I am a small woman and just got a set of Profile Design wheels for my tri bike. They are great but I am having a tough time riding in windy conditions. I was told when I put them on this might be an issue. Here is my question: is it just the unsteadiness of the bike in the wind that makes it harder for me or am I actually having to work harder due to the wheels? Suggestions for making this more comfortable are welcome.
Yes, you and I both work harder in wind on our small bikes using small motors (us).
When the conditions are too windy in competition, I simply use my training wheels instead. It defeats the purpose of race wheels, but at least the wind bothers everyone equally.
Try just swapping the front trainer wheel and leave the profile in the back. It’s the front wheel that catches the wind and gets all squirrelly.
Try just swapping the front trainer wheel and leave the profile in the back. It’s the front wheel that catches the wind and gets all squirrelly.
+1 on this. Some believe a deeper section rim (even a disc) out back actually improves handling in the wind by moving the center of pressure rearward… the result being that you still get pushed by the wind but it’s a slow steady push, not the scary, squirrely push you get from a deep section rim up front.