I’m getting a Powertap hub put into a wheel pretty soon, but I’m still undecided as to which wheel or wheelset I should go with. I want something that’ll really rip for ascents and descents, and am not currently too worried about TT’s. The guy I’m dealing with says that Reynolds Composites has some pretty neat stuff, but they havn’t contacted him with their new info for '05 yet. Any opinions on the Reynolds KOM’s? What else should I be considering?
an·drog·y·nous 
( P ) Pronunciation Key (
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adj. Biology. Having both female and male characteristics; hermaphroditic. Being neither distinguishably masculine nor feminine, as in dress, appearance, or behavior. Androjonouswily, huh? ;^)
Androgynous in a way that is not so much hermaphroditic, (like not at all) as it is being in posession of a brain whose masculine and feminine lobes are strongly linked by the corpus callosum, forming an overlapping and all seeing eye such as below.
OK, now that’s out of the way, on to the wheels, as I really don’t have the omniscient eye that I pretend to with my screen name and could use some advice.
I think any wheel would be faster than the one with a powertap in it. Last time I checked lightness won the KOM theory. The 202 Zipps, and Reynolds look like the lightest ones out there, unless you go ADA which can be real pricy.
Well the new SL hub is fairly light in comparison to the older hubs, and I’m quite interested in training based on power. Anyhow, its not every last gram I worry about, I should have mentioned that when I think of KOM I don’t just think of ascending. I also want to be able to take to the descents like a demon and have confidence doing it. Maybe the 202’s will be best all around, I’m sure they are less expensive than the Reynolds.
“I’m quite interested in training based on power.”
You want to train on a 202 or KOM? Why not train on a durable, heavy wheel? Save the 202s/KOMs for races when their lightness will be an advantage.
“I’m quite interested in training based on power.”
You want to train on a 202 or KOM? Why not train on a durable, heavy wheel? Save the 202s/KOMs for races when their lightness will be an advantage.
I’m training on Mavic Open Pros. I don’t want to race on them though, and I do want to race with power, soooo, since I can only afford one powertap hub I think my best bet is to train on the same wheel I want to race on.
Do you train on one bike and race on another? If not, have you looked at the Ergomo? Power meter that’s also your bottom bracket. Train and race on whatever wheels you want and still get power data. Training on a racing wheel just seems like a waste of money and the Powertap undermines the primary reason for the two wheels you listed (light weight). It’s probably not too good on the racing wheel, either. Have you looked at something like the American Classic 420? They’re a little heavier (couple hundred grams or so), more areo, and probably a fair bit more durable than expensive carbon hoops, but still definitely race/climbing/descending worthy.
Joe,
Go for the standard, black open pro rims/spokes and a DA 10 front hub. Thats what I use, and really I only use it for training and a couple of road races a year. For TT I use a 909/H3 combo, with Polar Powermeter, and I have a mount for the Powertap on the same bike (yes, two powermeters) that I use for training, swapping wheels between road and TT. I will probably get another PT Pro for the TT bike in the future.
You want durable wheels with the Powertap, even if they are a few grams heavier.
I have just one bike, a Klein compact frame road bike. I don’t plan on getting a TT bike until a company wants me to ride theirs. I also ride and really dig the concept of Rotorcranks, so the Ergomo is a no go. I don’t really mind if people think it’s stupid to train on nice equipment. My line of thought, since I don’t have too much money, is that if I’m going to spend the money I want to enjoy it often and when I’m alone in the forest and can get lost in the moment of training, not just when I’m racing with a bunch of people and my legs are burning so bad that I can’t really appreciate the merchandise. Just the same, I’ll check out the wheels you mentioned, thanks for responding.
THAT is the spirit!
(Some people on this forum might call you a poser…)
For the wheels: Get a ZIPP (404) rim. Light and durable and not too expensive. Otherwise you could go for one of HEDs spoked aero-rims.
Disclaimer: I do not work for either company, nor do I own a powertap (and I train on “Beater-Hoops”).