I am in the market for a set of wheels that will be used for both training and racing. I am leaning towards the Zipp wheels, but it is hard to justify the extra money. The wheels will be used on both hills and flats so I would like a wheel that can climb decent. There is a 338 gram difference between the sets… I am not going to be winning too many races, but I like going as fast as possible… Can anybody offer advice on this for me?
Get the Flo’s, then take the money you saved and buy a power meter.
Are those your only choices?
How about a good set of full carbon wheels from Williams for about $1000 or Boyd with their new wider all carbon rim designs for around $1400 or if you want reliable alloy braking surfaces how about some Bontrager Aura 5s which you can find for around a grand as well. Or there’s HED JETs at different depths, again with wet or dry predictable alloy braking surfaces.
Flo makes nice wheels at a good price point, Zipp makes some very nice top end wheels but there are many choices between them that are worth considering.
-Dave
If it’s “hard to justify the money”, there’s your answer. Zipp shouldn’t be in the conversation unless the word “used” is in front of the word zipp.
I race and train on Zipps and have never had any problem with using the same wheels all the time. I think they are awesome wheels and have zero complaints about them.
Here’s my take on them, having never owned Flos and just recently purchased Zipps.
I have owned (and still do) Reynolds Assaults and Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLs (aluminum brake track).
I would spring for the Zipps, if your budget allows it. The Zipps climb (I have a 404 front and 808 rear) better than the Mavics and better than the Reynolds. There’s a reason why the Zipps are the top of the line that everybody else compares their wheels to. The simply rock. After piddling away money on 2 wheelsets, I found the perfect deal for me and sprung for the Zipps. I do train on them (although not each and every ride is on them) and race on them. It might still be the placebo effect, but I do feel I’ve gained a little bit of speed on my Zipps during race days. I used them in the BSLT 70.3 about 3 weeks ago which had lots of winds from every angle.
I’ve heard good things about Flos as well and lots of people like them.
Good luck.
Why are you leaning towards Zipp? 338g is not even a pound. You could piss and crap that if you are worried about weight penalty.
For some reason, no one ever talks about the November Rail, but I have a pair of those on the way. Cheaper than Zipp, but a high-quality, wind-tunnel-designed carbon clincher.
I run HED Jet 6/9s. Really like them. Truth be told, I’d probably go with Flo to save money. I also have a quarq, which is worth more to me than my wheels. Great combination if you can afford both.
Another deciding factor may be availability, do you want to wait for “Pre Order #234567890”?
Flo just came out with their date for pre-order 7. I have to decide very soon which way to go. I still think if I can get a set of 2012 Zipp Firecrest 808 wheels for around 2100 that is the way to go… They will cost a little more, but those wheels are sure fast and climb great…
If you really do need to justify the extra money, then as the other poster said, perhaps the zipps should not be in the equation. However, if you think that you’ll find yourself still suffering with zipp envy as you ride around on your Flos, then spring for them. If you can hang on a few months, perhaps they’ll release a new 2014 version and you can get 2013/2012s on a sale.
If you really do need to justify the extra money, then as the other poster said, perhaps the zipps should not be in the equation. However, if you think that you’ll find yourself still suffering with zipp envy as you ride around on your Flos, then spring for them. If you can hang on a few months, perhaps they’ll release a new 2014 version and you can get 2013/2012s on a sale.
But then you’ll want the cool new ones!?!
I think this is a no brainer: Flo’s. Zipps are SO much more money.
If you get Flo’s and want a powermeter, you have to buy a crank powermeter. A PT hub won’t work with Flo wheels (per Flo).
I rode a pair of 2012 Clincher 404s for a few weeks up to Wimbleball and through the race. Very nice wheels and they did climb well. Race day was wet and windy, and I’ll confess that as a heavier rider, I did notice the braking on the descents was a bit softer than I’d like it to be.
I’ve sprung for a pair of Flos (60/90) and been riding them for the last week and a half, no really noticeable climbing difference between them and the Zipps in terms of perceived exertion, maybe a bit less snappy on an out of the saddle push at 8 or 10%. The braking on them is definitely miles ahead of the Zipp’s because of the Aluminum tracks, and I love being able to leave a lot more speed on the bike going into the corner with a late brake.
Get the Flo’s, then take the money you saved and buy a power meter.
I sold my Zipp 808’s this spring and did just this. 60/90 Flo, Quarq PM and my bike fitness / race times have never been better. HUGE +1 to this idea.
Not a deciding factor between Zipp and the other options mentioned, but keep in mind that the 2012 Zipp line requires a rear hub conversion kit and redishing the wheel to allow 11 speed compatibility. This will be more of an issue going forward as 11 speed becomes the norm. If you invest in the Zipps I’d assume you’ll keep them for years. So you may want to consider going with 2013’s.
I could buy Zipps, HEDs or anything I want. Flos are my choice for many reasons. I bought the 30’s on the preorder 6 w/ no problems. The 60/90 combo is beyond expectation. The company is 2L2Q. On the other hand, HED 3’s look sweet on every ride.
You want something that is good for training and racing. This is why I went with HED jet. I don’t have to switch brake bads and they brake the same as my training wheels even in wet weather.
That said I have friends who love Flo wheels. I went with HED primaraly because I did not want to fool around with a carbon braking surface.
There are more choices out there. Narowing it down to Zipp vs Flo is like asking what is better, a BMW or a KIA (at least as far as price goes IMHO)
One is the top shelf, one is top shelf aero with some sacrifices in weight ect
Zipps are very good, but as an everyday wheel very expensive
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