Aero wheels?

[Winnershsaint]

When I bought my new bike in September, I upgraded the stock wheels with Ksyrium SLRs. These are sub 1400g wheels and climb beautifully and that would be absolutely brilliant if I lived in a lumpy part of the country or was a regular visitor to the Alps or Pyrenees but I don't. Whilst these light clinchers are great most of my rides are on rolling terrain so I've looking at the following as a potential purchase on the recommendation of my equally cycling obsessed next door neighbour. He rides on these these btw. Campagnolo Bullet Ultra 50 Cult Dark Label clinchers on an Argon 18 Gallium Pro with a Record 11 spd groupset.

Shimano Dura Ace 9000 C50 - currently £1049 at Wiggle and just about everywhere else.
Fulcrum Red Wind 50 XLR (CULT) - £891 at Wiggle.
Fulcrum Racing Quattro Carbon - £839 at Wiggle.
American Classic Carbon 40 - Come in just shy of £1400 at UK retailers.
Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 Elite - £1125 at Wiggle.

Any opinions on the above would be gratefully received.

 

[Tin Pot]

Similar thread:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/drool-cinelli-experience-speciale.194109/#post-4095769

I think it comes down to a cost/benefit ratio, and it's pretty hard to determine whether the benefit justifies the £1000 expense.

If you're spending "because you want to", then get the ones you like the look of, the science isn't accurate enough anyway.

I totally get your logic though, aero beats weight.

 

[Citius]

If you're spending "because you want to", then get the ones you like the look of, the science isn't accurate enough anyway.

^^ This. Although depending on what your expectations are, you may end up disappointed..

 

[Winnershsaint]

^^ This. Although depending on what your expectations are, you may end up disappointed..

My expectations have been blunted somewhat by the Ksyrium SLRs, although I can see where their value will be in France next year.

 

[blazed]

There are a lot of variables. Assuming you're an average rider best case scenario the aero wheels save you a couple minutes over 100 miles, it depends how important that is to you.

By the way those wheels don't 'climb beautifully', the difference a couple 100 grams make climbing is miniscule. Bike review mags try to sell that old tosh how certain wheels fly up hills and certain bikes accelerate like a Yamaha r1, that's all a load of crap.

 

[Winnershsaint]

anyway.

I totally get your logic though, aero beats weight.

By the way those wheels don't 'climb beautifully', the difference a couple 100 grams make climbing is miniscule.

That may well be the case, but the different 'feel' on the climbs is noticeable, and at 58 anything that makes me feel better on a bike has to be good.

 

[Pedrosanchezo]

Wheelsmith are a good option if you are thinking full carbon wheels. You could have handbuilt with your choice of hub, rim depth and spokes.

An example would be these here.

Dura ace 9000 hubs, 45mm dimpled rims on sapim cx rays - sub 1500 grams clinchers. £1080

You can use cheaper hubs like Hope and Wheelsmiths own to reduce price or go for the best (arguably) and spend £1200 on Chris king hubbed versions of the above wheel. There are many different options too - different rims etc.

The factory rims you mention above are all pretty good but the Fulcrums are a huge problem if you crack a rim. Mega bucks.

As for opinions on the above wheels:

C50's are well regarded but i'd suggest the C35's are better all rounders.
The Fulcrums will be good but i'd be wary due to rebuild issues.
American Classic, at that price, is putting itself up against the likes of Zipp, high end wheelsmith (strada wheels too) & the likes of Reynolds etc.
The Mavics - as per American classics.

Planet X also sometimes do one off handbuilts that are worth checking.

 

[blazed]

That may well be the case, but the different 'feel' on the climbs is noticeable, and at 58 anything that makes me feel better on a bike has to be good.

I think the different feel is in your head. Unless you replaced some lead wheels with the 1400gram ones? The difference those wheels would make over some cheap wheels 200 grams heavier would not really be noticeable. You might save an extra watt if you're lucky, nobody feels the difference of a single watt climbing.

Take a look at this article. http://breakingmuscle.com/cycling/h...g-how-the-weights-of-your-bike-and-you-matter

 

[Citius]

I think someone must have hacked blazed's account - that's the second sensible post he's made in as many days...

 

[Sbudge]

I think the different feel is in your head. Unless you replaced some lead wheels with the 1400gram ones? The difference those wheels would make over some cheap wheels 200 grams heavier would not really be noticeable. You might save an extra watt if you're lucky, nobody feels the difference of a single watt climbing.

Take a look at this article. http://breakingmuscle.com/cycling/h...g-how-the-weights-of-your-bike-and-you-matter

I'm not sure it's just overall weight though. I've a set of the SLRs and a pair of hand built ENVE 3.4's that weigh exactly the same (to within 10g). Whilst as a whole I much prefer the ENVEs (no surprise there) the SLRs 'feel' better on the steeper climbs. Of course when I'm riding a loop with an equal amount of climbing and descending then the ENVEs win hands down.

 

[Citius]

That's the nice thing about science - regardless of whether you believe it or not - it's still true.

 

[bpsmith]

The thing with Science, is that Feel is not even considered. You might even define it as unquantifiable in most scenarios.

Feel may not make you faster, or more efficient. It can certainly be felt though, by its very definition.

 

[winjim]

Light weight is so passé. It's all about stiffness these days, don't you know.

 

[Citius]

The thing with Science, is that Feel is not even considered. You might even define it as unquantifiable in most scenarios.

Congratulations on failing to grasp how science works.

If 'feel' is genuine (and not imagined), it will be as the result of a physical effect. And if it is a genuine physical effect, there will be an explanation for it. But if the effect is imagined, then we can file it in the same bin as religion, aliens, homeopathy and chiropractic therapy. So I'm sorry to say that science still wins...

 

[bpsmith]

Congratulations on failing to grasp how science works.

If 'feel' is genuine (and not imagined), it will be as the result of a physical effect. And if it is a genuine physical effect, there will be an explanation for it. But if the effect is imagined, then we can file it in the same bin as religion, aliens, homeopathy and chiropractic therapy. So I'm sorry to say that science still wins...

You make me laugh. Feel is an emotion. There is no Science to Emotion. Everyone's perception is different and how something feels to us is often unique. It's what makes us human. It may translate to something quantifiable, it may not, or it may on one day but not another. Clearly there is no emotion in the land of citius.

Your reply did give me 324 kilo-smiles of amusement though, along with 487 mega-frowns of sadness that you don't experience any feeling.