Will a jet 90 front slow me down?

Triathlon Forum
1

I was able to upgrade from a 6/9 set up to a disc 9 set up. I just averaged 18.5 mph on the CDA bike course in june.

My question is (handling aside) will a jet 9 slow me down compared to a jet 6 front at my speeds? The reason I say handling aside is because I feel confident in my bike handling skills.

2

Next race is IMAZ
.

3

I’ve heard that if you buy this particular wheel from Jason Goldberg it could slow you down.

4

I was one of the ones scammed, but I didnt get what I ordered :slight_smile: These wheels came from HED :slight_smile:
.

5

Sorry then, bad joke.

6

heds website has a chart that makes this pretty easy

basically no, it wont slow ya down, unless its really windy, at exaclty the right angle the whole time, then just barely
.

7

It’ll be faster in a windtunnel, but you have to wonder about Brett Sutton’s comments about how he feels most AG’ers are actually slowing themselves down with the deeper wheels.

8

Thanks jack, so when would the jet 6 be beneficial over the 9? Windy conditions?

9

Thanks jack, so when would the jet 6 be beneficial over the 9? Windy conditions?

yeah if its windy you are going to get blown this way and that on a Jet 9, even I do if its pretty good winds at 175lbs

going this way and that wastes time too.

at your weight, if you are lighter than me by a bit, the 6 might be better, but you said to ignore handling so i did =)

10

Thanks jack, so when would the jet 6 be beneficial over the 9? Windy conditions?

also with the right tubes you don’t need a valve extender with the 6s

which is nice

11

Hrmmm on race day I usually tip the scales at 145-148…

12

Hrmmm on race day I usually tip the scales at 145-148…

thats pretty light. id stick with the 6

13

want to buy a jet 90 front?:slight_smile:
.

14

want to buy a jet 90 front?:slight_smile:

ive already got on!

if you have a jet90 already

try it out on some windy days and see how it feels

if its not madness then keep it

15

Just reading the thread. Since your next race is IMAZ, I would say go for the 60. I did the race in 05 and 07, and had the luxury of showing up with an arsenal of wheels to choose from thanks to Austin Tricyclist and the fact that I was driving out from Austin. I planned on using a zipp disc and an 808, but while pre riding the course, the 808 would get wobbly when the winds were gusting up from the sides. I went back and put on a 404, and it was night and day. I could have used the 808, but I would have gotten out of the aero position too many times and/or moved back on my seat, and I didn’t want to do either.
My other front wheel option now is a Hed 3C, and I love it, when the winds are low, but it can be a bitch in the wrong wind conditions.
I am in a similar situation for IMC. I have never had to fly my bike to a race, and I don’t want to be stuck with the wrong wheel if the course is brutal that day. I will probably ship myself a backup set of wheels or something. However, if I had to show up with one set of wheels, it would be a disc and either a Jet 50, 60, or a Zipp 404.

16

want to buy a jet 90 front?:slight_smile:

If you can keep both, then you have a great set of options.

My takeaway from Jack’s advice, which I agree with, is that the 90 is only slower in horrible cross winds. IMAZ might not qualify. Keep in mind that even on a very windy day, the amount of time you spend in a cross wind is still some fraction of the entire ride.
But he made a very important point when he mentioned the additional negative impact of swerving down the road.

Because of that, and the fact that IMAZ tends to be plenty windy, your 60 is the better choice for that race but the 90 is going to come out on top at a lot of other races.

17

For a slower rider the 60 might make sense up front given many conditions. But what about the rear? At his speed would it be better for him, and me, to use a 60 rear, a 90 rear or a disc? Given that fact I only have one set of wheels for racing.

18

A disc will always be your best bet for maximum performance. But they are all good so if you have a preference for any of them, then you should use it. For instance, I have a disc and hate messing with my crack pipe and tubulars (ie. bringing a spare one with me in the race), so I use my Jet 90 and have retired the disc.