the tire on or not. If the tire was not on, then I would have to think the balancing was all for not. Aside from tire variability, the valve stem probably weighs as much as your weights. If you did the balance with the tire on, how do you know it's the wheel and not the tire that is imperfect. I say this only because it "sounds" bad to say your disk is unbalanced and may not reflect the real situation. Leads me to my final question. How did you determine the balance of your wheel?

---

----------------------------------
Justin in Austin, get it? :)

Cool races:
- Redman
- Desoto American Triple T

I checked it with the tire off and saw how out of balance it was. I didn't actually balance it with the tire off, but putting the tire on didn't seem to make a significant difference in the balance. Then I played around with finding the right amount of weight to balance.

The problem isn't the tire. It is the wheel. This is the only disc I have ever had, so I don't really know if it is a big deal. Seems my other wheels are not balanced either, but they aren't off by that much.

Out of round in Florida,

I had a similar problem with and old set of specialized trispokes. I bought some lead tape, the kind they use to balance golf clubs. They're 3/8" x 2" rectangular pieces of lead with an adhesive backing. I always check the balance them with the tire on. A new tire doesn't affect the balance but a worn one will. Since the wheel are clinchers, I was able to stick as many as needed to the concave interior part of the rim. Then I do the extra step of covering the lead pieces with electrical tape over that. Once the tube/tire is inflated, the pressure holds it pressed down on the rim. The good thing about this tape is that it is very maleable (sp?), will contour to the shape of the rim, and can be trimmed with scissors. If one of my tubular Alps was out of balance, then I'd have to stick the lead tape to the outside of the rim where it won't interfere with braking. Thankfully, I haven't ran into this problem yet.

My training rims are way out of balance when spin them, but then I ride them I don't notice anything unusual. So who know if there is a real performance loss. I just like to have equipment that's set up as close to perfect as possible. I should be this anal with my training. That would make the greatest improvement for me personaly. That's just me.

---

E-Z

--It ain't a good idea to swim near MY bubbles!

If the wheel is way out of balance, it can have an effect at high speeds. I would balance it with the tire on. Many people use big stickers. I removed some HED stickers from a disc, and ruined the balancing. I had to find new stickers to use. The lead tap sounded good, but I would not put it under the tire, as it sounds like one poster did. Maybe under a clincher, but not a tubular.

---

---------------

"Remember: a bicycle is an elegant and efficient tool designed for seeking out and defeating people who aren't as good as you."

--BikeSnobNYC

Yeah, I put them under a clincher. The lead tape is only about 0.5 to 0.6 mm thick. Sorry if I didn't explain myself well. I wouldn't try it under a tubular.

Now that you mentioned removing of stickers, I removed the big Specialized stickers from the trispoke. That probably sent them out of balance.

---

E-Z

--It ain't a good idea to swim near MY bubbles!

I am using tubulars, but I like the lead tape under the tire idea for clinchers. I like the label idea too. The balance is pretty bad in my case, but a big label with a washer underneath would do the trick.

Any good ideas on labels? Julian, if you are still lurking, I seem to remember you are the master of the label on the disc wheel.

Out of round in Florida,

My 909 is light at the valve stem, with no tire on, heavy at the stem with a tire on. I have 2 GIANT Zipp Stickers on the opposite side of the wheel from the stem. I also use only long stem tires as opposed to extenders.

Now...how on earth do you get your wheel 1oz off? I have ridden my bicycles over 60-70mph (MANY times) and have never ever worried about balancing my wheels. Why would I worry about balancing a disk anymore than a spoke wheel?

Now we can all get into the dynamics of rotating mass and the Bernoli effect and how the faster an object spins the more centrifical weight it has...but...it has never effected me in any way in my many thousands of miles racing.

Dont sweat the small stuff.

---

----------------------------------------------------------

What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I have no idea how the wheel could be that far out of balance. It is not a full ounce, but probably half to 3/4 of an ounce.

I don't have the guts to do 60 mph, but I do get up around 45 sometimes. I won't sweat it, but I think I will try to get it balanced a bit better. I have a problem with my spoked 404 as well, but I think a heavier magnet in the right location will fix that one.

I will be happy to watch you blow by me at 60 mph on the Keene hill in July, but you are probably a faster swimmer too.

Out of round,

What disc are we talking here? I'm borrowing a Zipp for an IM race and noticed a liitle off-balance. Could be the stickers all over it from he bike shop?

I have a Zipp 840 disc that I think was made in 1998, though I am not sure of the year since I am not the original owner. It doesn't look like any stickers were added or removed.

Out of round,