Hi Guys,
I am pretty new to TT bikes, so please excuse my silly question. I’ve been riding road bikes for a few years and just picked up a used Specialized Transition. I am looking to get a new wheel set, and I was thinking 88mm front/rear. This is my first time using Aero bars and I feel really in control of the bike when I am using the extensions, but I am not sure how brutal the cross winds would be on the front wheel. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
It’s only the front wheel that causes handling issues. Unless you are quite light, a 90mm wheel should be rideable in most conditions. If I could only have one front wheel though I go with a 60mm up front (so 60/90 combo) to never be caught out.
Like most new equipment, they are a bit tricky at first, but you quickly get used to it.
Chiming in as I am also interested.
I don’t have a lot of experiance on a tri bike. Mine came with 50’s and has been fine, you can tell when it’s windy but it hasn’t spooked me.
I have just bought a set of 88’s so it will be interesting to see a comparison.
My 50’s are quite thin and pointy (Bora), the 88,s are quite fat / bulged / angled brake track. I am hoping they will be OK / similar ?
Maybe my extra ballast will help …
WD 
Please let me know what you think of your 88’s! Thanks for the replies fellas.
Done correctly the “bulged” rims are a better design for cross winds. I got a pair of Firecrest 404s to replace my old 60mm wheels and they are so much better in a cross wind. Go engineering!
depends on the design of the wheel and how good at handling you are. I ride a 85mm up front and can feel it nudge in a crosswind but know how to ride with it so I havent noticed a big difference from the 60mm I used to have.
I ride 90s front and rear on my Shiv. The front can get squirrelly; you just need to practice with it. If you are of the mindset that you ride training wheels during training, and only ride the 90s during racing, then I would encourage a 60 front, as it takes some practice to get used to the 90 upfront. Mine are definitely a handful in crosswinds, but are manageable if you ride with them a fair amount in training. The scariest bit can be when you are descending rather quickly with trees on both sides and then emerge into an open area where the crosswinds can come upon you quickly. I often descend on the bull horns rather than in the aerobars for that reason. But, like I said, it is mostly a matter of riding them and getting to know how they feel in a variety of conditions, and then you can be confident with them in a race situation.
Idont think it’s a big deal… i had less than 5 rides on my belt ever when i went 90/90 combo and really wasn’t too much, people said one’s body weight have aomething to do with how confortable you can be on such setups (since im 220) it wasn’t much of a problem unless i was decending quite fast for me (40+mph) and the wobble would turn scary and have always decended on the bullhorns i couldn’t for the life of my even consider anything else.
If you decide to go with the 808 then do it and go in with the right attitude to own it! I had never ridden a bike before and i said I’d make that bike and wheel combo my b!tch and i did!
Thanks guys, I think I am gonna try out some 88’s and see how it goes. Thank you for the responses!
A brief update on my 88’s
Yes, they get pushed around more than the 50’s, but I think you just adapt to it (to a point).
It’s the gusts that are the problem.
The bike is actually better to ride aero than when on the bull horns, feels more stable ? I guess this is to do with having more weight on the front ?
The concern would be, being hit by a gust when you are on that point of transitioning from aero to bull horns (or vice versa) …
My biggest ‘moment’ was actually yesterday - a day with no wind … lol
Just under forty mph in aero. It’s a 50 zone and prone to speeding.
Got over taken my a large truck who came quite close.
The bike twitched but was ‘OK’ as the cab came past me.
I felt the twitch, then relaxed again - then a few meters after the trailer had past me, the trailers wake caught me …
The wake caused the bike to kind of get sucked towards the centreline of the path that the trailer had taken.
It didn’t feel like it was going to take me down, put did make me feel like a bit of a passenger whilst it moved my road position.
All ok, but glad there was clear road behind the trailer …
WD
Try and beg borrow or steal a disc to go with your deep front and have a try.
My n=1 is that my bike handles better with 90f/disc than it does with 90f/90r
I am also new to time trialling and got a Cervelo P-Series with the 35mm stock Aluminium wheels. They seem to be fine for training, but my intention was always to go the full way and look for a full disc wheel.
As I have disc brakes the used market is rather inexistent so I am keeping an eye on Ronwheels which seem to be quite competitive here in Europe. They propose also a tubeless setup complete with the tires installed which I would fancy. I do not race, just individual time trialling for myself and long distance “go fast” tours, also solo.
So 2 options: Front 65mm + Rear disk or Front 88mm + Rear disk, same price (around 1400 EUR incl. GP5000s installed)
I am more leaning on the 88s as I have the 35mm training wheels if ever it is very windy. What would you think?
Have you ever ridden an 88mm front wheel?
I’ve got an almost new Flo90 front wheel sitting in the closet. That thing is almost a death sentence for this old man, in the Kansas winds. I went back to my Roval 50’s… much better.
Deep wheels do take a bit of getting used to, but most folks can handle a 90mm in all but the windiest conditions. I’ve been fine racing my HED Jet9 even in windy coastal races, but I also train on 60mm wheels so I’m adapted.
Newer wheel designs like the firecrests (well, not that new anymore) handle much better than the old V-shaped profiles in crosswinds/gusts.
Thanks for your thoughts - and no, never rode 88mm, thus my question!
Bad mistake I have run 80 + wheels in the front you will have have handling problems in wind and even bigger problems going down hill in the wind. Then you have to haul those puppies up hill. Only run50 in the front now, at Kona most are using 50/80 combo.
My wife and I now ride exclusively Zipp 808 fronts and rears on our road bikes. The only time I’ve ever been bothered is in sustained 20+mph with gusts up to 40mph WHILE descending Mt Lemmon. Decided to hit the brakes a little more often than I otherwise would have. I weigh 90-95kg. Wife is 60-65kg.
I’ve ridden Reynolds Strike front and rear for a long time (~60mm… can’t remember) and have never had any scary moments because of wind. I would never elect to ride anything less deep than that. We have a Zipp 454, and it sits on the shelf as a spare most of the time or occasionally for my wife if there are sustained 20+mph winds.
I weigh 170 and race on Zipp 808s, even at IM Maryland with no issues
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Listen to Titanflexr on this. I had this experience when I added a 88 front to my 88 rear. After the first two rides I was ready to return it. It was just too unstable. After a few more rides it got easier and then I was able to ride in the aero bars full time. So, it takes a bit, but stick with it. If it’s windy, 20mph+ with higher gusts, I ride a different bike.
good luck