I’m considering buying a disc wheel (rim brakes) and I am a bit unsure about which route to go. I’m hoping the ST community can help me.
First, I don’t really know why a Zipp or Enve can be close to $3k while a HED is $1.2k. HEDs are great wheels. I have them on my bike now and really like them. Is a Zipp really that much faster?
Second, given that I can find a used Zipp for roughly the same price as a new HED, why not go used? Used discs likely have low miles on them, given that they are typically race day-only wheels. So why not just buy a used Zipp Super 9?
I don’t think anyone has quantified performance differences between the disc wheel brands. There are flat versus lenticular shaped wheels, and certain frames tend to work better with one versus the other. But, I think that most modern bikes are better with the more common lenticular wheels.
Solid core wheels, like Zipp, make a really cool whoomp-whoomp sound. I love that. But it is not worth the price premium. The sound does not make you any faster.
Apart from rim width, which helps you specify which tire to use. They pretty much all work the same. I prefer structural carbon discs, myself, and have used a number of them over the years, such as the original Hed, Zipp, and Mavic. This summer, I tried out a Chinese import disc, and I was very pleased with its build quality and its performance. And, it was very cost affordable.
I’ve also have used both Hed’s Jet disc and Flo’s. They’re nice wheels; myself, I didn’t want to bother to occasionally touch up truing.
When I needed a Disk for racing TTs I went with the cheapest available new disk.
Ended up with a Ron 5. Not as stiff as the Zipp 900 tubular it replaced but I can’t complain with its performance.
Bought a used Zipp disc from my coach a few years ago. I really like it. It has since developed about 3-4mm of play as I rotate it. The drawback to that is my rim brakes have to be adjusted to compensate for it and sometimes it rubs. The mechanic at the local bike shop stated that this happens over time. Which is a benefit of HED wheels where they can be sent in to be trued up. I know Team Zoot members now have access to HED and it seems to me anyway, that more triathletes are using HED disc wheels.
I can’t quantify the differences but the Enve disc has been disappointing since the public release, the Zipp disc is wider now than it was 20 years again but nothing has really changed to my limited knowledge. Honestly, I’d be looking at Roval, PCW, AeroCoach, SwissSide, for companies trying new things. If I wanted a deal, go for something used with a well known brand. Or if I wanted cheap and new pick a Chinese company like LightBicycle that is pumping out great products as a fraction of the cost as the legacy brands.
Disc wheel design and construction hasn’t really changed for 20+ years. The prices being charged by the likes of Zipp are a joke.
Plenty of cheap disc manufacturers now for around 1/3 the price with no performance difference, if anything the have better design features like screw on/velcro valve covers.
That zipp still uses a big sticker to cover the valve hole is laughable for a ‘premium’ product.
I’ll go to the other end of the scale. I got a Velosa clincher disc off aliexpress for $500. I balanced it perfectly with a bit of lead tape. I would assume any disc will need some balancing anyways though, if only to account for the valve. I also got a track conversion axle for an extra $35. I don’t see any reason to get anything else for a disc.
HED disc wheels are a spoked wheel with a fairing glued to it.
So are Flos. I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. Just a thing.
To the OP, there is no meaningful performance difference between a $4k disc and a $99 disc cover.
I’m glad this thread popped up because I was about to start a similar one. I’ve been doing the $99 disc cover thing on two different wheels over the past 10 years. I’ve decided to invest a little bit in a disc wheel to save some time and hassle before races.
I’m certainly not spending $4k and am eyeing the expected HED Black Friday deal. Curious to hear others’ thoughts. I’m in the rim brake boat too, and looking towards the wider internal/external rim width options.
HED disc wheels are a spoked wheel with a fairing glued to it.
So are Flos. I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. Just a thing.
To the OP, there is no meaningful performance difference between a $4k disc and a $99 disc cover.
I’m glad this thread popped up because I was about to start a similar one. I’ve been doing the $99 disc cover thing on two different wheels over the past 10 years. I’ve decided to invest a little bit in a disc wheel to save some time and hassle before races.
I’m certainly not spending $4k and am eyeing the expected HED Black Friday deal. Curious to hear others’ thoughts. I’m in the rim brake boat too, and looking towards the wider internal/external rim width options.
I swear my real disc is a lot faster than my disc cover. At least my race results aren’t even close when I compare my past results with the cover to the current real disc. There are other factors as well so it’s not totally clear, but I’m no contest faster with my current setup without cover!
I’m considering buying a disc wheel (rim brakes) and I am a bit unsure about which route to go. I’m hoping the ST community can help me.
First, I don’t really know why a Zipp or Enve can be close to $3k while a HED is $1.2k. HEDs are great wheels. I have them on my bike now and really like them. Is a Zipp really that much faster?
Second, given that I can find a used Zipp for roughly the same price as a new HED, why not go used? Used discs likely have low miles on them, given that they are typically race day-only wheels. So why not just buy a used Zipp Super 9?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
If you run HED there is no reason not to use the HED disc. I haven’t seen it mentioned, but consideration for tubeless tires should be considered. This is the way things are going. HEDs have been tubeless compatible for a while. Second benefit is aluminum rim or coated aluminum rims for their Jet Black series provides substantially better braking than carbon clinchers.
Aerodynamically speaking, there is very little difference between a spoked wheel with a plastic wheel cover and a top-of-the-line Zipp disc wheel. Some difference? Sure. But not much. Mostly it’s about the “whoosh whoosh” sound
Disc wheel design and construction hasn’t really changed for 20+ years. The prices being charged by the likes of Zipp are a joke.
Plenty of cheap disc manufacturers now for around 1/3 the price with no performance difference SNIP.
Unfortunately you don’t have any justification for what you what you are writing about. Carbon constructed wheels only appeared in the consumer market place around the 2004 time frame, we are at 2022. Own 5 disk wheels from Corima Monobloc and C+ discs to Walker Brothers Ethereal Disc they all have their performance advantages and differ dramatically in construction method/materials, from flange width and diameter to aerodynamics and weight.
Optimized choice on which to use is dependent on many factors/conditions, terrain, road surface, winds, bike frame, Physiological abilities … etc.
If you are going to the market for some milk, a Schwinn Varsity will work, if you are attempting to compete and win your going to need something to work with the variables and your assets.
I must have missed the part where you provided justification…?
Happy to be proven wrong though and would be keen to see the data that a Zipp disc is materially (even at all…) faster than a ‘cheap’ $1k wheel. Heck even faster than a $99 cover…