In two weeks I’m doing a short sprint try to open up the season (500 yard - 14.5 mile bike - 5k run) and one of my friends just offered me his disk (Zipp 900) to use at this race. But here is the thing:
So what would you guys do? Right now, I would be riding P2K, Oval A700 Aero Bar (44 cm wide so I can climb out on the horns), and a Zipp 404 set.
Big D,
I ALWAYS ride a disk where legal. The only exception I know of where a disk is not faster is an one way uphill time trial. There are many arguments as to how much faster and whether it is worth the price, but I don’t think there are any arguments that it isn’t faster.
Ride it and good luck!
Ride your 404’s. The 404’s are probably the best wheels there are for hilly routes. The Zipp disc, even though it is light, is still extra weight to drag up those hills. I assume that the downhills are just as steep as the uphills in your race. How much do you think you can gain on these short pitches with the disc? You’ll pay for every tenth of a second on every uphill. I have 404’s and a Renn disc and I ride a lot in the mountains around Woodstock NY. We have a lot of 8mph hills and they’re not all that short. Last year when I got the disc I took it for a ride around one of my usual routes. Near the end of that ride is a 8mph hill, 1.5 miles long. I saw 4mph on that hill that day. The first time I ever saw 4mph going uphill on a bicycle. Discs are great, but for steep hilly routes you can’t beat the 404’s.
Oh come on!!! A Renn disk couldn’t weigh but 1.5 pounds more than the absolute lightest race wheel you’d consider. No way am I believing 1.5 pounds (or less) decreased your speed by half. Shoot, the weight of the water in your water bottle and the stuff in your rear pockets varies by more than 1.5 pounds.
As a disk owner, I say ride the disk. In the case of a 900 vs. 404 you are talking about .75 pounds on an all up 200 lb rig + rider (I’m assuming your not a flyweight given the name). Sorry, but .75 pounds isn’t going to mean squat to you going up a hill, but the aerodynamics will mean a lot on the downhills and the flats.
Why did the flats get left out of the previous arguments? Are there zero flats on this course? Even if the hills (uphill then downhill) was a wash for 900 vs. 404, the 900 still wins on the flats.
Go with the disc. This article by Kraig Willet will explain why.
Everyone has a very good point
The course does have some flat sections torwards the end. Actually, the last 2ish miles is the perfect TT road. I just don’t know if the time I would save by having that disk on the few parts that it would become very useful will out weigh the added time on the climbs. Of course there aren’t any “mountains” here but you can definitely put time on people on these short steep hills. But we have to remember I have no clue what a disk even feels like underneath me. I really don’t even know how much a disk even helps.
I guess my member name here gives some wrong impressions, sorry for that. Big D is actually a nickname for my first name, not my body type. I’m 5’7", 140 pounds.
I just did the dannon duathlon in az. low 55 min for 19 hilly miles. normally i ride 57-8 for 40k. it was either up or down. only 5 people outsplit me. I passed tons of people riding double 404’s going uphill. if you have access to a disc use it, your coming out ahead. way ahead.
I agree with John and Desert Dude, I ride a disk unless it isn’t allowed, regardless of course. I was at the Dannon race also (Desert Dude can ride!!!) and passed many people riding non disk wheel set ups. But all that really means is that I was a faster rider. The thing that got me was that almost all of the people I passed where either sitting up or standing on all of the climbs. If you’re riding a steep angle frame, set it up with gears that will allow you to stay down in the aero position to climb and you will pass more people regardless of your wheel choice.
I’d go with the disk also… and on a course with steep hills would also consider using a 25 or 27 rear cog.
Mike,
There must be some speed below which when climbing you choose to ride up on the pursuit bars to open up your breathing. What’s the cutoff for you? (For me it’s somewhere around 11-12 mph.)
Dan
Thanks for the compliment Mike. When you head to tucson in July, email me prior and I can give you the names of some triathletes/runners/cyclist who work at the ranch and or live close by. The neighborhood around there is pretty good for running, rolling hills and they have some dirt trails on property.
I’m planning on doing a half IM this weekend in the north Georgia mountains. While the RD was nice and chose not to send us over any of the gaps that the Tour de Georgia traversed, the course is still very hilly, especially the first 28 miles. Over the last half, it does flatten a bit, and is somewhat friendlier. Still, it’s pretty nasty. But I’m going to use my Renn. I think it will save me time overall, and besides, I paid over $300 for that wheel. If I race, I’m using it. Cost too much to sit in the bike shed.
RP