I’m looking to buy me 1st tri bike. Is a good bike (01 or 02 LS Blade) with a great wheelset (Zipp) better than a great bike (P3SL or Kestrel) with an good wheelset (fill in the blank)?
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The Blade is a great bike.
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Aero wheels make any bike faster
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A good fitting bike will make you faster than the best set of wheels.
My point? Find the right bike, get the right fit, then worry about wheels later.
Get a beam bike. It will make you faster on the bike and the run.
I’m looking to buy me 1st tri bike. Is a good bike (01 or 02 LS Blade) with a great wheelset (Zipp) better than a great bike (P3SL or Kestrel) with an good wheelset (fill in the blank)?
Why do you think the P3SL or Kestrel is a “great” bike and an 01 or 02 LS Blade is just a “good” bike?
The intent is not to judge brands against each other. My intent is to find out which is more advantagous, the bike frame or the wheelset. Being that I don’t have the money for both a great frame and great wheelset, I’m trying to find out which one gives me the most bang-for-thebuck.
Differences between bikes are small (as long as it fits you and it is stable in all conditions) - use your money on wheels.
You didn’t answer the question.
Assuming equal fit, you will go faster on LS Blade + Zipp wheels than you will on P3 + regular wheels.
You didn’t answer the question.
I don’t answer… I just ask 
“Good” or “better” is subjective… but since you refuse to answer my question, maybe you should read this on the '02 Blade:
“You didn’t answer the question.”
Now THERE is a shocker…
#1 priority is the engine. After that, neither bike will be necessarily faster than the other (the Blade is what Lance rode in the '99 Tour). Check to see which one fits best and feels best, and buy a disc (not a set of 404s) later.
The answer to your question is … it depends.
What’s “fastest” depends on how far you’re talking about. If you’re talking about a sprint tri or maybe even an Oly where you’re only gonna be on the bike for no more than an hour or so, the frame and fit won’t matter so much and the wheels will make a bigger difference. But if you’re on a bike that’s not completely comfortable and you’re 3 or 4 or 5 hours into a ride, your wheels may not matter a lick. I’ve got a bike that I’m tempted to mess with to make it faster over 40k. Trouble is, it’s so comfortable over longer courses that I hate to screw with what’s working. So, if you’re just gonna do sprints or shorter courses, the Blade with the high-zoot wheels may be great. If you’re planning to do IMs and/or half IMs, you better make sure you’ve got a bike that fits you really well and is comfortable first … then worry about upgrading the wheels later.
Bob C.
#1 priority is the engine. After that, neither bike will be necessarily faster than the other (the Blade is what Lance rode in the '99 Tour). Check to see which one fits best and feels best, and buy a disc (not a set of 404s) later.
Is your answer the same if kevinc is a 19-year old kid doing only draft-legal racing in hilly and windy Scotland asking this question?
Right… that’s why some questions are in order old man
Thanks. Your response seems logical.
Is it also logical to assume that comfort and pedaling efficiency correlate.
“Is your answer the same if kevinc is a 19-year old kid doing only draft-legal racing in hilly and windy Scotland asking this question?”
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- Yes, because it’s still about the engine and the fit. And NO ONE does only draft-legal races
"Right… that’s why some questions are in order old man "
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- And why you’re still out of order and more annoying than a mosquito. I’m still waiting to read a post of yours that actually contributes to the forum.
BTW, I’m just about done responding to your tripe. You remind me of a kid I new in grammar school who used to nag and pick at everyone. He never had anything to add, just annoyed everyone. After ten to twenty ass-whippings, he finally learned to STFU. Some folks are just so stupid they prove Darwin was wrong.
Some folks are just so stupid they prove Darwin was wrong.
Yes… you make that very clear…
"Yes… you make that very clear… "
Good, “I’m rubber and you’re glue…”
Now you REALLY remind me of the punk from grammar school that I used to use to bruise my knuckles. How old are you, anyway?
That was rhetorical, please don’t respond.
“If you’re talking about a sprint tri or maybe even an Oly where you’re only gonna be on the bike for no more than an hour or so, the frame and fit won’t matter so much and the wheels will make a bigger difference.”
Fit always trumps wheels. Always. A poor position can cost you far more than the benefit wheels may bring - no matter the distance. Also, wheels make a bigger impact in longer events. They may save you 45 seconds in a sprint, but could save 10 minutes at an Ironman.
You see my delima. While all advocate that the bike should “fit”, some say the wheels are most inportant and some say the bike is more important.
Lets say you had $2500 to spend on a bike. What would you buy.
BTW my plans are for 1/2 iron and full iron.