kmkurdone

I know there have been posts on this subject before, but I thought I would ask with my personal details.

I have finally started racing more tris now that I am out of college and not running xc and track. Now that tris are turning into a focus for me, I'm thinking about breaking the bank on some aero wheels. I'm wondering how much of a difference they actually make (I realize there are a lot of factors that go into this question).

I have managed to do ok without them, but have been told by other racers that they can make a big difference. I raced in a half-ironman relay and completed the bike in 2:26.22 (~23 mph I think). At Wildflower Long Course I averaged 21 mph for the bike portion.

I have always agreed with people that say you can improve more by getting the "engine" in better shape, which I could do since I have only been able to train for the bike once a week - but hypothetically, with the times above, would aero wheels be a worthwhile purchase? Any advice or insight would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Drew

kmkurdone

Sorry - I forgot to mention that I am currently racing on a 2006 Quintana Roo Seduza. The wheelset that came with the bike (and I have been racing on) are the Alex 270s.

kakman

I've read that statistically an aero helmet gives the same benefit as aero wheels for about 10% of the cost. Of course if you already have a sperm lid, knock yourself out on the wheels.

cslone

The helmet is only close to aero wheels at 0 degrees yaw, where at higher yaw angles, the wheels could save upwards of 50+ watts over traditional wheels. Once you get the wind from 0 degrees, the helmet loses to the wheels. Of course, I would recommend both helmet and wheels though for most effectiveness.

And theoretically, the longer you are out on the course, the more benefit aero wheels have.

cjbruin

Agreed. There was an MIT study a couple of years ago that a lot of people misunderstood and soon a ton of them were saying that aero wheels are useless. It's simply not true. Over the course of 56 miles, the aerodynamics alone will save you several minutes but you will also gain from your race wheels being lighter than your training wheels. All that said, race wheels are expensive so some think they aren't worth it. I really like my Zipps and I would buy them again.

Cheers.
-CJ

kmkurdone

Thanks for all the feedback! Do you guys have any suggestions on what wheels I should be looking at? I'm leaning towards the 404s (and have to save a lot of money) because they seem to be a little more versatile than something deeper. Any thoughts?

cjbruin

I like my 404's. Sometimes I think I should have gone with 808's or at least 606's but with how windy IMAZ was, I think I made the right choice.

Edonis13

if i had the dough ide get 404's with a rear wheel cover.

Plainsman

I've been hoping to get a tri bike for a while now, but I'm thinking about just investing in a good wheelset instead. Cheaper than a new bike. So, if the choice is between a 40,60, or 80mm deep rims for mostly flat events (1/2 IM distance to full - full being my new goal) what depth do you go with? cjbruin, I see you like the 404s, is that because any deeper leads to trouble in a crosswind? The Flashpoint 80s look fast, and for the same price the Gray 9.0s can be had, but would a rim that deep be too hit or miss? Am I missing the boat thinking that aero wheels will compensate for a non-aero bike? (already sport the Giro Adv helmet) Would love to pick up a P2C, but then I would have a P2C with basic wheels (bontrager X-lite), plus that's just not possible now. Wouldn't I be better off with a road frame running some nice carbon wheels (I know it would be less expensive anyway)? - Please forgive the hijack

StanSeven

Wheel weight doesn't matter. It makes a little difference with climbing on steep hills. But other than that, it's neglible. However the aero benefits are substantial.

cjbruin

Actually rotational weight does matter for two things...1) Acceleration & 2) Climbing. Unless every course you ride is straight and flat, it matters.

celerystalksme

omg...wheels help soooo much!!!!!!! my first tri, i had to carry my bike through the cycling stage...