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Slowtwitch Forums: Triathlon Forum:
Nimble Crosswinds

JustJulian

Jan 6, 03 8:35

Post #1 of 10 (948 views)

Nimble Crosswinds	Can't Post

Anyone have any experiences good or bad with these wheels that they wish to share? As they are 50% more expensive here in England than they are in the US I would like some users opinions before committing my wedge.

I'm 160lbs and would be looking at clinchers on a 10spd Campag hub for IM races.

Thanks, Julian in England.

"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS

Tom Demerly

Jan 6, 03 11:11

Post #2 of 10 (912 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [jk_allen13] [In reply to]	Can't Post

As a triathlon bike shop owner we cannot sell them becasue they are sold direct only, which is a shame. Based on what I've heard about them from two athletes who own and use them they are very good. I would like to get some to try though- hopefully someday they will go to dealer sales here in the U.S. in addition to their direct sales. until then, we'll stick to Hed, Zipp, Renn, Spinergy, Mavic and Corima. As i mentioned, based on what I'm told, they are nice.

Pooks

Jan 6, 03 11:46

Post #3 of 10 (888 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [jk_allen13] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Sorry, I don't have any experience with that wheel, so I can't speak directly to your question. I have spoken to a few people who have the wheel and really like it. This brings me to a frustrating point about Nimble.

It is very hard to find 3rd party reviews or tests of Nimble wheels. I think this is primarily because of the fact, as Tom mentioned, that they only sell direct. Nimble has some very surprising drag data on their site and their wheels are wicked light. I take the drag info with a grain of salt as its from the manufacturer though. I have spoken with David at Nimble and he is a very nice guy and is definitely into the science of bicycle wheels. He seems to know of what he speaks. The thing is though that I'd like some outside validation of his claims.

I find it frustrating that the Tri world seems to focus so heavily on Hed and Zipp. Almost exclusively. I've never come across any tests by Cobb on Nimble wheels. After all, he can't sell them in his shop. I haven't seen anything on this site either which is where I'd expect to find something. If you look at the Crosswind and the Hed 3 head to head, there are several things about the Crosswind that make it very appealing. The much lighter weight, lack of an aluminum rim, and interchangeable hubs are a few. The aero might be the most appealing if only it would come from a 3rd party.

I currently have a Nimble Fly on order to use as my primary front racing wheel. Based on my experience with it, I may end up with a Crosswind for the rear as well. (BTW, they also have some lofty claims about the aerodynamics of the Fly vs. some of the deep section wheels out there.) So far, my experiences with the company have been FANTASTIC. They are really great to talk to on the phone and will take all the time you need. Great folks.

If you haven't already, you should hunt around their site. There's a page on rider weights and wheel choices and based on it, your weight on a crosswind should be no problem. (http://www.nimble.net/ on the right side, there'a a link for rider/wheel weight limits.)

Good luck

-------------------------------
There�s no "x" in "espresso"

Titan

Jan 6, 03 13:20

Post #4 of 10 (844 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [Pooks] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I hesitate to write this, but, I tried a Crosswind on the rear of my TCR. FIRST of all...it IS a light wheel. That's the best thing about it. Secondly, they are responsive to the customer, they sent me a new hub when my wheel wasn't testing fast. They tried very hard to get the wheel to perform well on my bike. Lastly, try as I might, I couldn't get the wheel to be as fast as my 32 spoke Mavic Open Pro. I tried coasting tests, max speed tests, coasting distance tests, out and back time trials on flats and on hills....I tried every way I knew to take the human factor out of my testing, then put the human factor back in my testing, and it just consistantly showed itself to be slower than my normal training wheel. I ran the same tests with a Hed Deep, and later, with an H3. Both of these wheels were faster under all conditions than my Mavic.

I don't know why it didn't test well for me. I can sum up the one biggest thing that kept happening to me when I had the Crosswind on...my training buddies would pass me coasting down hills on our normal rides, look at me quizzically, and comment..."why are we coasting faster than you for a change?" I put my Mavic back on and resumed outcoasting them like I was used to. With the H3 or Jet Deep, I not only outcoasted them down the same hills, I opened up a gap on them (unless they were drafting!)

I can't explain why this happened on my Giant. I'd like to try it on my Talon and see if the same thing happens, but, I can't afford to buy one for testing, and I don't imagine they would like to volunteer one for me to test, since I sent the one I had back to them.

One more note, the Nimble I had was a Tufo Tubular, all my other wheels were clinchers with Performance Pro Forte Kevlar belts...surely there couldn't be that much difference in rolling resistance!!??? I really don't think that was the problem, I just don't know what the problem was.

Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

Koz

Jan 6, 03 14:11

Post #5 of 10 (830 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [ktalon] [In reply to]	Can't Post

The coasting could likely be attributed to the low spinning moment of the Nimble wheel, i.e. the heavier wheels may accelerate more slowly, but on a long hill they'll catch the lighter and end faster at the bottom. If they caught you about halfway down the hill and you caught them back about halfway up the next, then that's likely the case. Also, I've no doubt the Crosswind is more aero than your 32 spoke Mavic, but there is something to be said about wheels acting like fly-wheels (meaning a large spinning moment, not that all wheels are Nimble Flys...).

Pooks

Jan 6, 03 14:37

Post #6 of 10 (823 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [Koz] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I think you're onto it about the possible cause of being slower on the downhill. Light wheels slow down a lot easier/faster than heavier ones. I'm not defending the wheel here, again I don't own one.

I too wonder how you (ktalon) performed on the flats and climbs compared to your friends and other wheels. That's where the real time is gained. It's hard to argue the move though, if I drop that kind of cash on a wheel, I'd want a measurable improvement too.

-------------------------------
There�s no "x" in "espresso"

Titan

Jan 6, 03 16:41

Post #7 of 10 (795 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [Pooks] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I too wonder how you (ktalon) performed on the flats and climbs compared to your friends and other wheels. That's where the real time is gained. It's hard to argue the move though, if I drop that kind of cash on a wheel, I'd want a measurable improvement too. Once, on a long climb, I found no difference between the Crosswind and my Mavic...I used a HR monitor cadence sensor and kept it in the same couple of gears for both wheels. All the other flat, hilly, or even downhill tests found the Mavic faster. I did all these tests on the Heds, and the Jet Deep got the lowest score on the long climb, but just barely....the Jet Deep and H3 both did better than the Mavic on all but one or two tests. There is the variable of wind, and I tried to minimize it's effect by going out and back on the Time Trials, but sometimes you get gusts, and you get tired, etc. It certainly wasn't scientific testing, and I think the wheel is made well, it certainly is thought out above and beyond my capabilities as an engineer, but your last comment nailed it on the head for me...dropping that kind of cash better show me a difference over my Mavic 32 Open Pro training wheel...I wanted to find a difference, but couldn't find a positive one. This is just my experience, I could have screwed something up very badly, but, I don't know what.

Quid quid latine dictum sit altum videtur
(That which is said in Latin sounds profound)

LeDopedChicken

Jan 6, 03 18:42

Post #8 of 10 (763 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [jk_allen13] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Julian, I have a pair I'm considering selling, tubular, 700c, titanium skewers, wheelbag, 1.5 years old. contact me if interested

eyernman@hotmail.com

Carl

Jan 7, 03 7:14

Post #9 of 10 (703 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [jk_allen13] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Anecdotal stuff for you, based on a single race using a pair of borrowed Crosswinds:

-my slowest 40k split in an OD tri ever...MOST of which I attribute to a hill-intensive course...mitigated slightly by the Dura-Ace equipped Calfee I was riding

-when walking the bike to and from transition there was so much friction in the freehub that it was spinning my cassette and cranks slightly...possibly because the wheels hadn't been "broken in" yet, but between my race and the owner's many races I estimate some 300-400mi had passed under these wheels

Other anecdotal stuff:

The whole factory-direct and no-independent-drag-data stuff is a recurring theme with these guys. It came up for a few days on the IM-Moo chat page and one of the respondents (a quasi-sponsored Nimble gal) posted a note purportedly from Nimble that asserted (among other things)

-Cobb has tested Crosswinds and found them to be "quite aero" but...

-Cobb has a conflict of interest since he [like Tom] can't sell Nimbles at BicycleSports so therefore...

-Cobb hasn't and won't publish those results, preferring rather to show #'s for the stuff he CAN sell

Now excuse me while I go make a fortune investing in SALT commodities.

Carl - proud Hed3 owner, in the interest of full disclosure

Tom Demerly

Jan 7, 03 7:32

Post #10 of 10 (695 views)

Re: Nimble Crosswinds [jk_allen13] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I do respect Nimble's business acumen for going direct to consumers. Basically they are able to retain a big part of the dealer's margin and save themselves the inconveniences and hassle of dealing with the dealers- and let me tell you (as a dealer) we are a pain in the ass to vendors. I would like to be able to offer them as an alternative. The brands we sell are excellent, but it is nice to be able to offer everything to people, especially when I believe (based on what I've heard and read) Nimble is a fine product.