Tape from inside the wheel?

That DSW bag looks great - just sealed my decision to get one.

---

Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

I finally got to take my Flo 60/90s out on a test ride today. I actually got my wheels last week, but forgot to order my race tires. I ended up getting the Continental Attack/Force tires based on Thomas Gerlach's recommendation in another thread on this forum. The wheels each came with a stretchable plastic insert that is used in place of rim tape. I bought Bontrager race tubes with the 80mm valves, but soon realized that an 80mm valve is not long enough for the wheel with the 90mm faring (duh!). Then I ended up blowing up both tubes when I tried to install them myself on the front wheel using the Turbo Elite tire that came with my Shiv. Apparently I didn't check carefully enough for pinching of the tube between my wheel and tire.

I gave up on trying to configure the wheels myself, and, when my tires arrived, I brought everything into the bike shop. The mechanic had some difficulty getting the tires around the rims (they were very tight). Also, the shop didn't have tubes with 80mm valves in stock, so I got tubes with 60mm valves and some valve extenders. A standard-sized extender worked for the front wheel, but I had to get a Zipp valve extension for the rear wheel (the kind where you don't move the valve core and thus risk having some pumping difficulty). I'm going to replace both tubes with 80 mm tubes and then I should only need a standard valve extender for the rear wheel.

Finally the shop had to install some new brake cables because the cables weren't long enough on my Shiv to support the wider width of the wheels. The mechanic had to take the cranks off to install the cables properly. I ended up leaving my bike in the shop for a day.

Anyway, on to my first ride. These are my first race wheels, so I didn't know what to expect. The first thing I noticed was the wheels definitely seem lighter than the wheels (DT Axis 2.0s) that came with my Shiv. Also, when I rolled over a piece of gravel, there was a distinct tinny sound that briefly worried me. As I got moving along a flat stretch, though, I was excited to notice that I was moving faster with less effort--an observation that I was able to confirm with my Garmin/Strava data. In other words, the wheels did what they were supposed to do.

I had a tail wind for most of the first half of my ride, which probably explains why I felt more like a sailboat captain than a cyclist at certain brief points. As I headed back along the same route, I encountered a major headwind and some swirling side winds. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was riding in the windiest conditions I have ever faced (although it's possible the wheels just made me think that. ;) ). A couple times I felt that the side gusts would've knock me over if I wasn't holding on tightly to my handlebars to maintain control. I did not feel comfortable enough to ride in the aero bars in such windy conditions. Nevertheless, with the Flo wheels, I did move faster with less effort, even while riding directly into a strong head wind.

Here are my flo 60's. Sorry for the non-drive side crappy iphone pic. I've had them on 3 rides so far, and I'm very impressed with the feel and build quality thus far.

---

_______________________________________________

That is a gorgeous bike...looks so good on a road bike.

Brent

---

DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

I really like the reviews I have read, the price point and the look, however, I ride with a power meter and don't want to give up that option on a race wheel. Any plans for this in the next year?

---

All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

Why wait until next year, get a Quarq and never be constrained by wheel choice again.

Fears of being constrained by crank choice? Score yourself a pair of Look Keo Power pedals.

Want ANT+ you say? Fine, the Vector has to come out eventually.


You only ride Speedplay?? Ok, hold out for Brimm Brothers.

Not vaporware enough for you??? Fine, strap freaking lasers to your wheel.

There are plenty of fish in the sea my friend, but unfortunately some are still minnows.

Cause I already have a Powertap SLPro+

---

All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

http://www.raltech.co.uk/Prod_3-Wh-Cov.html

Easy. Sell it.

From yesterday's century training ride. Happy to report they worked like a charm. Biggest impression: stiffness. I have bought used H3Cs and found their dodgy bearings - even after replacement & servicing - caused them to rub my frame/brakes; bought a used Renn disc & the same issues. Took a flyer with FLO and it looks like they nailed it. The wheels spin straight & the ride is rub-free, even with a surprisingly tight fit between the chainstays (just a few mms either side). The Conti Attack/Force combo were a devil to get on, but with patience I avoided any tube pinching. Congrats to the Thornhams!

* oh yes - on the service front: "long ago" they answered my request for the Pantone colour codes in the labels. The yellow seemed a close enough match to my frame that I pulled the trigger on this setup & am glad I did! Thanks to Chris & Jon.

---

_______________________________
http://www.snail-male.blogspot.com

I made another attempt at getting the Conti SS on the front wheel and this time was successful. Took off the rim tape that came with the wheel and used 2 layers of 3m strapping tape. This is about as thin a way of covering the spoke holes as I'm aware of. I'm going to keep a close eye on it, not sure I totally trust the tape. Also heated up the tire in the dryer, stretched it, and talced it. It was a tight fit but with some elbow grease got it on without having to resort to tools.

A few more thoughts about the wheels:
They seem very solid, good even spoke tension, very true, and feel like they're going to stay that way.
They seem very fast on the flats & downhills.
I'd swear I "feel" the 1 lb. difference between these and the Rolf Vigors they replace, I know the difference is only a bit over a half percent of the total body & bike weight and in theory I shouldn't be able to notice that. However, despite a slightly heavy "feel" on the hills, they are clearly overall significantly faster than the Vigors (which are sort of semi-aero wheels, definitely not full aero but considerably better than your usual training wheel).
Already have some significant wear on the black brake track, looks like pretty much all the wear came from one ride when it was a bit wet due to thick fog, just enough to make the road damp but no puddles either. Not a big deal to me but don't expect the brake track to stay black for the long haul if you use these as daily drivers. If you use them as race only wheels and never get caught in the rain they'll probably stay black a pretty long time.
I'm not big on worrying about the stiffness of wheels but these are certainly plenty stiff for pretty much any taste, unlike the Rolfs which seemed like they would require a big strong rider to set the brake pads wide to avoid rub.
I've ridden them in some windy conditions and while I notice the depth, the handling wasn't too bad. When you first get on them they feel a bit "wander-y" but you soon get used to it.
While I'd like to see them lose a bit of weight and maybe a few spokes off the front, those are very reasonable compromises for this price point and quality. Not all of us want to spend $2K+ for wheels and I can't think of anything right now that compares at this price point.

I had a hell of a time mounting an R4 Aero on my front Flo60. I got it most of the way by hand and then popped the last few inches of bead over with a tire lever. I thought I was going to break the lever, but everything went fine.

So I've had these wheels for a couple of weeks now and think I have a pretty good feel for what they are. I've ridden and own/owned all sorts of different wheels. I've raced on Felt TTR2s, Roval 45SLs, HED3's and HED JET 6/Jet 9. I bought the FLO wheels not because I needed race wheels but because I thought what the FLO guys were doing was impressive and I was interested in 1) testing the product and 2) comparing them to what I already have. So here's my take after about 150 miles:

I think they are awesome wheels! I'm not going to launch into and quantitative data as I don't have any. I can only tell you how I feel on them. These wheels ride and handle appreciably better than my H3s rode and at least as good as my $1,800 (now even more!) HED Jets! My experience on the H3 was somewhat twitchy, especially on fast downhills or gusty roads. These wheels feel solid and stable and just about anything I've ridden so far. When I've been hit with gusts I feel a sense of a "push" against me put not a twitch or jerky type motion. I feel totally in control and comfortable. They are similar in ride quality to my HEDs but they sound better!!

The wheels "sound" great. Literally like a Mack truck coming up on you. For those of you who know the sound of the Zipp disk, it's somewhat like that though not quite as extreme. It is 100% noticeable and I love it. I'm riding the FLO 60 front and FLO 90. The hubs seem to very good quality and look nice. They came with skewers, nothing special, basic skewers, I'm using them but again, nothing special. with that being said, I wasn't expecting skewers to come with them at this price! SCORE!

I raced them this past weekend and rode my fastest average pace ever (and it was a hilly course). As it was my third time doing the same race, I had a PR on the course. Was it the wheels? I'm not going to claim that but I can promise you they didn't hurt! It was a hilly course and I felt solid the whole time. I've heard people mentioning the weight of the wheels saying they are heavy. I can tell you after riding these wheels that I'm not a bit concerned. I've decided to sell my other wheel sets and go all in with my FLOs. Why? First, I am comfortable riding them all the time, they are not so expensive that I'm worried about anything happening to them. Second, they look great - anyone who says they don't care what their bike looks like is lying, I can leave them on all the time! I don't care, happy to admit it, I love when my bike looks fast. Third, I like the idea of riding lower air pressure and having a more comfortable ride with the 23mm rims. and fourth, I want everyone to be able to check out these wheels! There's no reason people need to spend $2,000+ for a set of race wheels and then ride them a few times a year! I guess if you've got money to burn or you are a pro and get them free maybe but short of that, I just don't see a need for it. These wheels are fantastic and were $800!!

