Having gone deep down the research rabbit hole I’m approaching the EC community.
I’m a UK rider drifting out of the crit scene and trying to make up my mind on a set of wheels. In the short term these are to upgrade my Stayer far-and-fast steel rig, but I may be lured back to an aero frame in future and would like to be future proofed.
I’m looking for a goldilocks set and I know my parameters, but I’m getting in to the fine-tooth stage and trying to parse the legit experience from the brand myths and superstitions.
My parameters are:
~£1k price point
~55-60mm depth
Likely running 28-35mm tyres depending on course.
Reliable, reachable customer service (hence tending towards UK brands)
Weight is an open question - I’m ~85kg, a sprinter in a past life, and my Stayer is never going to be a featherweight, so will chasing grams in the wheel set make a meaningful difference?
The obvious choices are
Scribe CoreSL+ 60
Hunt Aerodynamicist 54_58
Hunt Limitless 60 (summer sale pricing)
EC’s member discount with Hunt is a budget factor too!
Out-and-out speed is definitely a positive (my local club ride runs 35km/h+) but I want to be able to do long/ultra distance without fear of failure and lack of mechanical support.
There is so much guff, pro and con, around Hunts that I’m not sure who I believe that this point, and whether the notion of fragility and unreliability is more attributable to their older wheels.
I know my riding style, ability, and requirements, and that one wheel is never going to do it all perfectly, and that I could probably live with any of the three above. But let’s put it out there and see what the community thinks.
Ta!