Spa Elan 725 or Spa Tourer with light wheelset

[newtotouring]

Hello,

After much consideration over the last year, I am looking to upgrade my current bicycle to either a Spa Elan 725 or Spa Tourer with light wheelset

The bike will be used for commuting 15 miles a day, day rides of up to 60 miles and 1 or 2 mini-tours each year carrying x2 15 litre panniers on the rear with a bar bag on the front or possibly (in the case of the Spa Tourer), x2 small front panniers and a rack-pack with fold out panniers on the rear...............

Light wheels won't make a measurable difference to a half hour commute (except possibly by being pointlessly fragile) and I wouldn't want a light wheelset for touring with panniers....so are the light wheels for day rides? That wouldn't be my choice, simply because its on day rides that I find myself going down narrow bumpy potholed minor roads, because "I've never been down here before!" (I understand that not everybody does this!) More "bang for your buck" in decent tyres than "light" wheels.

My advice is to make an appointment to go to Spa and test ride some bikes.....make sure they have "testers" in your size available.
Try the Tourer, try the Elan. My advice again....if you want to save some weight, spend out on a titanium Elan with carbon fork, and have just one, practical, wheelset. (you can have a steel fork as well, just in case you want to do a month camping.)
(I didn't want to learn a whole new type of brake at 70 years old.....but the thing just rides so nice.....and it turns out BB7 "MTB" cable discs are very easy to live with. How much can you save by having bar end levers instead of STIs?)

Thanks Colin. Good advice I think.

[Jamesh]

Also certain Novatec hubs have small sealed bearings to reduce weight - not ideal for a reliable wheelset.

I'd look at shimano or miche hubs tbh.

Cheers James