Having just splashed the cash on a Tri bike - is it going to harm my peformance to use race wheels when training?
I only really use the bike once per week on a long ride and I want to get maximum enjoyment from my purchase.
After all, it’s not like I’m going to win a race any day soon (top 10 is the goal)…
I think the reason not to use race wheels when training is to reduce the risk of damaging them in an accident and keep wear off of the tires. And because if you ever want to throw the bike in a trainer you best not use your nice race wheels.
How nice are your race wheels, anyway?
Lots of people use HED3’s as race wheels, but use them as both. I train and race on “race wheels”. It also depends on how many race wheels you have : ) I have a bunch, so if hurt them in training I still have lots of them as backups from one of my other bikes.
Other then the damage factor…use 'em.
yeah, sure use your race wheels for training. if enjoyment is your main focus, go for it.
most people don’t use race wheels for training because they don’t want to break a spoke, crack a rim, or otherwise damage their 1500 buck purchase. and spinning on race wheels for races only makes you feel 10X faster than your slow-ass training wheels.
Just last week in the local tuesday night championships a guy was riding his zipps and had a cat 5 rider crash into him, rear wheel ruined. No way Im doing training rides on my race wheels.
well i think they are called race wheels for a reason they are for racing!!!
and training wheels are for training.
that way you can train with your training wheels and don’t have to worry as much if you have an accident. Also you will get better performance when you race and put on your race wheels.
Thanks for the feedback.
The wheels are Zipp 404s.
Well, I guess insurance is there if they get wrecked…
I would definitely change for turbo trainer sessions (if I ever did them!)
Do what YOU want and YOU enjoy. It is YOUR bike. I ride on Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL’s and The Cosmic Carbone. Damaging either one is going to hurt. It’s kind of like buying art. You get a nice piece and store it in a secret room that no one is aloud to go into. It’s to be enjoyed so enjoy it;)
I would not train on junky wheels— They bring down the whole bike. I recommend a mid-priced ($500 -$600) set of aluminum wheels from Mavic or Campagnolo. People might debate this, but Zipps are not designed for day-in, day-out use. They make their rims as light as possible, compromising durability and they make their hubs as smooth as possible, with dust covers and shields that are not as tight as the ones that are on mid-priced wheels.
One good pothole and you’ve got a dented rim. One good rainy/muddy ride and you’ve got grit in your hubs that will slow them down.
I guess it depends on how exacting you are about your bike on race day. If you want the bike to be perfect I’d set those Zipps aside and train on something else. If you don’t mind racing with a hop in your wheel or hubs that are not perfectly smooth have at it.
$500 might sound like a lot for training wheels, but in the context of a $5,000 bike it’s not much. Also, those racing wheels will then last forever, so your cost over a long period might actually be less if you save the race wheels.
-Marc
There’s nothing wrong with a Campagnolo Vento G3 for around 250 - is there?
I didn’t taper, shave and wear a race suit at every swim meet and practice during my swim career - just the important races…
Seriously! Buy the cheapest, heaviest, most rolling resistant wheels you can find (garage sales!) and then buy really big wide heavy tires (tandem tires work great) stuffed with every heavy gooey puncture remedy on the market and then ride the crap out of them for several weeks, especially for the weekly “fun” time trial group rides where you are busting your a** just to keep up. When you go back to your race wheels for the race - whoohooo! This is kind of analogous to running in heavy training shoes and then racing in racing flats or using a drag suit in the pool. Train heavy, race light. Just be sure to test ride your race wheels before the actual race to make sure everything is working right…don’t need to ask how I learned THAT lesson…
Damn…I’m just the opposite. I bike train with race wheels and run train in racing flats : )
The heavy as* training shoes hurt my hips so I run in racing flats every day ; ) Asic Ohanas for training and Nike Mayflies for racing. I also use HED3’s for training on the bike.
The Vento G3 are nice wheels. My wife has a set on her Orbea Ora and I’ve borrowed them a few times. They are well made, smooth, and have stayed true. They are a little bit flexible for me (I weigh 200 lbs) but are very nice riding. I use the Campy Sciroccos on my P3 and Shamals on my road bike. Both of those wheels are awesome. I have over 10,000 miles on each set and have never had to true them. Anyway, I’d recommend any wheelset with the Campy name on it.
I really wouldn’t buy super-cheap and heavy wheels to train on, though. Wheels make a big difference in how a bike handles and how it feels so the joy of riding is diminished if the wheels are complete crap. Ventos sound like a good deal to me.
-Marc
Clearly divided on this aren’t we?
a) life’s too short - enjoy the toys as much as you can
b) play the long game, sacrifice short term enjoyment to crush the opposition
A question - what do the cycle pros do when they are training?
what do the cycle pros do when they are training?
They typically train on 32 spoke, 3x training wheels. For training purposes, go as durable as possible, that typically means heavier and may mean less aero.
My other wheels are Mavic Ksyrium SL’s - are these too good?
How do you pronounce “Ksyrium”?