1. Keep the bike/frame if it can fit your body and desires on the bike. Least of your possible gains.

2. Ditch the HED 3 unless you only race on baby smooth roads. I tested mine out before selling it, and it is still a really fast wheel.........BUT....needs great roads so you can run the right tire and pressure for it. Around here, that doesn't work out so great. So I sold mine to a track racer happy to take it off my hands. Perfect place for an HED 3. Low yaw on a track and smooth riding. Get a modern 90mm front wheel instead where you can run a modern size tire at a comfy and fast pressure. You can possibly gain some CRR there and some watts at yaw over the HED 3. Ditch BOTH of those dog tires. Get a modern front wheel you can run a latex and faster tire. Refer to bicyclerollingresistance.com for some numbers to aid your choice.

3. Keep the Renn if you can run a 23mm on it in the rear. The DA should shield the rear wheel transition from frame to tire to wheel pretty well. My older DA did when I ran a 23mm on my Renn disc. Just get a better tire with latex tube. GP5000 minimum, preferably the new Michelin Power TT.

4. Get something that allows you to tilt the cockpit some, that's usually worth some comfort and a little aero. Tilt block shims, etc...

6. I found 10w between a really good TT helmet and the TT helmet that tested fastest for me so far. It's worth buying and selling a few and testing them out. You may lose $40 each time on shipping and resale, but $40 if you find 10w.........that's great. For most though, the Giro A2 is pretty darn good to start with.


Remember, the frameset (if it fits you) is almost always the last place to look for watts.

If I were you my shopping list would be:

-used HED 9+ front
-23 or 25mm Michelin Power TT front tire, 23mm rear for that Renn disc
-latex tubes
-cockpit tilt kit

I really thought this was going to be about something else

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

Thank you for the insights!

I'll be looking for a new front wheel. The old tri-spoke will look good on a single speed.

I need to work on a testing protocol and try some different helmets.

Thanks again!
Scott

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I have deceptive speed.........I'm slower than I look!

+1

I'll chime in and say I agree with most of the above w/an exception and addition.

I'd look at a new cockpit as an option, the tririg alpha is as fast as anything out there and super easy to work on as far as adjusting your position.

The one thing I'd disagree with is the tilt. It does seem to be more comfy for some people. Yet in the testing we've over the years it's only faster for about 15% of all the people we test. You typically need to be going at very high velocities for it to be effective at yaw and very few age group triathletes have that ability.

If you're not going to field test helmets I'd go with the Giro Aerohead or POC Cerebrel. Those seem to be the meta helmets for >85% of all people.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

As mentioned, your $$$ are probably best spent off the bike (with the exception of tires).


Giro Aerohead helmet
Aero calf guards
Speedplay Zero pedals with aero cleat covers
A high-quality sleeved trisuit

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

He’s right on the tilt.

I always forget that I live my life 10 miles at a time.

And also agree on the helmets mentioned if not testing and trying.

Yeah I'm so confused - is bridesmaid slang for something in cycling?

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https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney

How would you put a tririg alpha on a Felt DA?

+2. Another equipment thread. Boooooooooring.

jaretj wrote:

How would you put a tririg alpha on a Felt DA?

+1. Good catch. The original poster couldn't.

But............I could....ha ha!

I engineered out that stupid spline stem crap from my DA.

I remember seeing that. Thought it was ingenious.

Wow. That's nice!

I just recommend upgrades. Not sure how adjustable or upgradable that bike is.

Not very apparently!

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

If he could fill us in on why/how he was checking out the bridesmaid's equipment, that might spice things up a bit

I'm guessing there was a wedding involved, but with COVID and all that has come about, the usual bridesmaid shenanigans could take a tricky turn [e.g., were masks used properly?]

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I may be old but I still have a pulse. ;-)

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I have deceptive speed.........I'm slower than I look!

Thanks for the info! As others have mentioned, the DA doesn't play will with aftermarket front end upgrades.

I'm interested in knowing how fast a rider needs to be to see benefit from tilt? My running may be average at best but I'm on the pointy end for age group bike speed and will likely do mostly olys, sprints, and TTs.

Any recommends on good field test protocols I can search for?

Thanks again!
Scott

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I have deceptive speed.........I'm slower than I look!

There's always the Chung method. Who knows the man, the myth, the legend is actually on this board and may post some info. I know there are a ton of good thread on how to chung it. Just google it.

As for speed we tested people who average anywhere from 19-26mph for 90k. I'd say if you're on the fastest end of that your chances of success are higher compared to the slowest end.

Tilt is like roulette. Sure you can go black or red and have a 50/50 shot. Yet that's not tilt. Tilting is like better on 5 out of the possible 36 numbers.

My advice is if you're not going to test then play the odds.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

47.4%

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https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney