I’m considering purchasing race wheels for my Cervelo P2C. I’d like to stick with clinchers. Will I be wasting my money or is there speed to be bought here? Which wheel should I buy? I’m a small rider who rides in windy conditions a good bit.
There is a lot of evidence from wind tunnel testing to prove the time saving benefits of aero wheels–especially when paired with a good position on an aero bike.
The questions are many, but a good place to start is with simple economics. How much are you willing to spend?
A Zipp “anything” in the front will run you roughly $1200-1400, and their rear disc is now about $1800. If this is the high end, then maybe a Flashpoint or HED front wheel at about $700 coupled with a Renn Disc at $600 after shipping would be the lower end.
The next questions are about your riding conditions. How windy is it where you race, and how good is your bike handling? If it is either really windy where you race or your bike handling is sub-par, then you should consider wheels that have shallower rim sections vs. deep sections/disc wheels.
Consider these questions as a starting point.
For the money, I’ve heard a coach is a better investment, that being said, I bought Zipps this past fall (808 front and 1080 rear), I just need to the cold and snow to go away. If you want them and can afford them, your not wasting your money. your helping the economy and any new equipment will make you “think” your faster.
Flashpoint 40’s made by zipp are basically 2 years ago model line. A good budget wheel and shallow enough for winds. Or go with zipp 404’s if you have more money. They are top of line. Zipp also makes FP60’s and FP80’s or the top of line 1080’s or 808’s from zipp would be good if you have good bike handling skills and money to burn. I think a good aero wheelset does make a big diffference especially for midpackers like myself.
It’s worth pointing out, but I actually feel like my zipp 606s on my road bike make me feel slower (entirely subjective and from one ride) and I’ve not seen much time difference in TTs bike when using 28 spoke box rims and the zipps.
Still, I’m sure that it’s the test procedure and not the wheels that are at fault!
I’m considering purchasing race wheels for my Cervelo P2C. I’d like to stick with clinchers. Will I be wasting my money or is there speed to be bought here? Which wheel should I buy? I’m a small rider who rides in windy conditions a good bit.
I’d go with HED and get a 60 front and 90 rear, called the HED 69! It’s a great all around set up especially in your windy conditions.
Last year I did an 1/2 IM and my bike split was just a tad under 2:25:00 (or just a tad above 23 mph) with 11 hairpins & about 200 yards (*2) you had to walk/run next to you bike (part of the split and distance). The bike might have been about 1 mile or less shorter.
I had the 3rd fastest bike split behind sub 9 and sub 10 IM guys and another guy (sub 9 & sub 10 guy had same bike split about .6 mph faster).
I had “regular” Bontrager areo X-Lite wheels. Maybe those a good trainer wheels, but definitively not race wheels.
I had Vittoria Corsa Evo CX clinchers with Michelin latex tubes which I believe made a big difference.
This year I will race the same 1/2 with 2008 808 front and 2007 808 back with wheel cover (clincher) & same tire/tube/bike setup. Then I will tell if those wheels can make a “huge” difference (when looking at cost).
Fred.
I will be interested to see how the results play out. Hopefully the conditions will APPEAR to be the same so you have results you feel are legit.
When is this race?
It is during Labor Day Holiday weekend.
Fred.
They will definitely speed you up a little, not a lot.
If you are short on cash. If you aren’t and can afford the toys, go for it.
A couple resources that can help you decide are the aero data on HEDCYLING.COM and on ZIPP.COM. These are the two market leaders in the aero wheel industry, and between their data you can get a good idea of what wheels you might want.
Some good budget options:
HED Jet 60 or 90 front, or Flashpoint (budget ZIPP brand) 80 front paired with a disc cover on the rear.
Some good money no object options:
Hed Jet 90 or Zip 808 front with a Hed Jet Disc or Zipp disc on the rear.
You could also get something like ZIPP 404s or Jet 50s front and rear and ride them all the time.
I’m considering purchasing race wheels for my Cervelo P2C. I’d like to stick with clinchers. Will I be wasting my money or is there speed to be bought here? Which wheel should I buy? I’m a small rider who rides in windy conditions a good bit.