Opinion on Twe custom wheels

[user2357]

Hello,

I have a decent road bike with good components (2015 Dura Ace 9000 11 speed). My front wheel is also decent but my rear wheel is crap, it is a bontrager race.

I want to upgrade the rear wheel with something decent. I was looking at Twe custom wheels, which is based in Sydney.

http://www.twebikewheels.com.au/

Does anyone have experience with them and would you recommend them?

Also, I want to go for a half carbon half alloy wheel for better braking. My budget is $300-$400 for rear wheel only.

Which hub do you recommend? Should I go shimano DA/Ultegra (big price diff between the two but I head DA hubs last forever) or DT Swiss?

[open roader]

Try a forum search (top right hand box of every page) for TWE - plenty of discussion previously posted in a few threads.

Greg Ryan of TWE is an excellent listener (and an even better talker ) and is a genuine master wheelsmith. Don't be put off by his relaxed attitude, he is a responsible fellow and has years of experience making and repairing wheels. Put your requests and questions to him and he will come up with some good options. Telephone conversation is best in my experience but don't be in a rush as Greg likes to explain things to every detail!

Greg has his own line of Taiwanse made hubs - I only ever rode on his 'premier' line hubs which are excellent, servicable and seem to roll forever from the start for ever (over 10,000km racker up on one MTB rear wheel) If you insist on a DT Swiss or Shimano hub then you buy the hub and he will lace up the wheel for you with your choice of spokes.

I have said it before and I'll post it here again :- I've had a few pairs of TWE road and MTB wheels in the past 10 years and have been well satisfied with them all. I did crack a carbon road rim way back and it was repaired properly for free (Greg has a no fault / at cost repair warranty) I still ride on two pairs of his MTB wheels and will be keeping these until they die or I die - which ever comes first.

[dalai47]

Also, I want to go for a half carbon half alloy wheel for better breaking.

You want them to break better? I'd rather they brake better...

[slaw]

Thinking of getting a set of carbon wheels for my MTB and TWE seem to be the goods. Other option is Curve who are in my hood, but they look to be a good deal more expensive. Or source the bits and build my own which I have done before.

[Duck!]

Also, I want to go for a half carbon half alloy wheel for better breaking.

You want them to break better? I'd rather they brake better...

Beat me to it....

[user2357]

Can you guys give me reasons as to why I should choose Twe wheel over a premade wheel?
There are DT Swiss and Shimano rear wheels on c r c and they fit the bill with free shipping.

By the way, I have a Twe front wheel, purchased used from gumtree and I like it but for the same price I can get a premade wheel so I am just wondering what makes Twes better.

[MTB99]

I am also considering TWE wheels for my roadie, I have a set on my 29er MTB and they have been faultless.

I am looking at Fulcrum Racing Zero's or these from TWE https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/road- ... /102296689

I am leaning to TWE as from what I have been hearing is that the ceramic bearings aren't really that much better than steel and only really a benefit if your a pro racer, would love to know what people think.

One of the main advantages of going with TWE is that Greg really stands buy his product and would go out of his way to help you out if you have a problem

[Duck!]

I am leaning to TWE as from what I have been hearing is that the ceramic bearings aren't really that much better than steel and only really a benefit if your a pro racer, would love to know what people think.

Yup, ceramics are better than steel in very high load situations, but the loads imposed in cycling are nowhere near high enough to get that benefit. I've got ceramic hybrid bearings (ceramic balls in steel shells) in one of my wheelsets, and they're nice but I can't feel any difference over good all-steel bearings.

[CXCommuter]

Can you guys give me reasons as to why I should choose Twe wheel over a premade wheel?
There are DT Swiss and Shimano rear wheels on c r c and they fit the bill with free shipping.

By the way, I have a Twe front wheel, purchased used from gumtree and I like it but for the same price I can get a premade wheel so I am just wondering what makes Twes better.

I have a pair of reynolds 46mm carbon rims built onto wi hubs i supplied built up by Greg. Just passed 4k km and still perfect.
Reasons to go custom include premade wheels use proprietary rims/spokes that are often hard or expensive to replace (shimano/fulcrum rear wheels, mavic spokes for instance).
Custom wheels typically use off the shelf parts so any bike shop can repair things.
Custom wheels are made to fit you, your weight, desires, budget, riding style etc. They won't be too heavy or too light (think goldilocks).
I personally got sick of throwing out broken factory made wheels as the repair cost was often as much or more than a new wheelset.

[Duck!]

I have a pair of reynolds 46mm carbon rims built onto wi hubs i supplied built up by Greg. Just passed 4k km and still perfect.

Best approach with Reynolds, because their factory build quality is crap.

[trailgumby]

I have a pair of reynolds 46mm carbon rims built onto wi hubs i supplied built up by Greg. Just passed 4k km and still perfect.

Best approach with Reynolds, because their factory build quality is crap.

Alloy nipples on carbon rims = no. Just no.

Enve do it too. Saves a few grams for mucketing purposes, but the wheels need rebuilding in a year because the nipples turn to white powder. Galvanic corrosion.

[Duck!]

Zipp do it too, but at least their wheels are tensioned well; Reynolds' tensions are all over the place.

[CXCommuter]

Brass nipples only.
Though i haven't had a rear factory wheel last long enough for nipples corrosion to be an issue.
Cracked rims, cracked hubs, spokes breaking, busted freehubs. I am no TLL either.

[Rex]

I got Greg at TWE to build myself and a mate a set of identical Reynolds 35 & 50mm carbon clinchers back in February. We're 85kg+
We then took them to Belgium and did all the cobbled classic sportifs including the brutal Arenberg on them.
I've continued to use them every day (they're my only set of wheels) through my 400km weeks.

No broken spokes, have never gone untrue and have been amazing. Cannot fault them.

Buy them you won't regret it.

[filipw]

I bought a pair of carbon TWE wheels 50mm and 60mm in may 2016 - they are my race wheels - love them. Very good and quick service. Can fully recommend.

[Rex]

I saw a set of 60mm & 90mm clinchers 2nd hand for sale recently for $950.
Kicking myself I didn't pick them up

[AUbicycles]

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