. They were just so much fun :)

I used them mainly in Criteriums and Road Races, but they were always a treat when I could take them out on a club ride during a sunny day. I won a lot of UBC Tuesday Nighters and a few Coastal Thursday Nighters back in the day. I could always count on them in a sprint.

Hope that sort of helps, but it would probably help for you to ride them too ;)

Let's see if I can verbalize…

Hope that sort of helps, but it would probably help for you to ride them too ;)

Thanks for posting that. I should have gone back and read your previous posts, because you described the wheels in detail before.

Since I mostly climb and never race, I'd probably go for a lighter handbuilt set, which appeals to me on all levels. Not to mention cheaper gram for gram.

Having said that, if I had money burning in my pocket, I'd probably order the Xero XR-1 wheelset. Just a tick under the Ksyrium SL's at 1520 grams, for less than US$200. There's no way I could source the components for a 1500 gram custom wheelbuild for that money.

I wonder if Mavic does loaner demo's on the SL's. If you could ride them, you can experience what I'm having a hard time describing. I've done super light handbuilts before, and even though they were lighter than the SL's, they didn't have that "feel".

But yeah, it's definitely less expensive to go with a handbuilt set if you want to have something superlight, for sure. My regular wheels are Mavic Open Pro's laced to Dura Ace hubs, and I like them just fine for logging mileage. They were the ones I kept after quitting racing. No special tools needed to repair. Easy to maintain. Plus, I won't cry if I wreck them ;)

I wonder if Mavic does loaner demo's on the SL's. If you could ride them, you can experience what I'm having a hard time describing. I've done super light handbuilts before, and even though they were lighter than the SL's, they didn't have that "feel".

It's a good thing that they don't do loaners, because my wallet would probably end up a lot lighter.

But that "feel" you're describing is during accelerations right? Not static riding, like a long alpine climb. That's more the type of riding I do-lightweight "climbing wheels" are what I need.

If you're primarily climbing, I'd pick something else. Maybe get something built that concentrates the lightness on the outside of the wheel by using butted spokes and alloy nipples. Possibly a lighter weight rim tape. If you can, maybe even go Tubulars.

good stuff to read futurelooks! very nice to learn all about it. my elites over my shitmanos are just insane with how fast i can get them moving and when rolling they just keep it goin.