Wheel selection

Javier,

You probably will not notice much difference in performance. But Tiagra
hubs are kind of low end and they may wear faster than Ultegra. I build
my own wheels using Ultegra hubs, double butted spokes, brass nipples
and velocity aerohead rims. These wheels are very reliable and are easy
to maintain and repair.
Velocity now makes wheels as well as rims. I am considering buying a
set of their Nuvian wheels. It would cost me about the same just to buy
the parts as the whole wheel already built. I am not sure how well
Velocity's wheels are made and they use a hub that is not a well know
brand although it does have sealed bearings which is a plus. The most
impotant thing about wheels is how well they are built and even spoke
tension. Many of the new low spoke wheels are troublesome because when
they break you end up walking or calling for help and then they can be
very expensive to repair. For that reason I have gone back to standard
28 hole 3 cross wheels.

Joel



Javier wrote:
I purchased a 2006 Trek 1200 in late August and I'm thinking about
upgrading the stock Alex AT 450/Shimano Tiagra hubs wheels with a set
of Mavic Open Pro / Shimano Ultegra hubs that are available from
Performance. Is this a worth while upgrade or am I simply wasting
money. From what I've read Alex rims are basically a beginners wheel,
but will I notice a difference with the Mavic wheel set when it comes
to acceleration and climbing?

Thanks

Javier