The Requirement
A light wheel set that would suit an all day sportive event, specifically set up for the Fred Whitton Challenge with steep mountain passes, long braking periods on steep descents, minimise the risk of stops due to punctures. Rider weight 65 to 75 Kg. Ride style mid level club rider. Budget £590.
The Solution
The acclaimed Stan's Alpha 340s were chosen as the rim, they are a lightweight (385g) fast with an aero profile and are designed to be set up as tubeless, combining this with American Classic 205 rear and 58 Micro Hub using Sapim CX Ray spokes well known for their strength and low weight. The combined package weighed in at 1237g. Stan's rim tape applied the wheels were finished with a set of Hutchinson Fusion 23mm tyres and Joe's race sealant. To meet the challenges of the steep mountain passes in the lake district a SRAM 1050 cassette 11-32 10 speed cassette was fitted.
The Alpha 340 has now been upgraded to the Alpha 400 with a thicker spoke bed making them 40g heavier they retain the same dimensions as the original 340.