A follow-up to my last post. So from an aero perspective - all discs are roughly the same (yes I did search and I did read this a lot …) but what about the liitle things that I don’t know. What are they? Some examples:
Zipp has carbon braking surface so doesn’t brake as well? Makes noise when you brake? You are “supposed” to use special brake pads? Renn is aluminum - so normal?
Renn is more durable than most other discs. Is a Zipp fragile? My 3 year old can find and get anything - he may jump up and down on it…
new HED disk??? is this the carbon rimmed tubular model? Haven’t seen any weights on it but you’ve got my curiosity going.
The Zipp brakes just fine, as long as you use the right brake pads. And the carbon brake pads work fine on aluminum rims so you don’t have to change them out.
I’ve ridden Zipps, heds, corimas and renns. Put on a blindfold go ride and tell me which is which. You can’t do it b/c they all ride so close to each other than their own mama can’t tell them apart.
I have a Zipp disc, a HED3 and regular HED disc. The Zipp is fixed so I never have braked on it, The HED3 and Zipp are pretty tough, but the foam on the regular HED is very soft and dents a lot. Mine looks like Mel Gibsons car in Roadwarrior. It is beat to hell. Every time it goes on a plane new dents show up like magic. The other two travel well and look brand new after 10 flights each. G
One pound equals approximately 450 grams. 280 grams is approximately 0.6 pounds.
As someone pointed out to me previously when I suggested a blindfold test of cyclists, there is a certain sick humor in the concept of cyclists riding blindfolded.
Not really sure of how you arrived at your logic/math…
Go to analyticcycling.com, and plug in your numbers. They have a worksheet that calculates the time differences for differing weights going up a hill. I put in 7%, 12km, 88kg, and 250W for the climb up Alpe d’Huez.
When I run into Hed next…I’ll let him know the folks at Slowtwitch think weight doesn’t matter and that the new Carbon Lite is a farse.
You do that. And ask him to quantify the differences his light disk makes over heavier disks.
I’m curious…why do you think Hed makes 4 disc choices had Zipp has 2?
In your conclusion, they are all the same?
Marketing. For nearly all users over nearly all courses, they are the same within a few seconds over long distances.
Why would anyone pay some $200 more for carbon Oval integrated bars than for their aluminum ones? Why would anyone spend $40-50 (or >$100 for Campy!) for a carbon fiber water bottle cage to save an ounce (an ounce) over a normal cage that costs $10-20?
I don’t know the answer, but I do know many of people who turn down sponsorships for inferior (but in your case, similiar) products. Also, there are many who use different stickers to hide what they are really using…
And, to take it a step further…most of the product “the pros” are using is not standard consumer equipment, it’s lighter/stronger. In the case of most wheels, it’s a bearing/hub issue.
could be because the carbon hed/oval bar is significantly more adjustable than the aluminum one.
Not that I don’t think so, but how so? Looking at a picture of the A900, I see the ability to change the length and angle of the extensions, as in the A700. The bar ends where the brakes are do look more comfortable on the A900, I must say.
the extension clamps on the carbon bars slide sideways and can be angled, so you have infinite width adjustment not only of the arm rests, but the extensions themselves AND a serious amount of angle adjustment. the aluminum bar doesn’t use these clamps so all you get is length adjustment of the extensions and armpad placement. unless they’ve updated it.
I’ve been riding the Hed bar for almost a year now. the carbon is cool looking but the position adjustability is the huge win. if you can’t set this bar up the way you want it, then you shouldn’t be riding. after reading Dan’s thesis on Bicycle Sports, I’m glad I decided on the Hed bar. I’m not convinced that I want to support Nicol’s business.
support from the Hed’s has been great. I overtorqued the pin that holds the brake lever in and broke it. they mailed me another immediately for free. when I called, a real person answered the phone.
I’ve been lusting for those nice campy record bottle cages for a year, but just can’t get myself to actually spend the money on them. for the ‘record’, I’m a total campyphile, so that’s the draw.