Rapperswill 70.3 - best choice of wheels?

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi,

I’m racing Rapperswill 70.3 this Sunday, and have been looking a little at the course. There is a little bit of a bump on the 2-loop course, but as I see it, it is still a course that calls for a rear-disc. Anybody raced it and has an opinion on the matter?

/Frederik

2

Since I have never ridden a disk, it is a perfect opportunity for me to comment.

The bump is quite steep at parts (enough that 39-23 would not be fun) and it takes 25min to climb with 22 km/h average, so 40-60 min of climbing in the race depending on how hard you can push. So it depends on how much slower a disk will make you there. Some of the downhill section are tricky and even being on the bars is forbidden, so no real advantage there.

However, there is total of 40k flats by the lake, and one quite long and straight downhill section where averages way above 40 km/h are likely.

3

Looking at the profile of the course I see a 100 meter climb followed by a 250 meter climb, one or both to be done twice. There are a lot of flat sections in there.

http://eu.ironman.com/~/media/11d72b0349f64c11b5b795938d9d2233/im%20703%20rap%20bikecourse%202014.pdf

Use your disc

jaretj

4

I did it 3 times and it is probably one of the few tri course where I would think even to use a road bike instead of a TT bike…
Also, the “flat” part is not exactly flat because there are some slight up and down where you may stay seated. It is not flat like for example like Ironman Zurich where you stay down in TT for the whole 30k from T1 to the start of the hill (each loop).

5

I did it in 2012 without a disk, but that’s because I don’t have one. Even if I had one, I’m not sure if I’d use it. If what the pros use is something to go by, most of them apparently don’t use one, as per this picture (number 1: Ronnie Schildknecht, no disk; 2: Michael Raelert, disk; number 6: Bart Aernouts IIRC, no disk).

6

Thanks for input… looks like it will be w/o disc… I will go and do a preview today, with a disc… lets see what that reveals!

7

So did the course today… not an easy choice, 10km in and out - and done twice are flot to rolling, rest is hilly with really steep inclines and more gentle descents. I will opt for the disc and a 54-39/11-28 setup… saw a lot of both disc wheels and 808’s out there today, so guess either could go… Thanks for the input!

8

I’ve done it three times - went 808 up front and wheel cover in the rear. I have 808 front/back now and think i would run an 808 rear as the PT wheel+ wheelcover is a brick. Weather looks like it will be nice - I will probably come out and watch the race.