I know there's a back log to get them but I'd say it's worth the wait. I'm a big fan, really surprised at the quality of the product and happy for these guys. I'll revise this write up as I put more miles on them but for now, just wanted to say I'm extremely impressed and very happy I pulled the trigger....

Nice looking bike with some very nice looking wheels.

---

Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
--

Super 33 tape only - no bolts. I've never used them and haven't had an issue. Ever. It won't come off until you want it to. Tape the drive side spokes to the inside of cover. Done. You should be able to do a full transition in about 10-15 minutes.

notice any wear of the black on the brake track?

I like them. Nice reviews as well. I like the stealth stickers.

Received my Flo 90s a week and half ago in time for the Welland half yesterday.

All in all I am super pleased with these wheels. Met my goal of a sub 2:30 bike split, and while I hope it wasn't all the wheels I am sure they played their part.

The distinctive sound that the spoke holes make is pretty cool, I lost count of the number of people who mentioned it as I was making a pass. I actually had one person pull back up alongside me just to ask what kind of wheels they were before dropping back.

And for a deep front, it handles well. On par with an older non-dimpled 404 tubular that I was using before.

Yes, there is wear on the black. From far away it's not noticeable but when you get up on it, you can see it. To me, it's nothing. My HED Jet's had the same sort of wear after the first ride. Sure, they were silver not black but they had black wear lines on them. I never expected them to stay JET BLACK. Still, my guess is I'll have some wear lines and the remainder of the track will be black. Again, I see this as an expected wearing issue.

As for my review, I've got another 200 miles on them since my write-up and I'd have to say I can't come up with anything negative at all. I did a nice solo training ride this weekend in the Pocono Mountains. I had some good, long, fast descents and the wheels handled great, even with some significant cross winds. Ended up averaging 19.5 MPH for the ride, very happy.

Has anyone put a FLO wheel (either 90 or Disc) on the rear of a P3? I've got a 60 front, 90 rear and Disc coming next week (fingers crossed) and just realized the P3 is on the "tight fit" category. If you've installed on a P3, what issues did you have, how did you deal with it, are there any modifications I need to consider and lastly what tires do you have installed?

I'm curous if I need to get different tires or brake pads to make everything work. I'm a 190lb rider and can produce a bit of torque on a sprint or climb so I'm a little concerned.

Has anyone put a FLO wheel (either 90 or Disc) on the rear of a P3?

if you go to FLO cycling's facebook page, there's a photo album of bikes & their wheels. there's at least 3 P3's that have a 90 on the rear. not sure how tight the fit is but clearly some owners are doing it.

---

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Michael in Fresno
"Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man" V. Corleone

Thanks, I noticed that. I'm still curious from the owners of P3's that have installed them what issues they may have encountered, if any.

What is your basis for thinking that? I'm assuming that you are in shipping group 2 and are going off of the original "July" estimates. Given the amount of activity on the FB page and blog when the first shipment arrived at Flo, were stickered, packaged up and shipped out, and it's near silence on the topic now, I would not anticipate any group 2 wheels to be shipping in the immediate future.

I'm hoping to hear an update from them on Group 2 soon, but I'm definitely not planning for any specific arrival dates until I do.

Based on an email from Chris at FLO. I received an email on May 2nd with the shipping group clarrifications, indicating "late june/VERY early july" and subsequently received a follow up email confirming that we should receive them early July (which is next week). I'm still hoping for the best. Seems to me that the guys at FLO have been very upfront and thorough with communication. If you think you've not received proper communication, then I'm sorry and I can only suggest that you check your spam filters. There was a long lag in between early May and now, but that's because there's probably nothing to report. I'm not a FLO groupie, but I do think they guys have been extremely open in their communications.