Sometimes you’re just better off just getting your hubs cleaned up and changing out your bearings.
Thanks for that, it was an interesting read. I am curious how that would correlate in the tri bike world where the rider is, ideally, as aero as one can be. But to the point of yaw, anyone who has done a triathlon can back me up on this but the times when a rider is riding directly into a headwind or with a tailwind is pretty freaking small. Most triathlon courses are either loops or out–and-back and absolutely NONE of them are arrow straight. That is to say, if there is wind, there WILL be yaw, and more often than not it will be the majority of time on the bike.
And I know, I know, I know. I’m kind of a finicky person. No manufacturer is going to make a wheel set for each rider’s specific set up. I’m just thinking the optimum set up for the last generation of rim brakes before everybody went disc. Something 17-19mm wide internal and tubeless capable. That’s going to fit a lot of the rim brake bikes out there. I get why Enve Or Princeton will never do that. Just kind of a shame though. A little bit like forced obsolescence. But as mentioned, there’s still a good inventory of used wheels, and of course, there’s always Superteam or Winspace .
Look at the charts in the above article (which come from Enve) and the charts from the other artcile (a little less biased). Even at yaw, the differences are pretty small
Now go to Bicycle rolling resistance. Take the best tire and the 10th best. There is 7watts there. Then keep on going down the list and find the tires you use. I bet there is a substantial difference. Picking the right tire is critical.
Heck, get to the bottom of proper tire pressure, I bet there is as much there as between these various wheels.
BTW, we have not hit peak aero. Not even close. In December I had to test 18 pro riders on a new bike. Everyone was faster on the new bike except on guy that tied. Not every bike is equal. Although they did find differences bigger than the bike delta. We will continue to see aero improve
The real challenge is cutting through the marketing BS and the misconceptions it has created
2 Likes
I have no doubt! Let me be honest. I like carbon wheels for four basic reasons. 1) they do tend to be lighter than an aluminum wheel. 2) they also generally support a wider tire than legacy wheels, which can result in a less jarring ride. 3) I am a puncture magnet. I have become a tubeless convert. At least where I live, I may never ride a tubed clincher again. 4) and I would be lying if I didn’t admit I just like the way they look. I like the look of a deep section wheel but prefer a medium depth in the 40-60mm range just for stability.
Having said all of that, I do see the advantage of a disc brake wheel, at least from a manufacturing standpoint. From the end user, I see advantages largely in conditions in which I rarely find myself riding, those being steep descents and inclement weather. Considering the additional expense in “upgrading” to disc brakes and the limited advantages for the riding I do, it is simply not economical for me.