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Wheel Upgrade…will I notice the difference up hills?

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  • January 29, 2018 at 8:47 pm #28091
    steve_s1

    Hi,

    I’m a medium weight (70kg) rider and regularly do a few hills around Surrey, UK. 

    I’m thinking of upgrading my hoops from Shimano RS11s (came with Scott Solace 30) to either Zonda C17 or Fulcrum Racing 3 wheelset. Both sets are ~400g lighter than the RS11s and cost around £300 (~ twice the price of the RS11s).

    Before I splash out just wondered if anyone else has made a similar upgrade and if so, will I notice any difference from the stock wheels, especially up hills?

    Some research suggests the difference may be marginal and not worth the effort / cost.

    Any recommendations welcome.

    Cheers all,

    Steve

     

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  • January 31, 2018 at 12:58 pm #911369
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    Daveyraveygravey

    I don’t know if you will feel

    I don’t know if you will feel any difference.  If you forget your water bottle one day, does the ride feel any different?  As others have said, the way the more expensive wheels are bit and what they are made from may have more effect in what you feel. 

    January 31, 2018 at 10:07 am #911367
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    philhubbard

    I switched from some stock

    I switched from some stock alloy wheels to carbon and then back to these https://www.cycledivision.co.uk/cero-ar30-evo-wheelset-2100 they were the same weight as my carbon wheels, same depth, tubless compatible and better braking!

    January 31, 2018 at 9:42 am #911365
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    CXR94Di2

    Tbh, you won’t notice a

    Tbh, you won’t notice a MASSIVE difference uphill – really that’s down to raw power.-correct

    Work out the 400g saving in percentage terms of your weight + the bikes overall weight, that will give you an indication of how much you’ll notice the difference.

    Now, the placebo affect will be enormous because you’ve spent some money on upgrading.

     

    January 31, 2018 at 7:32 am #911363
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    ibr17xvii
    Plasterer’s Radio wrote:
    No, It’s rhetoric. The benefits are small.

    Spend the cash on a power meter instead. WAY more useful.

    On a long climb (30 mins plus) wheels may save seconds.

    The power meter can save you MINUTES.

    Not many of those in Surrey though although I know what you’re driving at.

    January 31, 2018 at 12:33 am #911361
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    madcarew

    No, you won’t notice a

    No, you won’t notice a difference that is due to the weight. You may notice other improvements though.

    January 30, 2018 at 10:28 pm #911359
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    Russell Orgazoid

    No. Spend the cash on a power

    No, It’s rhetoric. The benefits are small.

    Spend the cash on a power meter instead. WAY more useful.

    On a long climb (30 mins plus) wheels may save seconds.

    The power meter can save you MINUTES.

    January 30, 2018 at 10:07 pm #911357
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    Stef Marazzi

    +1 to the fact you will be
    +1 to the fact you will be able to ride a gear or two harder going up hills. Acceleration, and stiffness should be noticeably better too. Note that Zonda and Fulcrum 3 are essentially the same wheel. Different stickers and spoke pattern.

    January 29, 2018 at 10:58 pm #911355
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    steve_s1

    ….and yes Kev, Surrey roads

    ….and yes Kev, Surrey roads are a disgrace!

    The council certainly don’t seem to invest enough in tarmac round here!

     

    January 29, 2018 at 10:54 pm #911353
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    steve_s1

    Thanks for the feedback all..

    Thanks for the feedback all…looks like I’ll be splashing some cash! smiley

    January 29, 2018 at 10:13 pm #911351
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    Grahamd

    Friend and myself both

    Friend and myself both upgraded our wheels in quick succession, I went for Shimano C24 for weight and he went for Hunts for aero. We both noticed improvements, my climbing improved slightly, his flat speed appreciably, but the biggest difference for both of us was the handling and responsiveness. 

    So for riding pleasure a good investment, for performance gain my next set of wheels will be aero.

    January 29, 2018 at 9:39 pm #911349
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    Anonymous

    You should notice the

    You should notice the difference in acceleration. Certainly on long climbs you will notice probably riding one gear bigger for longer. Other than acceleration you won’t notice much difference on the flat.

    A lighter wheel will be more responsive when going down tight twisty hills, as well as being better at avoiding the potholes on those awful Surrey roads.

    You should put these on your shortlist too. Running them tubeless will make a difference too.

    https://www.huntbikewheels.com/collections/road-rim-brake-wheels/products/hunt-race-season-aero-road-wheelset-1420g-28deep-22wide

     

    January 29, 2018 at 9:06 pm #911347
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    Canyon48

    Tbh, you won’t notice a
    Tbh, you won’t notice a MASSIVE difference uphill – really that’s down to raw power.

    I upgraded to Zondas from a stock wheelset a couple years ago (before I made the switch to deep section aero disc brake wheels – which do weigh a bit – but that’s a different matter!).

    What I REALLY noticed was how stiff the Zondas were compared to my 32 spoke wheels. So stiff in fact that I switched to running 90 psi rather than 100+. The wheels felt like they span up quicker and felt more responsive when accelerating. I have no evidence to suggest this is the case, but they felt much more nippy to me.

    I am confident you will notice a significant difference in the performance and feeling. It’s a worth while upgrade! The zondas look stunning btw (if you go for them).

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