Shimano wheels: WH7700 vs. tandem "Sweet 16"?

[Andy Coggan]

Does anybody here know the exact differences between the original
Shimano Dura-Ace WH7700 clincher wheelset (ca. 2003 or so) and the
"Sweet 16" tandem wheelset that they developed in conjunction with
Santana?

http://www.precisiontandems.com/cat_pics/whshimano16.jpg

The latter is spaced at 160 mm, but other than that they appear to be
essentially the same?

I'll try this Q on some other lists as well...

Andy Coggan

[Dave Lehnen]

Andy Coggan wrote:

> Does anybody here know the exact differences between the original
> Shimano Dura-Ace WH7700 clincher wheelset (ca. 2003 or so) and the
> "Sweet 16" tandem wheelset that they developed in conjunction with
> Santana?
>
> http://www.precisiontandems.com/cat_pics/whshimano16.jpg
>
> The latter is spaced at 160 mm, but other than that they appear to be
> essentially the same?
>
> I'll try this Q on some other lists as well...
>
> Andy Coggan

Santana's website has some information:
http://santanatandem.com/Parts/Shimano07.html

I have a pair of the old WH7700's, and some good friends have a pair of
the Sweet-16 tandem wheels. The most obvious difference is the spoke
thickness, also, the disc-brake option and 160 mm spacing of the rear.
According to a Santana service update, Sweet-16 rim weight was reduced
on wheels built after Aug 2005. Santana claims stronger rims and axles,
fully-symmetrical flange placement and a stronger freehub mechanism, as
well as thicker spokes, compared to the WH7700.

Dave Lehnen

[jim beam]

Dave Lehnen wrote:
> Andy Coggan wrote:
>
>> Does anybody here know the exact differences between the original
>> Shimano Dura-Ace WH7700 clincher wheelset (ca. 2003 or so) and the
>> "Sweet 16" tandem wheelset that they developed in conjunction with
>> Santana?
>>
>> http://www.precisiontandems.com/cat_pics/whshimano16.jpg
>>
>> The latter is spaced at 160 mm, but other than that they appear to be
>> essentially the same?
>>
>> I'll try this Q on some other lists as well...
>>
>> Andy Coggan
>
> Santana's website has some information:
> http://santanatandem.com/Parts/Shimano07.html
>
> I have a pair of the old WH7700's, and some good friends have a pair of
> the Sweet-16 tandem wheels. The most obvious difference is the spoke
> thickness, also, the disc-brake option and 160 mm spacing of the rear.
> According to a Santana service update, Sweet-16 rim weight was reduced
> on wheels built after Aug 2005. Santana claims stronger rims and axles,
> fully-symmetrical flange placement and a stronger freehub mechanism, as
> well as thicker spokes, compared to the WH7700.
>
> Dave Lehnen
>

good info. as an owner of a pair of WH7700's, i'd have been very
surprised to learn the same rim, spokes, hub, etc. were on a tandem wheel.