Aero equipment impressions

Triathlon Forum
1

I just recieved a bunch of goodies and went for couple rides on them here are my thoughts:

LG prologue aero helmet - very hot - literally the lack of vent holes (3 slits) makes me sweat bad and its 100g heavier than my old bell fusion (which is more comfortable) - I like to train with the same stuff I race on regularly so I feel right on race day - not sure how this helmet sits with me yet esp for longer riders/ races or really hot days.

Tri spoke - looks really cool and makes a cool noise however, at 30-34 mph it is kind of scary esp in the aero postion - I find I am scared to get on the aero bars at high speeds with this wheel. At 20-26 its alot better. I think if I train with it alot I will get used to the handling and race alot better on it. Problem with training on it is its expensive and when I hit big bumps I dont like that. Also I think it may have a slight flat spot because for some reason my arms shake when on the aero bars and its seems to be proportional to velocity like a flat spot would cause. Its minor and I can live with it though.

Skinsuit - doesn’t flap and is comfortable however its difficult to take piss stops as you have to take off the top part… I think it actually makes a noticeable difference unlike the helmet.

Disc - well I don’t really have a disc yet as I’m saving up for a Renn but I got the CH aero covers and they pretty much are the same thing. They are heavy but this is good to train with so on race day when I put on my Renn disc I’ll lose like two pounds off the rear wheel. I find that a disc and trispoke handle alot better than just a tri spoke front (I tried this a few times) as the disc seems to counterbalance the tri spoke. I think a bike with aero wheels is a very different creature than a bike with spoke wheels. Its like it actually feels more difficult to ride (esp handle) but then you look down at the speedometer and your like 2mph faster than usual. The biggest drawback of a disc seems to be the looks you get from everyone - pedestrians dont really seem like they’ve ever seen one before (alot of comments actually) and I feel like I have to beat every other cyclist who doesn’t have one - I like discs and if I was in my own little world would run one all the time but I feel like I’m showing off or something when I just go for my usual ride. The point of the aero covers was to get used to the feel of one and I intend to just leave them on and forget about the ‘disco’ factor.

The closest thing I have to a question in this post is: do you guys train on your aero wheels? IF not dont you feel like your on a different bike on race day? Also is a tri spoke a tough enough wheel to log alot of miles on on a decent bike path (lakefront, chicago)? Also do other people overheat in their LG aero helmets (I got silver cause I thought it would be the coolest (literally) color.

2

I don’t train with my Hed-3 spoke and my Renn disk much at all. Obviously you need to ride with them enough to not be suprised on race day but I think once you learn how they ride it’s not important to use them that often. The Hed-3 wheel is tough as nails. Several times I’ve hit an uneven seam or bump in a race going pretty fast (but not 30-34 mph) and it didn’t seem to faze it. I more or less expected it to be ruined each time but it’s still fine.

Still, I don’t ride it except for race efforts and a wee bit of training.

3

Few things:

  1. There is a guy who rides in my neighborhood here who I NEVER see riding without his Hed disc and what appears to be an old Jet front. He’s been doing so for the two years I’ve been here and I’ll bet a lot longer. He doesn’t seem to have any problems. I never see him with any other wheels mounted. Take that for what its worth.

  2. I owned Specialized Trispokes for 10+ years without any problems. I rode them an awful lot in training. Not everyday, and certainly not in really crappy weather, but a lot more than most folks will think is kosher. Not one problem in those 10 years. Only routine maintenance and a new set of bearings at about the eight year mark. I’d say you are save with the TriSpokes. I made the mistake of selling mine last spring when I moved to a 650 TT/Tri bike. Well, after an unplanned run-in with an S-10 pickup, I’ve had to replace that new bike with yet another and gone back to 700. I bought a new set of H3s again too. I also bought a set of Alps too for lighter weight and windy conditions needs as well. I don’t expect to treat them any differently than the old Specialized. That is. . .I’ll ride both sets or mixtures often in training.

  3. The Trispokes take a little getting used to at first. The “flat spot” you feel is probably the normal effect of these wheels, but I’d take it by your LBS to check it out all the same. Could be a lopsided tire as well. I’ve seen that before.

  4. I own a Prologue. I used it in what turned out to be an especially hot 1/2 IM this spring. I’ll never do that again. Not enough ventilation for me. I’ll probably only use it in Oly/Sprints and even then not if the temp is in the mid to upper 90’s again. I can’t imagine it saves me more time than I lose from overheating, or at least worrying about it. It may work for you, though. Make sure you train long in it before you go long in a race in it. From the sounds of things, you probably won’t like it for long, hot events, though.

Just my experience. . .

4

Skinsuit - doesn’t flap and is comfortable however its difficult to take piss stops as you have to take off the top part… I think it actually makes a noticeable difference unlike the helmet.

Just FYI, we are bringing out a time trial top, which offers the tight fit of a skinsuit but can be combined with any short, making it both easier for pee stops and easier to fit (you can choose the correct fit for the upper body without having to worry about the length like you do with a one-piece). Plus you can use your favorite short with whatever type of chamois you prefer.

5

Tarining Wheels/Race wheels:

Train on the heaviest, non aero rim-tire combo that will fit on your bike. Race on the lightest most aero rim - tire combo that you can afford. Train a bit on the race set up to get used to the slightly different handling.

Reason: The training wheels are like built in resistance training. When you get to a race with the race set up oin, the bike will feel like it is flying underneath you. I would find that in similar conditions I could ride 1, 2, 3 cogs bigger on the race set up.

6

bmacfarquhar,
When you say “scary at 30-34 mph”, do you mean unstable due to side wind? What exactly do you mean? I train on HED3 clinchers and race on HED3 tubulars. I have used my HED3s in the mountains in North Carolina, both ascending and descending. Yeah, sure they’re heavy for going up. But think of how good a climber you’ll be if you can climb well on them. Additionally, on the descents, I have hit 52-53 mph on multiple occasions. Upper 40’s is normal and very predictable. And I only weigh 150 lbs. How much do you weigh? I have never even thought about the wheels. They rock! And never any truing. They are the bomb. I also race on Nimble Crosswinds occasionally - lighter, not as aero. But very fast as well.