|   aero wheels vs. weight | zippidy
Jul 10, 2002 9:26 AM | | mtb convert with dumb questions....
I know light is great, and rotational weight is a minus for accelleration and breaking, but what about for TT. Do the aero benifits outweight (no pun intended) weight? or does the increase in rotational weight help in overall TT performance once you get up to speed (and keep you at speed)
... I'm looking for a good wheel set for everyday riding, but primarily TT events. (any suggestions easy on the wallet?) |
| Aero almost always is better, | Wayne
Jul 10, 2002 9:29 AM | | until you're going under something like 12mph or so. Even in crits with constant accelerations out of corners the aero beats light. OF course nowadays you can get something like Zipp 404s that are lighter than almost every other light wheel and aero, but they're not cheap! |
| good question | DougSloan
Jul 10, 2002 9:38 AM | | The general answer is that in most situations, aero beats light weight. Exceptions would be really big hills or if you are drafting other riders all the time.
You can do see some futher explanations here:
http://www.analyticcycling.com/
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/product2002/wheels/wheels2002.html
http://www.ultracycling.com/equipment/wheels.html
Note, get light *and* aero, and you solve both problems. The Zipp 404 or 303 tubular is a good example.
Also note, neither aero nor light is going to make a huge difference, except compared to the worst wheels. It likely will never make a difference in your placing in a race. We are talking about fairly minor differences, and your body's position, power, and weight will make a vastly greater difference.
Doug |
| Right, so for an aerodynamic nightmare like me... | Ray Sachs
Jul 10, 2002 9:53 AM | | ...aero wheels really aren't going to do much. Once you have your position as aerodynamic as possible on the bike, aero wheels may be a good investment but before that they're just another way to spend too much money. For a TT racer they make sense.
-Ray |
| Now someone refer me to a plastic surgeon | elviento
Jul 10, 2002 11:20 AM | | specialized in ear reduction...
I already shaved my head, thank you. |
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