race wheels

markie5

Hi,

After a couple of years competing at olympic distance tri's I have decided its time to buy some nice shiney carbon race wheels.

The problem is however i have been told that generally better wheels will save me around 1-2 minutes over 40K.

While this may suit the elites, this time saving does not seem to justify the expense of the wheels for my level of racing.



Is this time saving accurate? Any thoughts or advice please

treefrog

I think that you are quite right, carbon aero wheels do make a saving but only if you max out your old wheels, ie if you are on the rivet during every cycle then in order to get faster you have two options 1. Get even fitter ( but if you are fit then this will only have a small improvement) 2. Buy the kit and if this is the case buy the best you can afford or can't afford. Look for ceramic bearings, bladed spokes, lightness and get a wheelset that will suit your weight and style of riding. If you are sub 75kg and/or have a tendancy to get out of the saddle and put regular blasts in the err on the side of stiffness (as oposed to ultra lightweight) but if you are light and are a "steady rider then go for a more lightweight option. Do yourself a favour do not buy the "poorman's" option decide what your perfect wheelset is and buy it.

STAPLEHURSTTRILOVER

The truth of the matter is that this sport is not about goin fast for the majority, it's about shaving, eating lots, wearing lycra and most importantly having a shiny, red, carbon bike.