I’m buying a new aero road bike! It just feels really good to say that.
Triathlon has been such a gateway into cycling and spending money, that I almost didn’t even question the choice of an upgrade to a “better” wheelset from the OEM spec. But something has me having second thoughts about this.
I do plan to do some some racing with this bike (mountain gran fondos, local crits and possibly a draft legal tri or two).
The bike comes with a set of carbon wheels at 1515g with round spokes and steel bearings. There is an upgraded set of wheels available that adds aero spokes (DT Swiss Aerolite T-head) and CeramicSpeed bearings, but uses the same rims and comes in at 138g less. The price difference between the wheels is $1000.
$1000 is a lot to save or spend on other upgrades, races, etc. Are the bladed spokes and ceramic bearings really going to give me a tangible advantage? My gut is telling me I can lose 138g in body weight and save the $1000.
Wow, spokes and bearings for $1000. I know you are being serious, but that that may be the single most ridiculous ‘upgrade’ cost about which I have ever read. The performance difference will be indistinguishable. Not that most performance “upgrades” will be distinguishable, but that one might not even be able to be measured by advanced equipment. I have a wheel that I keep around just to remember the good old days, with a Suntour Cyclone hub from 1984 and I can’t tell the difference between how it spins even 35 years later. Since you sound like you are new to cycling, I’ll toss out my experience after spending way too much time on reading about cycling equipment.
Weight loss is never a good upgrade unless you don’t do anything but climb up hills that are really steep (and don’t ride back down). Now, the bike industry will never say that out loud, because for years and years and almost a century, the only way to say one component was better (and therefore worth the money) was to say it weighed less. Let me clue you in, even ten pounds is not that much on a rolling triathlon course. I’ve tested it with a power meter.
Aero stuff can make you faster but really only the fork, bars, frame and wheels. For your body, your suit and helmet. The rest of it does not really matter as long as it is functional. Given the quality of Shimano 105, I don’t know how they manage to sell Ultegra and Dura Ace.
Carbon fiber is not better except where it replaces something that you can’t reasonable make with aluminum or steel. Like aero frames and deep aero wheels, and… well, pretty much that.
Choosing the right tires for the job is more important than anything you do expect make sure your body position is good (for triathlon). The wrong tires can undo everything you spend on expensive wheels. I know. I bought a new set of Zipp tubulars back in 2004 (404 front, rear disc) and then promptly glued on Tufo tires, using Tufo glue strips and then pumped them up to 160 psi. It that does not make your cringe then I’ll just say that I never really felt faster on my race wheels because the horrendous rolling resistance of that combo more than made up for any aero advantages.
If you are new to cycling, this place is good to ask some questions. Much of what I learned about aero, tire rolling resistance and other performance factors, I learned from ST or folks I met on ST.
Tell them to deduct the original CL50 wheels from the bike at $1,500. Then get a set of HED Ardennes Black 45 wheels for about the same price. Massive upgrade over any Roval wheels. I would never race a criterium on Carbon Clinchers.
I’ve got a set of Roval CL50’s. They have been a truing headache. Especially the back wheel. I’ve had to true it after every hard race, or training ride, for the first year. They are finally settling in. I ultimately put them on my old training bike, and got a set of Flos for my race bike. To do it again, I wouldn’t have gotten the Rovals. I would have gone right to the Flos… and the set was $500 cheaper.
Tell them to deduct the original CL50 wheels from the bike at $1,500. Then get a set of HED Ardennes Black 45 wheels for about the same price. Massive upgrade over any Roval wheels. I would never race a criterium on Carbon Clinchers.
I agree with the spirit of your post, but not the particulars.
I think a good set of $500 training wheels and $1000 carbon tubulars would be a better way to spend the money.
$1000 carbon tubulars would be a better way to spend the money.
You would race a criterium on carbon brake tracks? I wouldn’t, ever. Either aluminum brake tracks or disc brakes for a criterium.
I no longer espouse the value of training wheels. Life is too short, and wheels are too good. Train and race on great wheels.
Ceramic bearings are highly over-rated. I have some, but only for TT stuff where that 4-5 seconds (1-1.5 watts) you save can make the difference between winning and losing. I also only purchased some after I had pretty much exhausted every other sensible upgrade.
November Cycling tested their wheels in the windtunnel with and without bladed spokes. The difference was 1 watt, so those are also a pretty minor improvement.
I would save your money and spend it on a decent aero road helmet (Evade is maybe 5 watts over a regular helmet) and a good short sleeve skin suit) (maybe 5-10 over a very tight fitting jersey. Add in some ribbed aero socks (3-4 watts). Then before racing season switch to a decent set of tires like the GP5000 (maybe 10+ watts over the stock tires on that bike). Use latex tubes if you don’t run tubeless (~ 4 watts saved of regular tubes). Those purchases are way more helpful.
Tell them to deduct the original CL50 wheels from the bike at $1,500. Then get a set of HED Ardennes Black 45 wheels for about the same price. Massive upgrade over any Roval wheels. I would never race a criterium on Carbon Clinchers.
