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I wrote a nice big speel yesterday regarding the wheel choice.
Fact is, I ride on alexrims R500, for all intents and purposes exactly the same as the shimano r500.
In short without writing another wall of text. I had no problems with them until I started getting serious.
I am not advising buying good wheels at all, or moving up to lightweight wheels or anything silly like that.
R500 hubs and rim are fine. Its the spoke quality, spoke tension and lacing pattern that is wrong.
They are laced at the hub end completely wrong, and as such each corresponding spoke elbow at either side of the hub is inline with eachother not opposing. This means that under heavy load, the hub actually flexes from chain load.
Downsides of this is loss of power, uneven loading of the spokes and hub, twisting of the hub within the radial datum of the wheel etc.
Benefits = Thats how a machine is set to lace them in the factory and it probably takes half the time feeding spokes to do it like that.
My wheels came factory tensioned terribly uneven, with uneven length spokes (I'm talking 1-2mm total adjustment difference between some opposing spokes), and were generally soft and weak as piss.
Under full power the rear wheel flexed into the brake blocks. Fast descending meant the front rubbed on the forks or into the brakeblocks (I loosened the caliper centre bolt to allow them to float), the rear rubbed on the chainstays etc. They were scary, flat out scary. I broke a spoke every 2nd time I went for a few laps in the hills that included sprinting up hill etc. = walk back/taxi.
After having my local bike store mechanic true them a few times, he just said we need to fix it, explained the problem to me and how he'd lace them properly.
Put in new spokes of a decent quality (dt's, forget model..), along with obligatory new nipples and crap. They're now ridiculously stiff, wonderful to ride on, and strong as a brick sh1tter. I can ride off a gutter, bunny hop over anything and land 'on the piss', dont give a crap about dodging tiyn bumbs and crap, they stay 100% straight when cornering hard. Under acceleration they dont smash into the brake blocks, they dont feel spongey anymore...Obvious power transfer increase as well.
The extra weight, if any, is not noticable. They ride amazingly well. Zero broken spokes since rebuild, ridden harder just to try and do so. Cant do it.
I was not in any way advocating spending a few hundred dollars on 'oither' shit wheels.
As like cheap bikes, theres only so bad you can make them. Any 32 spoke wheel laced well and kept stiff, will give thousands of Kay's of trouble free service to the average weight rider and perform well.
And +1 on the 105 sentiment. I wish like nothing else I went for 105, nowing now what I didnt then, I could never reccommend anyone buy a bike with anything less than 105. The hoods are infintely better, shifting is 100x better, indexing is actually precise, shifting under power is possible, cranks dont feel like they're made of cheese, drivetrain is silent (relatively), brakes are an amazing improvement on 2200/sora/tiagra etc.
Framechoice doesnt matter, whatever is comfortable, brand or model makes zero difference to your decision at that level. Dont let any schmuck tell you otherwise.
As for knicks. Cell knicks are f**king terrible. I have 2 sets for commuting only. I have random no name aldi bibs, ebay bibs, ebay knicks etc...All just shiyte. More than 1.5 hours in the saddle and my whole arse feels like Im busting out a super hot vindaloo.
My Pearl Izumi bibs are amazing. Nalini bibs amazing. I'll ride for 5+ hours in them and feel fine, never use any chamois cream etc.
I'd reccommend getting some cell knicks to try out for commuting. For longer rides a set of bibs is a big step up in comfort. Jersey wise, something tight is good. loose jerseys just act as drag, look bad, drag up on your back/annoy you etc.
Hmm, whats wrong with you guys having to wear shorts over the top of knicks...? Show it off
Shave your legs if you'll get sex for it. Thats the only reasoning I've ever come to that makes sense. Cicks really dig that shit, otherwise its just gay. Roadrash, massage and aero are all gimmicks to justify having sexy legs for ladies...
Personally I'd look on ebay or local bike stores for an 08 stock model 105 equipped bike. Should be easily attainable for 1000-1200 bucks or so.
The other reason for 105 is metaulergy. The crap I have I wear through chains, stretch chains, wear through cassettes etc. Seriously just eat that crap on. 3rd chain in as many thousand KM. 2nd casette. combination of riding the equipment a little too hard, and accumulating road grime that may not get cleaned off the links/teeth for another 80km of hard use.