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Have you wasted money on super light new wheels?

Ok, so I'm currently researching a new set of wheels, I was primarily looking at the weight of the wheels but during my research I came across a number of articles that would imply that 250g's off a set of wheels would make a minimal difference.

Here is an article backed with scientific research: http://www.biketechreview.com/index.php/reviews/wheels/63-wheel-performance it shows that reducing a wheelsets weight by 50% has a sub .5% difference in performance. The main gains that can be made by a wheel are in it's aerodynamic ability.

So I thought well, I will need a 40mm+ set of wheels to reap the aerodynamic benefits, then I stumbled on the following research: http://www.cyclingpowerlab.com/ComponentAerodynamics.aspx this data would suggest that the Campagnolo Zondas are a more aerodynamically sound choice than a Mavic Carbone SLR!

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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80 comments

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badback replied to spongebob | 10 years ago
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SammyG wrote:

Btw are you selling the Khamsins?

They are going on the good wife's bike.

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badback | 10 years ago
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Interesting as I'm just about to upgrade my Khamsin's to Campagnolo Neutrons.

Whilst there is wheel intertia only has 0.5% effect on performance, the bike and rider weight has an 8% effect. Surely if you knock some weight off the wheels this will have an effect on this figure.

Plus surely if you reduce the weight of the wheel rim it will take less time to accelerate up to speed. (As Tom said rotational and translational speed.)

Tyre choice must be a factor as well as this is critical in reducing rolling resistance.

IIRC aero wheels only come into their own at speeds above 40 kmh.

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KirinChris | 10 years ago
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With apologies to George Best... I spent all my money on carbon fibre frames, titanium components and expensive wheels - the rest I wasted.

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roly | 10 years ago
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IMHO No1 reason to upgrade is hubs. some nice rolling wheels make all the difference. and where is the scientific research into the effect of loving your new wheels you just spent money on and riding faster. works for me

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themartincox | 10 years ago
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Yup, would echo that the feel of the wheels is probably more important than the performance 'gains' quoted.

Aero really only makes a difference once you are up to a good rate of knots, at lower speeds its kindof irrelevant.

A nice riding pair of wheels makes a difference ALL the time!

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iammarcmason | 10 years ago
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Not to forget a decent wheel-set be it heavy or light should still handle and feel better than a £50 set of hoops and girders which in theory would allow you to be less battered when you are out on the ride therefore allowing you to be fresher towards the end.

(Also 0.5% of four hours is still 72 seconds which in this day and age is a race winning amount of time. Just saying)

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spongebob | 10 years ago
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I don't understand your point Tom are you suggesting that a smaller wheel will be faster as the weight of the rim and tire will be closer to the axis of rotation?

Either way the research points to the weight of the wheels does not matter just the total weight. Apart from when initially accelerating when overcoming the inertia of lighter wheels will be slightly easier.

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badkneestom replied to spongebob | 10 years ago
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SammyG wrote:

I don't understand your point Tom are you suggesting that a smaller wheel will be faster as the weight of the rim and tire will be closer to the axis of rotation?

Either way the research points to the weight of the wheels does not matter just the total weight. Apart from when initially accelerating when overcoming the inertia of lighter wheels will be slightly easier.

I don't think we can be friends for your making me pull out the physics book.

Basically what it comes down to is that the further from the axis of rotation your center of mass is, the less rotating speed you'll get out of the same inertia. The tighter, the more rotational velocity.

Yes, a smaller wheel could cause this effect, but in essence you're also going to get less distance per rotation in this scenario. The true idea is to keep the center of mass at the hubs, hence lighter wheels.

I'm not disagreeing with the science, but .5% seems to be an outlier from an ideal situation used to prove a point. We aren't bike companies, and there's a reason engineers make millions for companies that do it better. It's not just marketing.

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badkneestom | 10 years ago
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Physics: look up rotational and translational speeds.

What it really comes down to is the closer your weight is to the axis of rotation, the more speed you'll get. The image my mind goes to is a man holding weights on a spinning stool. The closer to his body, the faster he spins. Another way to think of it is your crank chainrings.

Overall, how much difference? I'd bet it's a pretty fair change. I don't buy that .5%

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RichTheRoadie | 10 years ago
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Rode my heaviest wheelset (around 2.5kg with tyres & tubes) on my 8.5kg steel bike last night and bagged 3 hill climb PBs.

AND the wheels (H+Son TB14 rims on Royce hubs) feel better than most others I've ridden (FMB-shod tubulars aside).

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therevokid replied to RichTheRoadie | 10 years ago
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RichTheRoadie wrote:

... the wheels (H+Son TB14 rims on Royce hubs) feel better than most others I've ridden (FMB-shod tubulars aside).

Went from Kysrium Elite to Nemeis Clincher on Royce which
are markedly heavier but echo richtheroadie's commensts
as they feel nicer  1

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davecochrane | 10 years ago
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Interesting post. My stock Aksium Race wheels that came on my Fuji Team Pro 2009 pretty much almost fell apart on me this month and I was considering maybe the new Zipp 30 alu wheels for what are said to be great hubs and strong build quality. Anyone tried them?

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ilovemytinbred | 10 years ago
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As above, light high quality wheels ride better, but like most bike bling they dont make you any faster. But as we ride for enjoyment something that is nicer to ride is not a waste of money.

In terms of increasing speed, aero wheels are only really worth it against the clock where 30 seconds over 25 miles is going to mean a few places in a race. You would struggle to measure the difference under normal riding conditions.

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spongebob | 10 years ago
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Indeed from the info I have gleaned wheels made by SRAM, zipp and HED provide good aero benefits whereas other brands do not incorporate the same technologies and therefore do not have the benefits even if you buy a deep section rim!

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Simon E | 10 years ago
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Based on a little experience and lots of reading, I'd say that lighter wheels feel nicer but won't boost your speed by much, even on hills. Deep section aero wheels don't help as much as the adverts suggest, whether carbon or alloy. Also, I've read a number of times now, including from a couple of wheel builders, that bladed spokes are overrated.

If you enlarge the graph on this page you'll see that some so-called "aero" wheels don't necessarily fare better than some pretty ordinary hoops:
http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-15505311.html

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Gkam84 | 10 years ago
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I could buy super light wheels for the trike, not that I can afford them, because they are expensive. It would make minimal difference to my speed and climbing ability.

I decided, just to get a bit fitter and loose a couple of KG from.....around my waist line  19

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ragtag replied to Gkam84 | 10 years ago
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Gkam84 wrote:

I decided, just to get a bit fitter and loose a couple of KG from.....around my waist line  19

This is good advice.

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Leviathan replied to Gkam84 | 10 years ago
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Gkam84 wrote:

I decided, just to get a bit fitter and loose a couple of KG from.....around my waist line  19

And how is that going for you?

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TheHatter | 10 years ago
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I'm not sure I understand your point. It almost sounds like you're suggesting that spending money on bike upgrades may not be a good idea...?
nope, still not getting it  7

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jengy | 10 years ago
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250g is half a water bottle, you cant really tell much difference in pace with a change that small. My summer bike is 2kg lighter and goes maybe 1kmh quicker than the all-year one.. which is likely partly down to aero of not having mudguards. Feels a bit racier though..

Aero wheels seem to make a bit of difference, but you need to be going pretty quickly in the 1st place, and might not suit if you go up lots of hills as they tend to be heavier, and the best ones are lots of pennies.

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