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Old 06-10-19, 07:13 AM
  #8  
hubcyclist
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Boston
Posts: 2,199

Bikes: 2017 Raleigh RX 1.0, 2018 Specialized Allez

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I recently had wheels on my mind as an upgrade after being bad on some group rides (I don't ride with groups a lot and when I do I always question myself!). My Allez is about 22lbs total (with box section wheels), so I got into thinking about weight on hills, and that if I shed some weight from the wheels I might be better able to follow wheels. Really, the issue is I don't ride enough with people so I need to improve how I ride in a pack, plus the guys I ride with are exceptionally fit and my surges aren't as strong as theirs. I consider myself in pretty darn good shape, my FTP is in the neighborhood of 300-310w (4.28-4.4 w/kg) but I have a lot of holes in my game.

From what I've read, lightweight wheels don't matter as much as aero and aero is only going to buy a little bit of time over a long ride. For me, if I'm riding solo, I don't care about speed, I prefer just watching power and having stronger rides from a wattage perspective. And if I'm group riding/racing, I need to just be better at riding with people and conserving energy. I'd love to make a gear upgrade that could save me a considerable amount of power, but I'm not convinced that wheels are all they're made out to be.
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