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forum
Gipiemme 60/40 Clincher Wheelset vs. RS81 C24
I have researched beyond the level of interest of a keen amateur cyclist and have come to the conclusion that I am going to get the RS81 C24 wheels as an upgrade for my Planet X pro carbon. I am dabbling with club racing and TTs and am enjoying it immensely. I need the bike to work for circuit racing, time trials, triathlons and the occasional sportive. There is probably very little in it between the two wheelsets but my knowledge is limited and I wanted to see if there was any definitive answer that would sway me. Thanks for any interest....
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12 comments
You are right about the campags but the purchase has been made! Thanks for the confirmation that the Rs81s are a decent wheelset too.
If you want carbon wheels it's really best to go all in. Those Gipiemmes look really naff at that weight. You 'may' feel the aero benefit on the flat but cheap rims are gonna suffer from cross winds. Plus the moment you hit the hills that 2kg weight will hamper you.
Those Shimanos are meant to be decent from what I hear.
It's worth taking a look at Campag Zondas too. Really good prices for a cracking do it all wheelset atm.
I reckon for the same weight, deep section rims will be marginally faster. I have some alloy clinchers (shallow) and also some carbon clinchers (50mm).
They're both nice wheels, one feeling better than the other could just be down to having a good day or a bad day (physically) rather than the wheel itself.
It wasn't the wheels that resulted in me getting dropped in races last year!
My mind is sorted - thanks to you both - I really appreciated the info.
Thanks for the help - having just checked tubs again - I had ruled them out and am favouring the RS81s.
Shame.. Still, I suppose you never miss what you never had
Quality tubs and quality clinchers probably roll similarly well, (eg vittoria make great tubs and clinchers in the same compound), the only difference is the tub wheels will weigh less and will have less risk of failure under prolonged braking than clinchers in their carbon forms..
not convinced that 'the best clinchers roll better than quality tubs', would be interested to see the evidence..
Scratch that, no I wouldn't, it's just personal opinion I guess
You don't have to care, rolling resistance isn't everything. The differences are irrelevant unless you're racing.
But yes, there are RR tests that demonstrate this. It's not just an opinion.
well exactly, things like weight at the rim, for example.
Still, it doesn't matter now anyway since the OP has been suitably dissuaded following a bad experience you had with some deep rims a while back!
Actually, using your logic, surely the differences are irrelevant unless you're a pro, (though TT'ing is a kind if 'racing' anyway?)
Should I not describe my experience? Are only contributions like "Yeah get deep rims man, they're sick" allowed now? Or are you just miffed that clinchers are as fast as tubs? It's hard to tell.
My experience wasn't particularly favourable but at least I could honestly compare the RS80s with something deeper. Perhaps others can chip in with a different experience instead of just slagging me off.
If someone wants deep rims they'll buy them anyway. That's fine. But they are not a ticket to going everywhere 5mph faster, as some would have you believe.
Those Gipiemme wheels are seriously HEAVY!
IME people often overestimate the gains made with deeper rims in TTs. I suspect you'd gain maybe 30-40 seconds over shallow rims with 16 spokes (as opposed to traditional 32 spokes often used as baseline) in a 25 mile TT. Flo Wheels claim a max of 63 seconds over a 32-spoke wheel for their 30mm rim (here).
Having tried 50mm carbon wheels for a season I now race on RS80s. They are nice mid-weight rims and don't feel any slower than the carbon rims, which I found were susceptible to sidewinds and turbulence from passing lorries.
The best clinchers roll as fast as or faster than a good tub nowadays.
You have answered the question extremely thoroughly, thank you. I have toyed with the idea of getting tubs but that would most definitely turn my winter training bike into the sportive and training bike and my summer into a more race specific bike. As I'm not that mechanically adept, I considered the RS81s a good compromise wheel. I can get tubs from Planet X for £299 which would be within budget. How hard are they to change would be my only question/issue?
I know this isn't a helpful answer, however if these are being used for racing and TT's etc, maybe look into getting some Chinese carbon tubulars, or second hand carbon tubs.
These will be deeper section so more aero and nothing beats the feel of a nice tubular tyre. Also these will be much lighter than the gipiemmes...
It sounds like this would be a spare set of nice wheels so I would still use your training wheels for sportives as changing tubs can be a bit of a faff at the roadside.
Back on topic the rs81's are a nice set of wheels that you'll be happy with, however the more aero gipiemmes will have an advantage in most races due to their aero benefit.