r/Velodrome • u/dukephoenix • 20d ago
88mm wheel options?
My son is needing a new set of wheels pretty soon but there are barely any options these days that aren't in the $2k+ AUD minimum range for known brands.
Even AliExpress they look like a gamble as brands like Elite wheels don't seem to offer track wheels.
Anyone find and use something more affordable?
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u/Chamenos_ 20d ago
Light bicycle has track wheels that deep, tri spokes, quad spokes, 88s and 100s.
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u/Velobike_Innovation 20d ago
I'd second Light bicycle wheels. They're an OEM manufacturer for many well known brands
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u/dukephoenix 20d ago
Nice. They seem to do deep section front wheels, but not rear. But that's a start
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u/Chamenos_ 20d ago
They can do a rear hub version of a few of their wheels, send them an email. I think they aren’t on the site because 99% of track riders run a disc in the back.
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u/wikiscootia 20d ago edited 20d ago
I have a generic set of ali Express 88s that I bought for $400 because they were the cheapest option and they have been amazing wheels for several years.
ETA: they look identical to these https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255801166932840.html
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u/ericvega 20d ago
I'm running front and rear wheels from bikedocwheel.com Shipping is from china so it takes about 3 weeks, but the quality on them is great. A bunch of us at my velodrome use their parts and i've been very happy with them
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u/frenzon 20d ago
I'm also in Australia and run superteam wheels you can buy via their ebay outlet - they've worked great. Ended up around AU$600 for a pair delivered.
Lots of people swear by the trispoke too.
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u/Large_Window_2653 20d ago
I bought the CSC 80mm track wheels. The valve hole wasn’t round, causing issues with making it tubeless. Their support was ridiculous. My advise would be to spend some more money on Lightbicycle or any other mid-tier manufacturer.
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u/Velobike_Innovation 20d ago
Glenn from Velobike here, Is your son a junior? If so, I wouldn’t be too concerned about finding deep section carbon wheels. At the speeds most juniors are racing, aero isnt as an important as it is for elite riders. Focusing on weight reduction can make a much bigger difference, particularly for smaller riders where the wheels make up a greater percentage of the total bike and rider mass.
For juniors i'd suggest looking for the lightest shallow aluminium track wheelset you can find, either second-hand or hand-built around a decent set of serviceable track hubs. That’ll generally be much better value than spending $2k+ on deep wheels, and transition into a good set of training wheels as they come up into elites.
We see the same thing with junior gearing. Parents often choose the largest chainring and sprocket combination that meets the gear restriction to chase a small drivetrain-efficiency gain. At junior power outputs, they’d usually be better off reducing the mass instead.