Yes, however a wheel cover is an even cheaper alternative:


http://www.wheelbuilder.com/aerodisc.html

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Once, I was fast. But I got over it.

What’s 30-45 seconds worth to you? Difference between your zipp808 and Disc

only you can determine "worth". but unless you are missing podiums by tens of seconds, then probably not worth it. plus the zipps probably look better on your bike.

Get a disc, but get a cheap/2nd hand one. Don't fork out $3k for one. A 2 year old Zipp 900 would be fine. For a 70.3 , I'd imagine no more than 90s compared to an 808, but once you get to the pointy end you have to start looking for those marginal gains. There have been certain occasions where I've felt the disc has been really beneficial, I rode Busselton 70.3 in storm conditions, howling winds with strong 70km/hr gusts. Lots of people swapped out their discs. I didn't and it seemed to really help. I ended up 100th/1500 for bike split, previous year (same bike fitness) I was 160/1500 for the bike. That could have been any number of reasons, but I do feel the disc helped more than usual that day.

In addition to time savings the increased stability with having a disc on back of is beneficial

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Matt

As mentioned, get a used disc. Since they are race only wheels, they typically have low miles and are in great shape. With a dedicated rear race wheel it’s also easier to run race rubber (conti SuperSonics and latex tubes in my case).

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

That's what I found when racing it in the crazy wind we had, there were official warnings from the RD not to use discs, a few of us did, if anything they had a stabilising effect.

It's the myth that won't die. Every race group on FB has people concerned with a disc as soon as the forecast calls for winds of 10mph.

In windy conditions for stability the key is to use a shallower front than the rear. That way the main pressure fromt he wind is on the rear not both equally. So instead of front and rear 808s or H3 etc try H3/808/90mm front and disc rear. In REALLY windy conditions maybe even a 50mm front and disc rear. But 70 kgs and top 10 overall bike split for a HIM H3/disc combo worked in even the windiest of conditions. You just have to know how to lock the downwind shoulder/arm area to stabilise the front end, but this is much easier when you have a shallower front.The speed when travelling downwind was insane.

This is purely an economic decision. Is the disc faster, yes . . . many times just marginally. Really the same as the analysis between your P3 and P2.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

I get confused by these sorts of posts. Triathlon is a hobby and what any upgrade is “worth” can only be answered by you. For me, a disc was worth purchasing. A P5X, is not. None of us need any of this stuff because our results don’t matter in the larger scheme. Figure out if the seconds you save are worth the money you spend.

Yes. I always, always, always run a disc -- hills, wind, rain, always.

Wait, this is about time? I thought it was about looking cool? I bought HED Jet 6 wheels to improve the quality of my finisher pics over my training wheels.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/23685202

Same here. I’ll never understand asking a group of strangers their opinion of how you should spend your money. Ask if the like the wheel, if they felt like it made them faster, handled well etc. but after that the decision of worth is yours alone.

Is there data on how a wheel cover would compare to a a true disc?

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/23685202

http://www.wheelbuilder.com/aerodisc-data.html

LOL.

Rent one.. see if you can beat 2:22 this year

It's worth it to buy a 24"x48" sheet of .010" black fiberglass sheet from ACP composites, and make your own wheel cover. Lighter, cheaper, and way more pro than the plastic crap from Wheelbuilder. Oh, and be sure to get the good 3m Scotch electrical tape as well.

I thought I needed a disc. I was going to buy one after my 1st HIM. But during the race, I was passing tons of people with discs and racing wheels using the wheels that came stock on my P2.

That taught me that expensive upgrades don't always correlate to faster times in relation to the rest of the field.

But... Then I think, if I made all the earo upgrades could I be front of the pack?

No, but a disk cover is. As shown in the link posted above they pair really well with 808’s

I don’t understand your logic. You would have been faster with the disc. The riders you passed would have been slower without the disc. Plenty of riders will always be faster than you without a disc; plenty will be slower with a disc. discs actually do make you faster regardless of ability. Whether it is worth it for you to pay for a disc to be faster is up to you.

No need to spend anywhere near $3k for a good new disc and I wouldn't take a chance on a used one unless you personally know the seller. . Don't know what sales are still going on but I just bought a HED Plus rear disc. Looked at others costing well under $1500 before deciding. I previously used a Zipp 900 because it was only disc that would fit my P4. Switched to a set of Enve 8.9s after I got my P5 because I got an exceptional deal before they were discontinued. My LBS recently offered me a great deal on a HED disc / Jet 4 Plus combo so I jumped on it. To the OP, the newer wider wheels may or may not make you faster on the straights but I found a definite ability to go faster through the curves/corners with this new wheelset as they make my 23 Conti TTs look and act like 25s....much more stable thru the turns and can maintain a higher speed. Like others have said, up to you what more speed is worth to you but I would recommend getting a matching updated technology front wheel as well if you go for the disc.

Bizarre isn't it.