WTB or just Advise on Carbon Road Wheels

[Dhelihiker]

I want to buy some aerodynamic carbon road wheels for long flat rides (I live is Sac- Flat AF)

I have rim brakes and want to spend the amount needed to get the most bang for the buck. Also something I can train and race on. Im not buying two sets.

Are these worth it? This would be the very tippy top of my budget. I'd rather spend $500-800

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/bo...223135712.html

Thanks

[jamal]

If you want aerodynamic for flat rides I'd think look for something deeper. those 202 are light, but also the shallowest, least aero zipp. I'd suggest more like 50mm depth

I got some hed jet 6s (so 60mm deep) for practically nothing this spring, and really notice them when i'm going faster. They are a little old, a the fairings are a little beat up, and they're kind of heavy but hey they're round and straight and look cool. You definitely notice them at higher speeds (30+) in breezy conditions but it's pretty manageable.

[Benneke10]

The pricing on those wheels is pretty steep. Those are probably 3-5 years old, and you could get new wheels from lots of companies with warranty for similar or even cheaper prices. And as Jamal said, if you live anywhere near Sacramento you will be better off with something deeper and more aero. Pros almost never race wheels that shallow even on very steep courses because deeper wheels are nearly always faster for road riding.

[Dhelihiker]

How about these guys here

https://www.theproscloset.com/produc...-700c-wheelset

[Benneke10]

Those look 8-10 years old. You will want something newer with a wider profile, much improved riding and aero benefits too

[jamal]

I browsed the wheels on pro's closet, think I'd just get these before anything they have there

https://us.huntbikewheels.com/collec...34698892640301

Or I guess you could get farsports, light bike, etc wheels with dt swiss hubs for less than that and they wouldn't be a whole lot different.

[Dhelihiker]

Thanks guys

[N1CK.]

consider those pre-build wheels from Light Bicycle's US shop. You can still use rim brakes, and probably get a really nice wheelset for your budget.
I've used a few of their mtb rims and have had 100% good results.

[Skistack]

2nd LB wheelsets, very happy with the set I got for my gravel bike. DT 350 hubs , CX ray spokes, under 1500 grams, $900ish.


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[rideit]

I have LB gravel wheels, DT240s, sapim x-rays, etc, $900. Love them.

[climberevan]

FYI Hunt and many others are just private label Chinese wheels. LB & Farsports are solid and reputable, but even the no-name ones are fine for road use, unless you're huge. The Bitex or Novatec hubs on the cheaper ones are also just fine unless you're just abusing them.

My first set of crazy light race wheels was from Farsports. 1100g for the pair (50mm, tubular). I broke one in the Bariani road race by hitting a sharp edge at like 35mph, and they gave me a really sweet deal on a new rim.

For aero you want 50+mm deep with a wide, rounded profile. The tire and its interface will make a big difference as well. They won't be super light, but in the Central Valley it doesn't matter.

[Tailwind]

Look at Aeolus Pro 5’s used. They can be in your budget and don’t have anything wrong with them. Also tubeless which is really nice.

[TrueNorth]

If you want to ride faster, the bang for your buck on carbon road wheels is not really that good. You can get much better return on investment ($ per watt saved or however you want to quantify it) with things like low rolling resistance tires, latex tubes (or tubeless if you have compatible rims), tight fitting aero clothing, "aero road" helmet, tri-bars, more aero riding position.

If you've already gone after the low hanging fruit and still want carbon wheels, as others have mentioned a new wheelset from Light Bicycle (or Farsports or Yoeleo) is good value. You can customise the hubs and spokes to your pricepoint, or if it's still too expensive, you can get something a bit cheaper from one of the many vendors on Aliexpress.

I could sell you some 80mm deep Reynolds carbon wheels I hardly ever use, but shipping to Cali might be pricey.

[climberevan]

If you want to ride faster, the bang for your buck on carbon road wheels is not really that good. You can get much better return on investment ($ per watt saved or however you want to quantify it) with things like low rolling resistance tires, latex tubes (or tubeless if you have compatible rims), tight fitting aero clothing, "aero road" helmet, tri-bars, more aero riding position.

If you've already gone after the low hanging fruit and still want carbon wheels, as others have mentioned a new wheelset from Light Bicycle (or Farsports or Yoeleo) is good value. You can customise the hubs and spokes to your pricepoint, or if it's still too expensive, you can get something a bit cheaper from one of the many vendors on Aliexpress.

I could sell you some 80mm deep Reynolds carbon wheels I hardly ever use, but shipping to Cali might be pricey.

Great points!

Shipping with Bikeflights for a wheelset will prob be less than $50.

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[Dhelihiker]

If you want to ride faster, the bang for your buck on carbon road wheels is not really that good. You can get much better return on investment ($ per watt saved or however you want to quantify it) with things like low rolling resistance tires, latex tubes (or tubeless if you have compatible rims), tight fitting aero clothing, "aero road" helmet, tri-bars, more aero riding position.

If you've already gone after the low hanging fruit and still want carbon wheels, as others have mentioned a new wheelset from Light Bicycle (or Farsports or Yoeleo) is good value. You can customise the hubs and spokes to your pricepoint, or if it's still too expensive, you can get something a bit cheaper from one of the many vendors on Aliexpress.

I could sell you some 80mm deep Reynolds carbon wheels I hardly ever use, but shipping to Cali might be pricey.

I have cheep wheels and keep breaking spokes just riding it. I’m 6-5 215lbs. So new wheels are in my future. What’s the price of your Reynolds? I’d love to solve this problem for less money.

I also need to work the above as well. I’m new to road but I plan on riding a lot more. Peddling in aero positioning still boggles me.

[TrueNorth]

Sent you a pm with more details (they are Reynolds Storm wheels with new Continental GP 4000s ii tires and new carbon brake pads for $600 shipped in case Dhelihiker passes and somebody else is interested).

Interesting read on wind tunnel testing of carbon wheels here: https://www.hambini.com/testing-to-f...icycle-wheels/

What I found interesting in Hambini's test was how little difference there is between different wheels of similar depth (except for a few poorly designed outliers). There is a lot of marketing around rim profiles and various aerodynamic features, but it doesn't seem to make very much difference in the wind tunnel test.

There has been a trend toward wider tires on road bikes recently, followed by wider rims. However, most rim brake road bikes don't have much clearance for wider tires/rims. Make sure you check the clearance on your frame and brake calipers before buying a wide wheelset.

[Dhelihiker]

Yeah I'm going to hold off on wheels. This is one of the better videos I've watched on Aerodynamics. Like stated above, it seems like learning to ride in that awkward ass position is by far the most beneficial along with that sexy skin suit and helmet.

[plugboots]

Just an FYI, I have current generation dura ace rim brakes, and I can get 25 mm tires, (IRC RBCC), and no wider.

[climberevan]

Yeah I'm going to hold off on wheels. This is one of the better videos I've watched on Aerodynamics. Like stated above, it seems like learning to ride in that awkward ass position is by far the most beneficial along with that sexy skin suit and helmet.

This is the way. If you look at a pro pelotón when they are going hard, the guy in front will almost always be in the "aero hoods" position. I spend a lot of time in that position myself (holdover from racing), and it is tiring but as this video makes clear, training to hold it longer will literally give you free speed.

I'm looking for a new road helmet and am strongly considering one of the more aero versions, but having worn a TT helmet extensively, I can assure you that they are horrible for regular riding, and there is no better way to look like a Free (JONG). Skinsuits are really comfortable and fast, but I need pockets for any ride longer than an hour.

As they say "Don't pay for upgrades-- pedal up grades."

[Benneke10]

As they say "Don't pay for upgrades-- pedal up grades."

This is true, but OP lives in pancake flat central valley where aero wheels literally give you (effort) free speed. I'll add that in addition to the skinsuit, a bike fit is the best bang for your buck performance gain for road cycling. It amazes me how many riders spend crazy money on their bikes and upgrades and yet ride around with a bad position

[Dhelihiker]

This is true, but OP lives in pancake flat central valley where aero wheels literally give you (effort) free speed. I'll add that in addition to the skinsuit, a bike fit is the best bang for your buck performance gain for road cycling. It amazes me how many riders spend crazy money on their bikes and upgrades and yet ride around with a bad position

I'm getting a standard fit next weekend. Has anyone done the full RETUL fit? Is it worth the extra $150??

[climberevan]

Reviews are very mixed on fitting in general, and Retul in particular. It really well comes down to who does it and how well they interpret what you tell them about comfort. What works for aerodynamics is pretty well known, but if a position saves you 20w in drag but you lose 25w because it's too uncomfortable for you to hold, obviously you're not going to benefit. I've never had a professional fitting, though. It wasn't a thing 25 years ago when I started riding, and I've never felt the need since.

"Pedal up grades" is just an old way of saying that it's much more about the rider than the bike. In the case of OP, good positioning (free) has the potential to make much, much more of a difference than wheels ($1000+).

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[rideit]

Professional fitting was a big thing in the shop I first worked in, ~1984?
But it was a super-nerd shop.

[Benneke10]

I've had several fits, some Retul and some not. If your fitter knows what they're doing, Retul won't make a huge difference but it will add a lot of time to the fit which increases the cost. If you don't have access to a competent, experienced bike fitter then Retul will help them dial you in, but I would imagine the Sac/Davis area has some excellent bike fitters. Keep in mind there is a high likelihood that your fitter will recommend that you replace a bunch of parts including your saddle, stem, handlebar, seatpost, footbeds, cleats, maybe even shoes, and you should probably listen to them.

[jamal]

I'd be curious to get on one of those retul deals to see what it says but am fairly happy with how my bikes fit and feel. I did try taking a side video of myself and used some free software to measure angles and they seemed to be in the recommended ranges, but it's kind of hard to figure out exactly where all the joints are.

And yeah your body is the largest contributor to drag on a bike so make sure that you're not sitting super upright and wearing flappy clothes if you're worried about going faster. But then after that it's your wheels/tires so they're a nice thing to have regardless, and you will notice them.