Bicycle Wheel Warehouse-any thoughts?

I'm looking for a new wheelset for my SS, and don't want to spend a ton of money. I found Bicycle Wheel Warehouse online (based in Huntington Beach) and they seemingly have pretty good prices. I was looking at their private brand Pure XC, as they weigh just over 1700g for the set and cost $330.

Does anyone have experience with them? I saw on old thread, but it had only a few comments and the thread was closed to new posts.

Thanks!:wave:

 

I am not impressed with the build. I got a set from there for same reason but they didnt stay true very long.

 

Google their address, and you'll find that it's just an apartment. Hardly a respectable wheel company.

 

I was looking at their wheelsets on mtbr and the reviews arent very good Id look elsewhere

 

I've heard mixed reviews about their wheels... some good, some bad.

Wheels are outrageously priced these days. Build your own. It's not that hard, and in fact it's kinda fun. You'll save a lot of money and probably end-up with a better product than a lot of wheels on the market.
Buy Jobst Brandt's book "The Bicycle Wheel" and follow the instructions.

 

Hit up larry aka chupcabra. He's a pretty cool dude that builds some nice wheels. He can probably recommend a build that wont break the bank plus hes local.

http://ghisallowheels.com/

 

I have a pair of Mavic 717's on my bike that I bought from BWW.com last year. My rear hub had to be adjusted about a month in, but I took it to my LBS and the mechanic said it's perfectly normal and not necessarily a sign that it was set up wrong from the shop.

All I can say is that their prices were great, my wheels shipped within a couple days, they arrived in perfect condition, and that's all I care about. I didn't use their brand though - I went with Mavic wheels, Shimano hubs, and DT Swiss spokes.

 

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duhno much about their wheels except for the reviews Ive read, but I dont mind giving my money to a couple of guys building a business.

 

Isn't that how Jenson got their start?

 

A lot of businesses start out of one's house. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. I think the BWW method of doing business is actually a very good business model for them. They source many components from the same manufacturers as many other companies.

But, I think it's worth knowing that it's not some "warehouse," which makes their name a bit deceptive. They're also not a normal retail facility where you can get your wheels serviced should you have a problem. If you get your wheels from a local bike shop, they'll usually help out with a free truing/tensioning, as well as help you with other services you may need related to the wheels. However, if you need service parts for your BWW hubs, you basically only have one source, unless you can figure out the what other brands use the same parts. If you're just getting common parts, such as Mavic rims on Shimano hubs, what do they really offer any different than a quality LBS or a factory built wheelset?

Note that the OP asked for any thoughts. Those were my thoughts.

 

Not to mention that when your shimano hubs die you either have to ship it so they can ship it the hub out for warranty work or you can take it to LBS and have them get it warrantied but then you have to pay to have it rebuilt with the new replacement hub.

 

If you're looking for inexpensive wheels, and not using your lbs, I purchased a set of Vuelta Lights for $120 (plus $20 shipping, but no tax) from Nashbar; they have held up extremely well including some time in Gooseberry Mesa.

 

I'm probably one of the reviewers who gave a slightly negative review on MTBR. Their customer service for sending out parts was great. I had trouble with the Pure XCR cassette skipping. They sent me a new steel freehub body and I haven't had any problems since. I would recommend them and use them again.