I don’t think the Ardennes will work. The bike has disc brakes.
I’ve got a set of Roval CL50’s. They have been a truing headache. Especially the back wheel. I’ve had to true it after every hard race, or training ride, for the first year. They are finally settling in. I ultimately put them on my old training bike, and got a set of Flos for my race bike. To do it again, I wouldn’t have gotten the Rovals. I would have gone right to the Flos… and the set was $500 cheaper.
Which year are your CL50s from? 2018 or a previous model?
Aaah, totally different equation. In that case, still delete the CL50 wheels and get about any other set of carbon disc wheels. Almost every set of wheels on the market come with bladed spokes for less. Ceramic bearings are not much value. I’d lean toward FLO or HED Vanquish.
I would save your money and spend it on a decent aero road helmet (Evade is maybe 5 watts over a regular helmet) and a good short sleeve skin suit) (maybe 5-10 over a very tight fitting jersey. Add in some ribbed aero socks (3-4 watts). Then before racing season switch to a decent set of tires like the GP5000 (maybe 10+ watts over the stock tires on that bike). Use latex tubes if you don’t run tubeless (~ 4 watts saved of regular tubes). Those purchases are way more helpful.
Yep… Got an aero helmet, super tight kit, and plan to run GP5000 tubeless.
$1000 carbon tubulars would be a better way to spend the money.
You would race a criterium on carbon brake tracks? I wouldn’t, ever. Either aluminum brake tracks or disc brakes for a criterium.
I no longer espouse the value of training wheels. Life is too short, and wheels are too good. Train and race on great wheels.
Sure, why not? If you are braking in a crit, you’re doing it wrong.
And if you are road or crit racing on something besides carbon tubulars, you aren’t optimized. Life is too short, indeed! The $500 wheels I mentioned would perform just as well as the $1500 Heds you recommended.
I’ve got a set of Roval CL50’s. They have been a truing headache. Especially the back wheel. I’ve had to true it after every hard race, or training ride, for the first year. They are finally settling in. I ultimately put them on my old training bike, and got a set of Flos for my race bike. To do it again, I wouldn’t have gotten the Rovals. I would have gone right to the Flos… and the set was $500 cheaper.
Which year are your CL50s from? 2018 or a previous model?
I ordered them from the LBS in Dec. 2017, and picked them up in Jan 2018. So manufactured in 2017.
Wow, spokes and bearings for $1000. I know you are being serious, but that that may be the single most ridiculous ‘upgrade’ cost about which I have ever read. The performance difference will be indistinguishable. Not that most performance “upgrades” will be distinguishable, but that one might not even be able to be measured by advanced equipment. I have a wheel that I keep around just to remember the good old days, with a Suntour Cyclone hub from 1984 and I can’t tell the difference between how it spins even 35 years later. Since you sound like you are new to cycling, I’ll toss out my experience after spending way too much time on reading about cycling equipment.
Weight loss is never a good upgrade unless you don’t do anything but climb up hills that are really steep (and don’t ride back down). Now, the bike industry will never say that out loud, because for years and years and almost a century, the only way to say one component was better (and therefore worth the money) was to say it weighed less. Let me clue you in, even ten pounds is not that much on a rolling triathlon course. I’ve tested it with a power meter.
Aero stuff can make you faster but really only the fork, bars, frame and wheels. For your body, your suit and helmet. The rest of it does not really matter as long as it is functional. ** Given the quality of Shimano 105, I don’t know how they manage to sell Ultegra and Dura Ace. **
Carbon fiber is not better except where it replaces something that you can’t reasonable make with aluminum or steel. Like aero frames and deep aero wheels, and… well, pretty much that.
Choosing the right tires for the job is more important than anything you do expect make sure your body position is good (for triathlon). The wrong tires can undo everything you spend on expensive wheels. I know. I bought a new set of Zipp tubulars back in 2004 (404 front, rear disc) and then promptly glued on Tufo tires, using Tufo glue strips and then pumped them up to 160 psi. It that does not make your cringe then I’ll just say that I never really felt faster on my race wheels because the horrendous rolling resistance of that combo more than made up for any aero advantages.
If you are new to cycling, this place is good to ask some questions. Much of what I learned about aero, tire rolling resistance and other performance factors, I learned from ST or folks I met on ST.
Good advice.
Grins on the 105. 105 doesn’t come in Di2 lol. You are right as the feel and performance of 105 is very satisfactory.
By the way, what tires do you use or find acceptable?
Sure, why not? If you are braking in a crit, you’re doing it wrong.
It sounds like your criterium experience is vastly different from mine. Braking in a criterium is your life blood-- and it is not clumsy, oafish braking. It is subtle, dependable braking. Also, I would not use tubulars in a criterium anymore either. I caught a pedal in a corner once and rolled a tubular. Clinchers are good enough anymore to obviate tubulars in most applications.
Also, I am super curious what $500 wheels you recommend as good as a set of HED JET 4 or JET 5?
