Originally Posted by
terrymorse
It depends on how fast you are going on those climbs. If you're climbing at speeds under ~10 mph, light weight wins out over aero every time.
The whole "heavy rims act like flywheels so they go faster uphill" idea is a bunch of hooey.
For most of us, there's one big factor that makes going uphill easier, and it's reducing weight.
Personally speaking, if a hill climb TT grade is 6% or less, I'd choose some aero wheels. 7% or above, and I'd look for the lightest wheels I can find.
But then you're losing top speed on the descents, assuming you don't only race uphill.
Certainly the wheelset Kimmo has demonstrates that you can have both, if you're willing to pay. I'm not willing to pay even $1200, so I have 1100 gram alloy wheels and don't worry about being the fastest rider. But light wheels feel better than aero ones.