The Best Wheels For Entry Level Road Bikes
Posted June 30, 2009
When you first get into road cycling and you get an entry level road bike, you will love your bike and rightly so. After a while as you get more into the sport you may start to think about upgrades. Well, wheels are by far the best upgrade you can make to your beloved steed. To be honest, unless it costs upwards of £2000, any off the peg bike could do with a wheel upgrade. There's lots to choose from in the wheel world and bike manufacturers know that most people will make upgrades so they generally put mediocre wheels on the standard bike. This is a good thing, it helps keep the cost down to a minimum – it gets you going, with room to enhance your bike as time goes on.
Why Should I upgrade My Wheels?
Well, we all know that fancy wheels look absolutely awesome, but believe it or not, that’s not actually the main reason for making the upgrade. Regarding the point of making your bike look fantastic, new wheels will dramatically enhance the look of your bike but do not, under any circumstances, use that reason as justification for purchase when convincing your wife, husband, mum or dad that you really need these new wheels. I’ve tried it and it simply doesn’t work. Here are a few reasons which may work…
- Good wheels will make rough roads feels smoother,
- They will be lighter than your standard wheels making cycling up hills easier, and will improve the handling giving you more confidence on cornering and whilst descending,
- They will be more aerodynamic so will take the sting out of strong winds,
They will look awesome.
OK I'm convinced - which wheels are wheely good then?
Well, let me just start off by saying that we would all like a pair of Zipp 404’s…
…but at £1500 I’m guessing they’re a little beyond the average budget, especially if this is an upgrade to an entry level bike. But fear not, because Easton is here to rescue us from the credit crunch and quench our thirst for well made wheels. All Easton wheels are 100% built by hand! A section from their website clearly states this…
Every Easton wheel is hand built, from start to finish. This is not the easiest way to do things, but it’s the best way to build superior wheels. Hand-building ensures all Easton wheels have a precise, balanced high tension that keeps them truer, longer, and also makes them lighter, stiffer and more responsive.
When someone tells me that a pair of wheels is built by hand, I immediately think they are going to cost at least £1000, but Easton even have some wheels which kick around the £215 region! That comes in the form of the Easton EA50 which at 1735grams is very light for a wheel set at this price. If money is your prime concern (which lets be honest, it is for most of us these days) then these would be my wheel of choice for you, although for an extra £18 you can get the Easton EA50 SL set which are 38 grams lighter due to the double butted spokes, which will also make them a little bit stronger and less prone to flex, I think you’ll agree that for the money they look gorgeous too…
Next up in the range is the Easton EA70 which at 1650 grams for the pair is a little lighter than the EA50’s but they also have a wider flange which offers lateral stiffness which will enhance the handling. Easton describes them as follows…
The EA70 is the next generation of Easton’s most popular wheel set, the Circuit, and is the new standard for bang-for-the-buck performance! The EA70 is the clear-cut choice for racers and enthusiasts looking for a boost in speed, performance, hand-built reliability and ride quality.
They look pretty similar to the EA50’s, which is no bad thing. A worthy investment for £315 (at time of writing).
Now, take a look at the Easton EA90 Aero, it has 28mm deep front rims and 31mm deep rear rims which offer a smooth ride and a quick acceleration. These bad boys have fewer spokes than the previous wheels and as such are lighter at just 1545grams for the pair and also more aerodynamic (less spokes = less resistance). Not only do they have fewer spokes, the spokes are ‘bladed’ meaning that they are not round like traditional spokes but are flat like a knife – the aerodynamic benefits here are huge. They are certainly good value for money and if you’re thinking of dabbling in the occasional race or time trial then these will almost certainly make you faster – simple as that. They look great in the picture although you can’t really see the “bladedness” of the spokes so they will look even better in the flesh…
If you’re looking for a wheel to specifically help you on the climbs then these guys are the answer, ladies and gentlemen, weighing in at a mere 1398grams for the set, and costing only £539.99 I give you the Easton EA90 SLX. Easton’s description is well worth a read here…
The EA90 SLX wheel set is hand-built for the rider/racer that refuses to compromise. Features include: New Gen 4 front/rear specific rims, Sapim™ double-butted stainless steel spokes, and new silky smooth R4 hubs. Easton’s ultimate lightweight clincher wheel set for climbing, sprinting and race-winning domination.
With just 18 spokes on the front they look gorgeous and are ridiculously light for this kind of money. Incidentally, the weight for the Zipp 404’s comes in at 1650grams for the clincher set, so these bad boys, whilst not offering all the aerodynamic properties of the zipps are nearly 300 grams lighter as well as £1000 lighter on the wallet (by the way – thats a great argument for convincing your wife/husband/mum/dad – you say; “…well, I could have gone for the Zipps which cost £1500, look at the saving I’m making…” ;)).
Now, just in case you have a fetish for carbon, which let’s be honest as road cyclists we all have a fetish for carbon! If you have £800 burning a whole in your pocket then I give you the Easton EC70 SL Carbon Wheelset. First I’ll show you the picture…
…simply a work of art I’m, sure you’ll agree! These are actually 1695 grams which is close to the Zipps and some 300 grams heavier than the incredibly light Easton EA90 SLX wheelset, but they do offer much greater aerodynamic benefits, the carbon will make them stiffer and therefore better handling and they will also be more durable. Feel free to drool, but I will say that if you are upgrading an entry level bike then perhaps these are overkill unless you intend to get a new (and better) bike fairly soon. At which point they will be a great investment.
Conclusion
I hope that what I have shown you is that whilst wheels are definitely an awesome upgrade to make to your beloved bike, you needn’t necessarily spend the Earth. For around £300 or less you can get some beautifully made, highly regarded wheels which will improve not only your performance but also your enjoyment. Spend around £500 and you’ve got a wheelset which will massively improve your bike and future proof you for your next bike. Good luck.
If any of you go for these wheels, please please please let me know how you get on with them by adding a comment. Thanks very much.
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