I own two pairs of these...Ventos and the newer Vento Reaction. Both have been incredibly, utterly bombproof, despite the abuses of many miles on a) badly-maintained Florida roads and b) frost-heaved, potholed streets in Ohio.
The bearings in the hubs are incredibly smooth for a budget wheels...
Read more I own two pairs of these...Ventos and the newer Vento Reaction. Both have been incredibly, utterly bombproof, despite the abuses of many miles on a) badly-maintained Florida roads and b) frost-heaved, potholed streets in Ohio.
The bearings in the hubs are incredibly smooth for a budget wheelset. Fit and finish is very good, and the wheelset is quite stylish; I always get compliments at events/group rides.
The real drawback is that these rims are HEAVY. Super heavy. For a couple hundred more dollars, one could find a substantially-lighter set of wheels for all-around or racing use. These make good, sturdy training wheels, for sure -- and once you slip on your racing set, the extra effort you used hauling your Ventos around on training rides will pay off.
For some, the loud freehub whirring may be a detractor; I actually prefer it because it tends to scare my riding partners. If it bothers you, it's very easy to pop off the freehub and add some more grease to the pawls to quiet things down.
And, let's talk about fitting rubber to these...since the rim edges are a bit oversize, some brands of tire are incredibly hard to install. A trick that any Campy wheelset user should know is this: put your new tires in the clothesdryer for a few minutes before trying to install them...the heat softens them up a bit and the going is much easier.
All in all, a good deal for a basic training wheelset that is made of some good stuff and won't fail you when the roads take a turn for the worst. Just don't expect to be a climbing prowess with these boat anchors on your bike!
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