I am buying a new race rig this year. Trying to get an idea of what wheels are best suited for athletes of “size”. I am over 6 foot tall and right around 200 lbs. Last time I bought wheels was about 8-10 years ago, I have been riding HED3s (made by Specialized!) and a Renn Disk. I stayed away from spoke wheels back then due to reports of “taco’d” wheels. Looking at Zipp 808 and 1080 (F and R) and maybe the Zipp sub-9 disk. I am not brand loyal per se and intend to spend well to get wheels for my next 10 years of racing. Thoughts?
at my peak I was 6’2 220, now i run about 205. I have been using the Bontrager Aeolus wheels with no trouble at all. I use them for training and racing. I throw the wheel cover on and then I have a disc. I had them for 3 seasons now and they have been trued only once. and that was right after Ironman WI 2008. Absolutly no problems and there is NO rider weight limit on these wheels.
I have FLASHPOINT 80’s F & R for the last couple of years. They are still round and I come in at 204 lb’s.
I run the Zipp 808 Clydesdale’s
I am 6’0 and last year weighed about 230, this year I am about 205.
I think your fastest set up would be run a 808 MAX (they no longer call them Clydesdale) on the front and run a Super Sub 9 on the rear. The Super Sub 9 is rated to hold up to 275 pounds so it should be plenty strong for a big guy.
That would be a set up that could last 10 years.
I’ve raced Hed Jet 90s (C2) in the past weighing in around 200lbs. Trained on them too. No issues. They have a “stallion” build available as well, which adds in a few more spokes to keep things firm.
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Why not keep the HED3s or go with a newer set if you’ve somehow worn out your old ones. They’re exceptionally aero, bombproof and legal at pretty much every race. Plus on the used market you can normally get them for a really good price.
Also, I hear these are pretty decent wheels, and the listing surprised me when it said it would accommodate riders up to 120kg/264lbs!
http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=W0096
I am buying a new race rig this year. Trying to get an idea of what wheels are best suited for athletes of “size”. I am over 6 foot tall and right around 200 lbs. Last time I bought wheels was about 8-10 years ago, I have been riding HED3s (made by Specialized!) and a Renn Disk. I stayed away from spoke wheels back then due to reports of “taco’d” wheels. Looking at Zipp 808 and 1080 (F and R) and maybe the Zipp sub-9 disk. I am not brand loyal per se and intend to spend well to get wheels for my next 10 years of racing. Thoughts?
What do you think changing your current wheel set-up will gain you? You are already running one of the fastest set-ups that you can possibly run. Just wondering
Thanks to all for your recommendations. I was wondering about the weight and aero-ness of the HED3s and Renn disk compared to new stuff. My wheels are at this point about a decade old. They still work fine (as far as I can tell) and I have no issue with continuing to use them, just thought this might be the logical time to look at new ones. I have used these wheels on three different bikes over the years because I couldn’t justify buying anything as being “better” so maybe I will keep them for the new bike. Thanks again. G