I have been training and racing the last two years on a set of Bontrager Aeolus 5.0 Carbon clinchers. They have served me very well and after two full years or racing and training they are still as true as they day I bought them. Now I am becoming more competitive in triathlon and putting down my road bike, so to speak. I am interested in getting a set of deeper wheels. I want to be able to do the same kind of riding on them that I do on my Aeolus. I was hoping that the new 808’s would work for me. If not I have a lead on a set of 2011 JET 9’s from HED. Thank you in advance for your opinions and comments.
The wheels won’t know if you’re training or racing. If you can tolerate the risk that you may damage a very expensive wheel out on the street then go for it.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
I train in my zipp 808s, i am a relatively light rider at 151 lbs, but they are pretty much rock solid from a build perspective. Only thing I’m worried about is getting into an ugly crash but I don’t live my life worrying about what ifs.
I’m not much bigger than you. I’m 160. I agree as well on the life comment. Why spend thousands on equipment you cant use all the time… Thanks for the input
Some input from me. I’m 5’9 140lbs, and ride 808 fc in the front and definitely struggle going downhill with cross winds. However, after that its full speed ahead!
I have a pair of race wheels (Jet 9 rear, Jet 6 front). To be honest, these wheels, as well as the Zipps, are sturdy enough for everyday riding, training, racing.
As people said, the only thing is if you crash. But if I had a Ferrari (and, no, I don’t), I don’t mind having it as my daily drive (as long as it’s not traffic!).
BUT… though my race WHEELS are sturdy enough, it’s still a bit of a pain for me to change from training TIRES to race tires and vice versa (i.e., I don’t mind using my race wheels as daily wheels, but I do mind using my race tires – and, I’m too lazy to keep switching tires, even if I race only 6 or so times a year).
You should look at the 2012 Aeolus 5 D3 clinchers. I ran a set head to head with Zipp 404 FIrecrest yesterday and the Bonti are better wheels IMHO. They are very stiff, spin up faster, climb better, shed sidewind better and had me running a higher average speed pedaling on the flats in a two way speed run. They are perfect for running a single wheelset for training and racing with minimal compromise. I was set to buy a 606 split (404 front, 808 rear), but now the water is very muddy. Read all the marketing material you like, but the Aeolus 5 D3s are badass wheels. The only con is you MUST use Bontrager Carbon Stop cork pads or your warranty is void. I like Swissstop yellows because they can be used with every other carbon or aluminum wheelset on the planet. Trek claims that this is because of the heat generated by non-cork pads, but all other manufacturers have figured this out. I’m not sure why Trek is holding out.
Personally, I am of the notion that you should train on heavy(er) wheels than you race on. I train on a pair of old Mavic Cosmic alloy 30mm wheels. Then rent 808’s for races. Feels like i’m flying when I get the 808s on my bike.
I cannot see spending that type of cash on race wheels when you can rent them for cheaper. Unless you race 8-10 times a year.
the one disadvantage to training and racing on the same wheels is that you get no performance/psychological boost on race day.
i had hed jets for a couple of years and they are very solid. they are basically an aluminum wheel with a carbon fairing so i would think that these would be more durable.
unless you ride over 25mph all the time, i would go 90/60 and the 90 front is slower than the 60 at speeds less than that according to Hed.
“I cannot see spending that type of cash on race wheels when you can rent them for cheaper.”
I’m not sure how many times you rent wheels each year, but if you bought a pair of used race wheels for say $1000, they aren’t going to lose much value. If you rode them only in races, they stay pretty mint. You could likely sell them in a few years for close to what you paid for them if not more. That big wad of cash in your pocket would be the amount of money you would have given to the rental company.
you CAN train and race on any wheels you want, its generally an dumb idea even if money isn’t a concern, since you don’t want to train and race on the same tires, which means you have to change tires all the time.
“Why spend thousands on equipment you cant use all the time”
I think the answer to that question depends on your answer to “Why did you buy race wheels?”
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Personally, I am of the notion that you should train on heavy(er) wheels than you race on. I train on a pair of old Mavic Cosmic alloy 30mm wheels. Then rent 808’s for races. Feels like i’m flying when I get the 808s on my bike.
I cannot see spending that type of cash on race wheels when you can rent them for cheaper. Unless you race 8-10 times a year.
I have a saying (granted I tend to say it more often when I’m coming out of winter season): Train heavy, race light. This is in regards to body mass generally…
I ride 32 spoke alum box rims with 105 hubs and thick a$$ hutchinson tires for training. I HATE THEM! i can actually feel myself needing to push harder to go the same speed as ‘normal’, but it’s something i do to build mental toughness as well as physical strength. when i slap on some 808’s with nice fresh tubies and ceramic bearings… it’s like having a tailwind!
but, Zipps are strong, if they can make it through ONE race of Paris Roubaix then they are tough enough for me!
well, depending on where I rent from it cost me any where from $75 to $100 to rent race wheels for the weekend. That means i get any where from 10-12 races before I would spend $1000.
Since I only race about 2 HIM a year, maybe one OLY It would take me almost 5 years to make up that cash. I am renting Zipp 808 FCs for IM Oceanside. I will be the first one ever to ride the wheels. They are brand spanking new. They cost a lot more than $1000.
BUT
If you are racing 5-8 times a year, I can see the benefit. It just doesnt add up for me.
I’m poor so I only have one powermeter, which is mounted on my '12 808 FCs. So, I ride those daily so I’ll have power readings and have had zero problems.
I do only really ride known routes though and those routes don’t have any weird potholes or anything. Nor do I do group rides so I’m not too worried about crashing.
“I’m poor so I only have one powermeter, which is mounted on my '12 808 FCs.”
Poor people don’t have '12 808 FCs unless they are getting them for free.
I agree with running them in training and racing. I have the new FC 808 and put them on my speed concept and rock them 24-7, however, I change my rear wheel out when I’m putting my bike on the trainer of course. I run gator skins during training and swap my tires for race day. Other than that, you get a nice comfort level with them on all the time in different conditions. Better than throwing on a pair of race wheels last minute (renting them) and you aren’t quite comfortable with the handling…if its windy, etc.
Other than that, you get a nice comfort level with them on all the time in different conditions. Better than throwing on a pair of race wheels last minute (renting them) and you aren’t quite comfortable with the handling…if its windy, etc.
This was big for me too. When training on deep wheels, I really got a feel for the handling. Several times, for example, I came around a corner or went over an exposed bridge and was hit by really strong sidewinds that caused me to become unstable. It took a lot of practice before I got really comfortable to the point where correcting for these winds was second nature.
I ride my bike on the trainer 2x a week. Ride outside 1-2x a week. Generally long ride will be outside.
I ride my zipps outside for the most part. don’t want to change brake pads et al. I like riding on them.
you CAN train and race on any wheels you want, its generally an dumb idea even if money isn’t a concern, since you don’t want to train and race on the same tires, which means you have to change tires all the time.
Explain this to me, please. Is it because the tires wear flat (sorta) over the course of training miles and therefore have greater rolling resistance? I have raced on the same wheels I train on for years (Continental 4000’s) mainly because I only had one bike until now, but I also didn’t know. Is there a chance I could pick up some free speed by doing things differently?