Assuming I’m not likely to invest in true aero race wheels anytime soon, is it worth spending a few hundred bucks on 30mm wheels vs. the 24mm Shimano wheels that came stock on my tri bike? It seems like there are lots of options in the $250-$350 range but I don’t know if the added 6mm really gains me anything.
Personally I’d save my money until you can get a disc and 50-60 combo. The benefits of 30 over 24 aren’t worth the investment. I’m sure someone will be along soon to show graphics and stuff about what marginal gains they’ll give you.
Which Shimano wheels, exactly?
The old Zipp 101s were pretty nice 30mm wheels, wide and pretty aero. Maybe you could find them used.
Assuming I’m not likely to invest in true aero race wheels anytime soon, is it worth spending a few hundred bucks on 30mm wheels vs. the 24mm Shimano wheels that came stock on my tri bike? It seems like there are lots of options in the $250-$350 range but I don’t know if the added 6mm really gains me anything.
Since there are good deep rim options for well under €1000, it seems to me that spending a third of that on a temporary stand in that really doesn’t do much for you is a waste of money and will just push out the date when you would buy what you are actually looking for. There are other purchases for €250-350 that would get you more speed if you don’t already have them, again this might delay your purchase of deep wheels but would at least get you something perceptible in the mean time. Those items would include an aero helmet or a speedsuit.
It depends on how comfortable you find your current wheels, and how aero they are. Flo 30’s are wider and more comfortable than most stock wheels. And from Flo’s data they deliver about 70-80% of the time savings you would get moving from a Mavic Open Pro training wheel to a 90/disc setup. If you got deeper wheels later and didn’t want to use them everyday you could use the shallower ones as training wheels.
However, as others have said if you’re close to buying deeper wheels you might want to just get them sooner rather than later. The difference between Flo 30/30 and 60/90 is only $400.
Assuming I’m not likely to invest in true aero race wheels anytime soon, is it worth spending a few hundred bucks on 30mm wheels vs. the 24mm Shimano wheels that came stock on my tri bike? It seems like there are lots of options in the $250-$350 range but I don’t know if the added 6mm really gains me anything.
It totally depends on the rim shape. The shallow Zipp 101s or flo 30s are damn good aerodynamically. Better than the stock Shimano. Others? Don’t know which other options you’re considering.
Worth it? It’s your money. -J
Which Shimano wheels, exactly?
RS-10
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Thanks everyone. Sounds like I’m better off waiting until I can spend a little more on something deeper than 30’s. Maybe Flo 60/90’s or some used wheels.
The improvement going from 24mm to 30mm is much larger than the step between 30 and 60
Going to 60s only makes sense if you race in windy conditions (see this post)
Mavic Cosmic Elite are another nice 30mm (though narrow)
Or anything that uses a Kinlin XR300 rim
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The old Zipp 101s were pretty nice 30mm wheels, wide and pretty aero. Maybe you could find them used.
I have been using a pair of Zipp 101s for three years straight, for races and every other ride, and have really enjoyed them. They are still in good condition. I don’t want to spend money on race wheels and feel that these are good enough for my needs.
I would suggest a wheel cover but I don’t think they work with Shimano wheels.
Which Shimano wheels, exactly?
RS-10
Those wheels came on my bike, too, and I remember them being very heavy. Switching to a lighter 30mm wheel made me much happier, especially over very long distances.
The improvement going from 24mm to 30mm is much larger than the step between 30 and 60
This sounds surprising to me. When you look at the various white papers from Zipp and Bontrager regarding their own wheels, you see a big reduction in drag from 30mm to 50mm (Bontrager) and 35mm to 58mm (Zipp). Does the 6mm increase from 24 to 30 really do that much?
I’m not having any luck finding good rim details on those. Width and shape are important. If your RS-10s have 16/20 bladed spokes and the rims are wide and rounded, then they are pretty good for aero. Basic Shimano wheels have scored well in the past.
A sensible wheel upgrade would be a plastic cover for the rear. Fast tires and latex tubes.
Does the 6mm increase from 24 to 30 really do that much?
I’ve seen some wheels with 24mm rims that do quite well, provided that they have minimal and aero spokes, and rim is wide and rounded. It’s silly to get hung up on depth because other aspects make more difference. If all you change between 24mm and 30mm is the depth of the rim, then the drag won’t be much different. Probably.
In a very old Tour test a 24mm Shimano wheel beat some of the 50mm wheels. No joke. In a more recent test (only a few years ago) a 24mm Corima tubular did very well, beating some 50mm wheels.