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Windy races and equipment selection
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I just read another thread where the author was concerned about buying a disk rear wheel due to the perceived instability in high winds. My question for the forum is this: What percentage of your races have been windy enough to dissuade you from using the fastest possible equipment. I have done about 40 triathlons and maybe 200 bike races over the past 20 years throughout the midwest and mid-atlantic regions and can only remember competing in two races with really awful weather, and in both of those events I still went with my fastest wheels including a rear disk.

The really bad weather I've encountered has been on training rides where I get mixed up in late-afternoon thunderstorms, or in off-season training rides where I'm desperate to get outside, but since races are in the warm season and start early we usually miss the rough stuff.

Anyway, my bad-weather race percentage is under 1%. How about the rest of the forum? What threshold do you look for before it becomes rational to buy slower gear?

-Marc
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Re: Windy races and equipment selection [MarcK] [ In reply to ]
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I've ridden my disc in pretty heavy winds during races. I don't think handling a disc is tough. To answer your question, I've raced in 0 races where I wouldn't use a disc.

I have had some scares during training rides with heavy crosswinds and a moderately deep front wheel. The wheel was by no means deep though. These experiences have been enough to make me careful with my front wheel selection when racing.
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Re: Windy races and equipment selection [MarcK] [ In reply to ]
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Because I race only my third season I never had race condition where I wouldn't use my race wheel set (HED H3 and Renn Disk).

In spring we sometimes have strong winds that blows along the mountains in the Swiss midlands. There my race wheel could be tricky. The wind is steady. But if you are protected by a house and the pass it the impact of the wind could be hard to handle with a H3/disk.
But with steady strong winds you have a bigger advantage with more aero equippment.

The more experience I have with my aero wheels the less the possibility that I won't use them.

Felix

http://www.weilenmann.ch.vu
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