i’m ready to take the plunge. here are the basics:
budget: $2000ish
bike: carbon soloist
races: Vineman 70.3, IM Wisconsin, some others that are shorter w/ flat-ish courses, one that’s possibly quite windy
clinchers not tubluars
any suggestions on this matter are appreciated…i’m starting from scratch here…thanks so much.
I would tend to roll with 808’s, but you could probably save some $$ and find an 808 rear and a 404 front on ebay. That would be a pretty good universal setup.
606’s (808/404 combo) are a solid, versatile choice.
Blow your whole budget on Zipps new 2007 clincher disc as it will actually provide you with negative drag with most apparent wind angles and then buy any used front clincher Zipp aero wheel you can find on the inner net. Check out used wheels from time trial sites as those guys always buy the best toys and let them go cheap so they can get the next best thing. Think Zipp, think fast, Tim
that’s an interesting idea…thanks for the suggestion. was just told by someone else that i really should go tubular. thoughts on that?
the ‘inner net’ ???
Sorry man, couldn’t resist.
Used Zipp 999s or bargain with a shop to see ifyou can get new at that price. Go with Tubulars. I am supposing your budget does not cover tires, too, right?
"was just told by someone else that i really should go tubular. thoughts on that? "
I think there was a discussion on that a few years ago. If you do a search of the main forum for
clincher vs tubular
you should get the answer.
The inner net is where you can learn how to get negative drag.
Where is the HED mafia today? No posts from them? 
Either Zipp 808s or 606s should be fine. And we are talking about 700cc wheels and not 650s?
Tubular tires are old skool. I don’t think any one would say a premium tubular tire is slow, but most people seem to agree that the better clinchers are fast. 6 of one and a half a dozen of the other. At a recent race (Escape from Fort Delaware, an Oly) a guy blew out his rear tubular tire on a Zipp 808 and rode it about two miles to the transition area and placed first in our age group (I placed 3rd M55-59). He would not have been able to ride two miles on a flat clincher (plus for tubulars). However a flat is going to run you some thing like $80 to $100 plus to fix, versus a $5 tube in a clincher (however a blow out with a good clincher is going to run you about $65 for the tire and $5 for the tube). Most of the time all you need is a new tube for a clincher, but you always have to get a new tire with a tubular.
Also the 2007 Zipp clincher disc has a different shape to it then the Zipp tubular discs. According to Zipps wind tunnel tests the clincher is faster plus you have a metal rim and don’t have to keep changing brake pads according to what wheel you put in the back as you do with thier other discs.
Look around at the Yahoo chat group for the West River Drive Time Trial folks. This is a Saturday morning group of folks local to Philadelphia that often sell really good used stuff cheap. Tim
Not too mooch in on the thread…
but I’m also looking at race wheels. Why not Blackwell? Is the difference that significant from Zipp?
If you want the MOST versatile, aerodynamic, with the best longevity wheelset,…consider HED3Cs (http:www.hedcycling.com).
I know I posted earlier about the 606’s, but the H3’s are a good option as well. I had a pair for my old 650 bike…they are durable and fast, loved 'em. In a heavy crosswind though I’d go with a 404 type wheel though.
Tubular tires are old skool.
Amen. I just got some used tubulars and am thinking of putting them on ebay so I can put a small down payment on some 404’s. Check out the article (about 3/4 of the way down the page): http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/12493.0.html
Are you saying clinchers are faster than tubulars? Where is the data…
oh no…
I would go with the Zipp Flashpoints for about a grand…
Race wheels are the devil.
Rich Strauss
.
I would recommend a set of Hed Jets. Get a 90 rear wheel and either a 90 or 60 front depending on your size and bike handling abilities (the 90 front will be a little more difficult to control in crosswinds). You will have a big chunk of the $2000 left over if you choose this option so that you can buy good tires and a spare cassette for the wheels. The other option is a hed Jet front and a Renn disk on the back which if a really fast combination.