I have 808’s and I’m thinking about getting a disc for IMFL, because it is so flat. If it were you and you could get a disc for around 200 bucks used or a disc cover for about 70 bucks or just keep your 808, what would you do (also assume that you are a MOPer and this is your first IM).
Disc cover. Even the FOPers are choosing the 808/Cover over a disc these days!
I use a PT/Cover on a training wheel and I will be getting an 808/PT/Cover setup soon.
Get the disk cover for you’re 808, Jen’s who is on this forum a lot, and has most every disk you could ever want to have uses an 808 with a cover. And let me tell you he goes FAST!!!
Dan…
Be like the jonnyo. 808 + cover.
What kind of disc for $200?
How bout a disc cover with the savings toward position tuning and helmet. Keau
You always get what you pay for…
Ok, so it seems like the consensus is the cover over the disc wheel. Now the big question…why? Is this a money thing, weight thing, durability thing?
Well as per Jonnyo (2nd @ IMC), go for the wheel cover (from wheelbuilder.com I believe).
Fred.
A few reasons, I think:
- Weight penalty is negligible to nonexistent, depending on the base wheel and cover weight
- Powertap option (doesn’t matter for most of us, but worth noting)
- More comfortable due to the fact that it is a spoked wheel, after all
- Truable, since it’s a spoked wheel
- Retain optionality of taking off the cover if conditions warrant it
- Cheaper than two wheels
.
why? Is this a money thing, weight thing, durability thing?
It’s a because Jens said so thing.
- Retain optionality of taking off the cover if conditions warrant it
the only condition that warrants it in tri is IMHI (and other venues) where they are dis-allowed.
the windiest conditions are those that the disc shows the most advantage. and improves steering the most (by shifting the center of force of the wind rearward).
g
Is Wheelbuilder.com the only place to get covers of the best place?
All wheelbuilder.com is selling is a CH Aero cover that is also available thru other places. The difference is that they will custom cut it for you to any wheel you are using for a nominal fee. I’d recommend this. I cut my own CH Aero cover for a Hed Jet 60 one time and it wasn’t as neat a job as they could do.
You always get what you pay for…
Not true in the case of a wheel cover. We know that it works as well or better than regular disc wheels.
Its pretty versatile, my only complaint is the cover is a little fragile and takes some adjusting and maybe some electrical tape to seal the edges IME.
does the cover make same cool sound like disk. Or some other kind of whum, whum effect?
does the cover make same cool sound like disk. Or some other kind of whum, whum effect?
No
Funny - I was watching the guy up close all day and never noticed… Anyway, jonnyo told me that it sounds more like a constant tone, rather than the “whump whump whump” of a disc. I suppose one could liken it to a jet engine as compared to a locomotive.
I think it’s a serious mistake to take a great wheel like the 808 and slap on a one pound piece of cheap plastic and say that that is an improvement. Zipp claims that the 808 is the closest thing to a disc. It’s very aero, light weight, and responsive. Adding a pound to the rear wheel even on a flat course sounds like a bad move to me. I know that here on Slowtwitch the thought is that weight doesn’t matter, but it seems that everywhere else in the cycling world weight is crucial.
If it was me, I’d buy a new disc. Of the three choices you gave I’d stick with your 808’s.
I think it’s a serious mistake to take a great wheel like the 808 and slap on a one pound piece of cheap plastic and say that that is an improvement.
How about covering the vents of your helmet with duct tape?