All:
Although I have been training with power for a number of years with my computrainer, I am about to purchase a new or used powertap for training and racing. My question is --if I already have wheels, can I intall the powertap system on my wheels or do I have to buy a new rear wheel and have the powertap built around that hub?
You can have the PowerTap built into a wheel. Obviously you should pay attention to the spoke count and stuff like that when you’re buying, but a lot of people buy them to lace into 404’s or 606’s or Blackwell 100’s or whatever.
Now, whether YOU can do the wheelbuilding, I’m not sure, but I’m sure you can find a good wheelbuilder to do it.
As the previous poster said, sure you can put it into a wheel you already have assuming everything else matches. If you’re going into a training wheel, I’d say go new as the cost isn’t going to be that much higher.
Training and racing with power is the way to go, you’ll be happy you made the purchase.
Thank You—Any suggestions on a good wheel to both train on and race?
I had a powertap hub built into my Zipp 404 and right now I am getting another hub put into a 32 hole training rim. You might want to check out Prowheelbuilder.com for a good price on a wheel build up. I built up my race wheel first because I don’t always need to train with power and when I do I can always slap on the race wheel. Ideally, if you want to train and race with power you need to get a race wheel and a training wheel laced up. Or, go with an ergomo or a SRM. Each power system has a pro and a con and there are plenty of previous threads on that issue. Good luck.
How durable is the Zipp 404. Money is becoming an issue. Will it stand up to training?
Can a powertap be built into a rim like the Rolf Prima Vigor? Bontrager has a powertap option for their double spoke orientation but I have heard it is a special hub specifically for bontrager.
The other posters are very much incorrect. “If” everything matches…sure, if your wheel is a high flange hub like a mid 70’s track style…you can reuse it.
Fact is that the spoke count will be the only thing the same. It would be better to just get new spokes and rim…then you have a spare wheel.
Used a Zipp 404 for 6000 miles and no issues ever!! Never needed a true. Bomb proof!
The Zipp 404 seems to be pretty sturdy. As I said in my last post, I only put the wheel on occasionally when I trained. Prior to Ironman Louisville, I had the wheel on for the month before the race (the wheel is more than 5years old). Otherwise, I just use a non powertap wheel. Where the powertap really came in handy was during the race and keeping me at a decent threshold.
Even though the Zipp can take the abuse, I’m not sure if you want to train with it full time. I remember riding over a big rock during one of my training rides which caused my hands to fly off the handlebars and the thoughts of a cracked rim immediately popped up. Luckily, no crack, no flats and the wheel is true. But, if it did crack, that would have been a pretty expensive experience. If you think about it a Zipp rim costs almost as much as a powertap hub.
I just picked up a used powertap that was already built up with a mavic open pro rim, but I am thinking about re-building it with an IRD Niobium 30 mm deep rim (eventually) so I can both train and race on it. Not as deep as the Zipps people here are suggesting but it’s a lot cheaper and light (~450g). Pretty close to the Rolfs in terms of aero profile.
I think I’m leaning toward the zipp 404
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Just get a Powertap laced to a 32 hole Open Pro rim. Then buy a wheelcover for $65 from www.wheelbuilder.com. It is as fast as a regular disk at a fraction of the price. That way you have a race and a training set up. You will not be compromising any speed. Lots of folks racing that set up.
Mike
Intersting–never thought of that. thanks
yes, but as indicated you’ll need new spokes of the correct length. I agree that you should just keep the wheel you have and build up a new one with the PT. How much do you weigh? “Bombproof” = 32 hole. 24 or 28 is a more common config, folks wanting a 16 hole super light set-up use the 32 hole hub (as I understand it). I went through all of this recently on a 2.4 sl and have been very happy with my 32 hole set-up laced onto a dt-swiss RR1 rim - Bombproof for sure but still only 300grams heavier than my bonti race-x-lite. In deciding you should know that spokes add 4.5-7g per spoke on average, more spokes may impact aero slightly but may also positivly impact stiffness. Weight (rotational) in TT applications is perhaps less a concern than it may be in RR or Crit applications. The wheel-cover note above is interesting. I only use my wheel for training. As to the zipp 404s and your concern about them as a training wheel, suffice it to say I race a regular set of 303s in cyclocross and those things can take a serious beating. Zipp makes an incredible rim - so I’d not worry too much durability (as long as you’re within their weight recommendations). A 404 laced to a powertap would be a nice set-up indeed.
Just get a Powertap laced to a 32 hole Open Pro rim. Then buy a wheelcover for $65 from www.wheelbuilder.com. It is as fast as a regular disk at a fraction of the price. That way you have a race and a training set up. You will not be compromising any speed. Lots of folks racing that set up.
Mike
I know Pro’s who race on that exact wheel…here is one…
