I was just looking at the Bicyclesports website and reading an article about bicycle stability. Cobb mentions that if you have a deep rim up front, then it is important to have more surface area in back to balance out the handling. If this is the case, in windy conditions, wouldn’t it make sense then that a disk or very deep rear wheel is the way to go in the back unless you are riding both wheels with very short rim depth? Anyone ever ridden a disk in real windy conditions to comment? Maybe they should allow disks in Hawaii?
OK, let me preface this by saying this is just my opinion and not necessarily founded in the type of empiracle testing John Cobb has conducted. I ride a disk in the rear in almost all conditions. I think it is faster. Hawaii may be a valid exception becasue it does get EXTREMELY windy there. People have actually been knocked down by wind gusts. That usually requires a 30-55 m.p.h. gust from my mountaineering experience. However, I won the State Time Trial Championship here in Michigan one year on a windy, rainy day partially because I kept my disk on while everyone else took theirs off. I think a lot of the concern over crosswind instability is unfounded. If you are a good bike handler and your bike fits well it should be fine. I don’t like having a full jetstream on my handlebars, I think that makes more of a difference than the disk in the back. It would have to be extremely windy before I would take my rear disk off.
I have been riding a disk in almost every race for years on a softride. Did a square course in 20-25 mph blustry winds with no handling problems. You just lean a bit when being hit with crosswinds. That and you’ll haul ass past everyone using rims.
I ride a disc whenever I can…it is just faster. If you have trouble hadling your bike with it on, then take it off, but as was stated already, if you’re a good bike handler it shouldn’t be an issue.
tommy