I have a very newbie question here, so please stay with me on this one!
I just got my 1st set of aero wheels(HED 6+ Carbon’s; thanks to those that gave me advice for picking them) and I noticed spoke holes(as well as the small holes on the side of the rim).
Do I need to worry about excess water getting in the spoke holes when I’m washing my bike?
Do I need to take the wheels off for washing? Or will any water come out of the holes of the side of the rim once I start riding?
Fahgeddaboutit!
I don’t worry about mine. There are little drain holes by the rims. If I ever ride in the wet, I usually wash my bike and wheels. Then I rest the wheels with the drain holes toward the ground so they empty and dry.
Those little holes are to allow the water to drain out. Water will naturally get in through the spoke holes and valve stem hole. When the wheel is spinning, centrifugal force will drive water out that small hole.
I heard water in Campagnolo Bullet 50 rear wheel after a washing so I took it off, found the drain hole and shook it. Most of the water came out but it was still making noise when I spun the wheel slowly. I let it sit with the drain hole on the bottom for a couple of days and it didn’t drain. I tightly rolled up a tissue and stuck it in the drain hole which absorbed a little of it but there was still some water making noise inside. No amount of shaking or even jamming long cotton threads into the hole would get it out. So, I removed the tire and shook the wheel until the water drained out of the air valve hole.
I will say that at the time I wasn’t using a valve stem nut, but afterwards I put one on and so far it is okay. We’ll see after the next wash if that nut prevents the water from entering through the gap between the valve stem and hole where it likely did before.
Water in/water out.
Don’t worry about it
Water in/water out.
Don’t worry about it
But but but … watts lost… the rotational weight… added weight… KOM on the line… speed wobbles… uneven tire wear… cool spots on the tire leading to skidding in corners… mental stress…
I have a set of the original Flo 60/90 wheels. I raced Philly the year it rained, and rained, and rained. The bike was sitting in transition in water up to the top of the 90’s faring when I got on it.
The water caused no problem, and the wheels were empty when I put the bike in the car 6 hours later, 2 hours after it stopped raining. I did not notice the water in the wheels, although it had to be there, and I did not notice the water leaving the wheel while riding the course. There was water flying everywhere all the time. The water coming out of the wheel, if that is what it did, was inconsequential.
The little holes are drain holes.
Somebody has already pointed this out and they are correct, plenty of smart and experienced people here.
The wheels can hold a small amount of water, but not much. It will get pumped out the drain holes as you ride, or dribble out if you lean the wheel against something with the drain hole down (if water gets in during washing or travel) .
enjoy your wheels
Water in/water out.
Don’t worry about it
But but but … watts lost… the rotational weight… added weight… KOM on the line… speed wobbles… uneven tire wear… cool spots on the tire leading to skidding in corners… mental stress…
I read or saw something once that showed water in the wheels gave some surprisingly beneficial results.
Since it can move freely, it actually doesn’t resist spinning up to speed as much as dead weight does. It just hangs out at the bottom of the wheel for the first few seconds, so it doesn’t fight acceleration much at all. There’s nearly zero friction for it to fight against and it just flows freely without much issue during the first seconds of acceleration, so no real problems for hard accelerations, especially from zero…Once up to speed, water gets spread out evenly around the edge of the wheel and provides a lot of stability and can prevent wrecking for people who like to ride without tons of slower, sharp turns. Triathletes would be good examples of this. Mountain bikers would not.When braking, it was surprisingly helpful as well. The water wants to settle to the lowest spot and actually decreased stopping distance because it added weight and stability below the axles and that helps shorten braking distance more than the extra weight increases it.
Increasing wheel stability at high speeds by adding weight to the perimeter sounds like a terrible idea, but what if there was a way where the weight only went to the perimeter at high speeds? And it didn’t hurt acceleration and even improved braking? Apparently, that’s what water in your rims/tires can do.
Needs more testing though. But definitely makes you not worry so much about putting too much sealant in your tubes.
Materials that change properties based on conditions is the next holy grail for lots of engineering advancements. Imagine if putting a little bit of corn starch in with the water to make it into oobleck? Then it might semi-harden on impact and help resist snakebite flats.
I tape over the drain holes to seal them up and then use a hose to fill the fairings through the gap around the valve stem. I find that the water has cooling properties that allow me to bomb technical descents without fear of overheating my fragile latex tubes causing a catastrophic blowout.
I wonder when someone whose bike is too light puts water in the wheels to get it to the minimum weight, only to remove the Scotch tape or drain plug to let the water drain out just before the race starts.
.
First time I discovered this was Eagleman 2019.
By then end of that ride, my wheels were sooooo sloshy. I didn’t find out about the drain holes until I got home
I tape over the drain holes to seal them up and then use a hose to fill the fairings through the gap around the valve stem. I find that the water has cooling properties that allow me to bomb technical descents without fear of overheating my fragile latex tubes causing a catastrophic blowout.
Step up your game from water cooled to oil cooled. Dribble MCT oil on the rims for maximum blowout protection. You won’t care that your brakes don’t work at all because your wheels will be totally keto. /s and stuff
I fill the tube in my trainer tyre with water.
Cools the tyre tread and balances the wheel and gives a heavier flywheel.
I have the Hed Jet Black 9s and water gets in when I wash the bike but drains out when the drainage hole is at the bottom. I have never noticed water in them after a wet ride; I wouldn’t worry!