If you have a decent disk and deep rim front, I'd just ride them. No need to change your entire wheelset just for one race. You might want to change your rear cassette depending on what you have on your disk now.

I would not use the disc and deep section rim at IMUSA. I would use your standard training clinchers if they work out to be lighter (with a nice new set of racing clinchers, a fresh pair of tubes with talcum powder and a fresh rim strip inside). Wheel weight is a key factor at Lake Placid, especially if you are climbing at relatively low speeds which means you'll actually be on the climb longer. The weight of the wheel at 8-15 m.p.h. on the tough climbs will be much more of a factor than the aerodynamic drag which, at those speeds, will be very low.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

First, I have a hard time imagining why anyone would own a training clincher that weighed less than a deep carbon tubular like a 404. Second even if the traininng wheel did weigh less, how much less could it weigh? More than 100grams? I'd still take the aeroness of the 404 type wheell in a heartbeat. LP is still a loop course and what goes up must come down, so there is a whole lot of aero to be gained.

As for the disk... Most disks weigh less than 1250 grams. Some a lot less. How much might a training clincher weigh? IMHO they'd have to be feather weight for the savings to overcome the aero advantage of a disk.

Just one person's opinion, but I don't see the weights of most wheels being that different, but the aeroness can be all over the map. I'd take a disk for anything, but an uphill TT. I'll be running a 404/Renn for LP '04.

If I owned a rear 404, maybe, just maybe, I'd consider it instead of the disk, but I certainly wouldn't buy one just for that race.

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Justin in Austin, get it? :)

Cool races:
- Redman
- Desoto American Triple T

But I'll also agree with a little bit of each of you too. I'd say a good, light aero/semi-aero wheelset is perfect. I agree with Tom that I would not run a disc but also don't think I'd take my training wheels either. Something nice and light (and stiff) is the key for the out of the saddle climbing and control on those 55+ mph descents. 303s, 404s, Alps, Tilium, something like that. At least, that's what I'm running this year. So, now you have 3 opinions. Good luck. :-)

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"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Pre

MattMizenko.com

                I think Tom's point is that you should use the lightest gear you have not the most aero for LP. This subject comes up more often than Michael Myers at Halloween. Lets try something else. If you raced there, what wheels did you use? How did you feel getting off the bike? And how did your run go?

In '99, the only year I did the race, my fifth tri ever, I used Spinergy RevX clinchers, 650, a pretty heavy wheelset. I went 18mph (my plan) for the first lap, 17 for the second and was totally whiped coming back into town. It took me about 8 miles of run/walking to get my legs back under me. From there on things just kept geting better until I finished running well and feeling great.

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

I'm going to run 404 front and Renn disc rear. Many of the climbs are steady where you can spin at 17-18mph. Also there are a lot of long flat sections. I think aero wins hands down. And go tubular. Training clinchers? Not sure I get that one.

I prefer my 909's on that course. (Except last year ;-) )



If you know it is going to be windy on race day do NOT put a disk on the back and think that you are going to have a nice ride down Keene hill.

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

Last year I used my Zipp disc and Zipp 404 on the front. I felt great off the bike. Now if I could just learn to run distance.

I agree about the wind. If it were windy, I would probably switch to my clincher training wheels. This would slow me down a bit, but my first goal in this race is to decend the Keene hill the second time. If I do that, it won't be a terrible day. It is easy to drop five to ten minutes total on this hill if you don't have your bike under control.

Last year I was 63mph on that hill on lap one - 40 on lap 2...just started to sprinkle as I took the left at the bottom...VERY gusty winds. The rest of the ride was perfect on the 909's.

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

You have massive guts my friend. I have never hit 50 in my life. I am not planning on ever doing it on that hill. Visions of an I beam biopsy from those "guard rails" dance through my head every time I think about it.

I love it when people yell at me that I am nuts flying down that hill....spinning out a 54 x 11 :)

I guess that last year about 30 minutes after I took the hill for the second time some guy hit an Ambulance head on...not sure if that is true however. I did see a nasty crash on that hill where you bank to the right in the 2000 race.



Seemed that 2002 there were LOTS more bike crashes than I have ever seen in the past. I even saw three on the out and back...multiple people crashes too. I am not sure if it was the rain or what but it was just odd. Call me a jerk, but....if you are not drafting, and you are paying attention....How do you hit the guy in front of you on a FLAT road (hills are a diffrent story as long as you are going down).

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