I'm sure this subject has been discussed ad naseum here before (sorry 'bout that). My first IM (Idaho) is this year. I'm running a Cervelo P2K and have 2 sets of wheels...Velocity Deep V's which I train on and some Spinergy SPOX which came off another bike I had. I raced the Spinergys last year. I've been considering a set of Zipp 404 Tubulars to race IM. One person I spoke to thought that the time savings over an IM distance could be as much as 20 minutes. Anyone have an opinion on how much time I might save? I expect to be somewhere in the 10:45 to 11:15 range (if all goes well)......course not withstanding. A new set of Zipps aren't cheap, but for 20 minutes time I'd consider the purchase.
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Re: Aero Wheels at IM [chrismaginn]
[ In reply to ]
"the time savings over an IM distance could be as much as 20 minutes"
Won't be that much but will make a difference. Here's Jim Martin's take
http://home.hia.no/~stephens/aero.htm
Won't be that much but will make a difference. Here's Jim Martin's take
http://home.hia.no/~stephens/aero.htm
Re: Aero Wheels at IM [chrismaginn]
[ In reply to ]
IMHO race wheels are worth the cost especially at Ironman distance. They seem to make the race expereince easier and more enjoyable. It is hard to quantify how much time a good set of wheels will save, but there is no dispute that there will be some savings. It's like Carroll Shelby (automotive designer) said, "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?"
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
Re: Aero Wheels at IM [Tom Demerly]
[ In reply to ]
Thanks for the replys. One scientific and the other experiential. I also need to factor in going from clincher to tubular tires. I'll soldier on until I find the perfect reason to justify yet another outlandish purchase in the pursuit of our sport.
Re: Aero Wheels at IM [chrismaginn]
[ In reply to ]
Don't forget that the SPOX are about the slowest wheels you could possibly design... you will probably have gains even greater than those published.
Re: Aero Wheels at IM [Zinc]
[ In reply to ]
Yup, SPOX, Xaeros, Xaero Carbons, Tilliums, etc with the PBO spokes are slow(er than other similar choices). If you want fast, stay away. But if you want comfortable training wheels, they are some of the best out there. I'm on Xaero Lites for training. I love them. My team has pro deal status w/Spinergy so now that I have moved to 650 for my tri bike I need race wheels. I can't pass up the Spinergy deals we have, but I won't be buying the Tiliums. I'm sticking to the Carbon SS with bladed stainless spokes. Much more aero, Steve Larsen's awesome bike times notwithstanding. I might think differently if they were give to me, but if I'm spending my own $$..... Then again, if I were good enough for companies to give me their products, I'd be on Zipp or Hed.
Question here: I'm new to any semblance of the sponsorship thing, even if it is just special team "pro deals" that I still pay for. Am I being disloyal to Spinergy here? I like and use their products, but obviously have issues with some areas regarding appropriate application of their PBO technology. Something tells me I'm slightly outside the box.
Question here: I'm new to any semblance of the sponsorship thing, even if it is just special team "pro deals" that I still pay for. Am I being disloyal to Spinergy here? I like and use their products, but obviously have issues with some areas regarding appropriate application of their PBO technology. Something tells me I'm slightly outside the box.
Don't forget the hub on the SPOX that's about the same size as my neck. (I'm a tri-geek and have the "geek" part down really well)