So a few posts ago I talked about the Tirreno Razza 900 bike I got from Performance. I still love my bike, everything is great, except for the wheels. Now I know that I am 250 lbs, and I know that I ride a minimum of 75 miles a week. I ride hard. All of these thing shouldn't matter for a good aluminum wheelset.
So what happened? It all started a few months ago. I was riding to work and I hear this loud noise. I figured I had just rolled over a rock and it plinked off my frame. No biggie, just a little chipped paint. But then I heard a sound like plinko, the spoke had broken. These are beefy looking spokes, but the nipples are not double butted, that doesn't matter. The spoke had broken about 10 mm above the nipple. Not at the bend, and not in the middle. I took it in, the guys at Performance were great, they suggested that maybe there was a defect in one of the spokes. OK I thought, stuff happens. They replaced the spoke and off I went.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Easton Velomax Vista SL Wheelset Sucks
Two days ago, I was riding home from work, this time I was on totally smooth pavement, the plinko game in my back wheel started up again. I just knew it was the replacement spoke. What are the odds of multiple spokes breaking? But just as I had hoped it wasn't, another spoke had popped. I had been told several times by friends that the Mavic Open Pro wheels are the best for hard riders, so when I took the bike back to Performance again, I bought a new wheelset. I'm still waiting for it to come in, but I'll post about it when I get it.
The problem? I have a pair of 5 or 6 year old Ritchey DS Pro wheels on the Specialized I bought from a friend a few years ago. I rode that bike hard before I got this one. I have never broken a spoke. I bought a vintage Italian steel bike, I rode that pretty hard before it got stolen, I never broke a spoke. I bought a pair of Mavic Kyserium (sp?) wheels for my mountain bike and the spokes have never broken. Even the cheap wheels that I replaced with the Mavics never broke, came out of true, sure. But popped spokes, never.
Basically that wheelset sucks. I'm looking forward to riding the open pros.
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6 comments:
you don't know crap about bikes, wheels, spokes, nipples, hubs, rims or even your own arse. if you spent your money at a REAL bike shop, you might get some real education.
Here's the thing. When I go into *most* "real" bike shops, all I get is a lot of snotty attitude and overcharged. Not that there aren't some great LBSs, Santa Cruz and Alameda come to mind, but at Performance, even when I was a n00b they were always cool, and took the time to explain things to me.
I've been riding >10 mi daily for over 10 years, and I realize that I could spend 7k on a bike that would be great for racing, but that isn't what I am using it for.
As entry level wheels for a lighter rider, the Velomax is O.K., but not great. The Ritchey DS Pro is a far better wheel for just a little more money.
As for the Open pros, they have been fantastic, the Ultegra hubs feel smooth as butter as well. They are all around better wheels period.
I got the Tirreno or if it makes anyone happy, I am the proud owner of a no brand online performance bike third party company bike, yes I am talking about the Razza 900. I have clocked 5000 miles in less of my first year of cycling. The only things I have changed are tires, tubes and the front fork for a Reynolds that was on sale. I hit 45 to 50 plus miles per hour downhill when ryding Mt. Tam, Coleman Valley, Ink Grade on Sonoma, so I changed for peace of mind. Now the good part, I got under my belt attacks against Colnago, Bianchi 928 (9329478 LOL) whatever bike owners. I love it when they reach the hill and look closely to see what bike I have which just left them kin the dust.
I bought this bike on sale; 750.00 shipped, like a week after the bike was gone, discontinued. I love this bike, I have lost more than 30 pounds, it has not given me any problems, nothing, all I have done is putting new tires, handle bar tape and fix flats. I got excellent memories from Stony Point, I-12, highway 1. Before I wrap this up, I bought it online size 52 without ever getting measured. Once I got it was just a matter of making my own common sense adjustments, never broke the bank. Frame, wheels, seat, chain are all in one piece. Anonymous is just a rotten apple in the basket.
I got the Razza 900, it has not given me any problems, excellent deal for the price. Clcoked 5000 in less than my first year and the frame, wheels are in one piece. I do recommend a better fork for heavier riders, I changed mine (fork) for peace of mind as I do 40 to 50 mph downhills on Red Ink, Coleman, Marshall, Wilson etc. Mine was bought online without ever seeing it, I made the adjustments myself which is very easy and just common sense. I got under my belt, Colnagos, Orcas, Bianchis that I have killed on many hills with (yes) this cheap bike. It is worth every penny.
Ok I'm like a year late to this party but your post still shows up on the first google page. At 250 lbs, what idiot put you on anything with "SL" in the name? Also, the nipples are the brass or aluminum things that thread on to the end of the spokes and hold them to the rim/adjust tension, not part of the spokes themselves. There is no such thing as a double butted nipple.
Yeah, the bike is awesome. I *LOVE* it. I have had no problems since switching to the Mavic Open Pros. But to anonymous, the spokes broke in the spoke, not at the head which is strange.
I'm not saying that this wouldn't be a fine wheelset for someone who was smaller, but I wasn't in love with it. I think that the Open Pro wheels are wildly better.
That being said, wheels shouldn't break that much, go out of true, taco, break one spoke occasionally fine, but at that level of breakage, even if I was a 150 lbs rider tackling tough downhill switchbacks, I'd worry.
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