Aero wheels for the heavier Trier
combatdwarf
Posts: 258
in General Chat
Just wondered if anyone had opinions on aero wheels for someone who is approx 90kg? Having looked at Zipp, HED and Xentis it seems I would have to go for Zipp Clydesdales, any of the Xentis Mark1s or look at a custom HED build.
Does anyone on the furm have any experience of these wheels?
Thanks
I.
Does anyone on the furm have any experience of these wheels?
Thanks
I.
0
Comments
He's a very big ex-rower and really puts the power down and so foe they have stood up to all he has given them
Iain.
Just a few comments from the physics department about the 'rotating mass' myths that seem to circulate (pun probably intended).
On a road bike, a heavier wheel will take the same amount of extra energy to get up a hill as a heavier frame or indeed a heavier rider. It will take the same amount of energy to accelerate a heavier wheel as it would a heavier frame or rider. It's all just weight.
The fact that it is rotating mass has an effect on any changes in speed or direction. Acceleration will be slower on a heavy wheel (compared to a lighter one), but you'll have more momentum: the energy is not lost until you brake. Changing direction will be slower with a heavier wheel. There will also be more gyroscopic precession which tries to twist the frame as you change direction. The forces are almost irrelevant on a road bike.
Finally, if you were on a MTB you might get concerned about sprung to unsprung mass ratios, but to be honest when you stick a rider on a bike you kind of cover that anyway. Weight of frame + rider compared to weight of suspension + wheels compares reasonably well.
Wheel weight is an issue if the wheels and tyres are quite heavy compared to the overall package, are spinning very quickly, or are changing direction and speed very quickly. It is an issue for motorbikes.
A very light wheelset will feel 'lively' in that each hard press of the pedal will produce a surge, but this is counteracted by the lack of momentum (or flywheel effect) in the weaker parts of the pedal stroke. The twitchiness, or willingness to track and follow contours will also contribute to the feeling of lost weight.
For guys who are really powerfull it will make a difference in overall weight, for where it really matters that you can get from 20mph to 30mph 0.1 seconds quicker than the guy next to you. For everybody else, the fact that the wheel is not wasting all your energy in flexing is far more important.
Buy the heavy ones.
I.