Kokiafan

I just got a new Trek Checkpoint SL5, and I love it!
Problem is, great on gravel, but I am getting dropped on the road.
Does it make sense to try to put road wheels (tubeless, carbon) on the SL5 to reduce rolling resistance and provide a more reactive ride?
Does anyone here do this, to avoid having to purchase a second bike?

Polaris OBark

Yes.

Polaris OBark

Just to elaborate, I think it is very common.

Also, the wheels are of secondary importance. It is the tires. You could easily have one wheelset, and change tires frequently. It is just much easier and faster to change wheels.

If you want to get by with one wheel-set, I would recommend using slick Rene Herse tires. With wide ones, you can ride gravel (and everything but mud), and not pay a major road penalty.

Eric F 

For sure. A good friend of mine found he prefers the position of his gravel bike (getting older, and all that), so he runs it with high-performance road tires and aero wheels on all the same fast group rides he's always done.

Koyote

If I outfitted my gravel bike with the same saddle, wheels, and tires as are on my main road bike, their weights would be within a few ounces of each other. It would (and does, even with a few heavier bits) work fine as a road bike.

Polaris OBark

Or you could do what I did:

1. Got a bike that included an "all-road" wheel-set.

2. Got a second wheel-set.

3. Got another bike frame for the second wheel-set.

4. Got yet another wheel-set.

(I stopped there, but you can continue this process until divorce and/or bankruptcy dictates otherwise).

Kokiafan

Trying to avoid both of those lol.
I have a home built road bike that weighs 17 pounds, and the SL5 is 21.5. I am no weight weenie by any means, but that big of a difference gave me pause. I imagine switching from those 42 cm bontagers to a 25 cm set of ICAN wheels will make the ride more sprightly.
And then, if the stars align, I can move the wheels over to a new road bike...later

Kokiafan

I like the wheels that came with the bike, and I do ride gravel a couple of times a week. I was just trying to avoid N+1. Blasphemy, I know.

Polaris OBark

My on-road 700c wheels have Chris King hubs and aluminum HED rims. Hardly weight weenie. I have 38mm slick tires. (They can handle a lot of gravel as well). The frame is a special type of carbon-based material: steel. Again, hardly weight-weenie. But I do have an Enve carbon seat post supporting my boat-anchor Brooks B17.

My off-road wheels are 650b carbon rims with WI hubs, 44mm wide treaded Rene Herse tire on the rear, 48mm on the front.

The nice thing about a slightly heavier bike is it is less likely to snap in half.

Koyote

OT: You, sir, have excellent taste in hubs.

Noonievut

Sorry if I missed it, but why not use your road bike on those group rides, and your new bike for everything else?

I tried to make my previous gravel bikes road worthy, but they never matched my road bike. I now have a gravel bike (drop bar mtb) that is more capable on singletrack and bikepacking, that I try not to make road (group ride) worthy.

SoSmellyAir

Now I am curious, as I would love to have a rim brake endurance frame that would result in a < 17 lbs. bike.

Kokiafan

It started as one of those no-name hongfu frames, and I added Boyd rim brake wheels to it.Ultegra 7000 series components.
Problem is, the frame is too damn small. And carbon wheels with rim brakes are kinda scary going downhill in the wet.

I could buy a new frame, move all of my components over for more money, and still have the issues with carbon rim brakes.

zandoval 

Yes... Of Course! A good looking girl always can use a second set of shoes. Getting a road set of wheels for your SL5 is almost like getting a second bicycle. Reducing rolling resistance on road bikes is more important then overall weight.

Just think about it... Vintage Classic Road Bikes used to come in at 18 to 22 pounds and the SL5 is coming in at 22 off the shelf. Of course there may be many other reasons you are getting dropped but I would suspect that rolling resistance is an important consideration.

SoSmellyAir

I see! I also have CF wheels (FFWD F4R FCC) on my rim brake road bike, but I only ride this bike when the weather is good; my disc brake gravel bike doubles as my inclement weather bike.

Kokiafan

My options are:
Buy a new frame and move my rim brake wheels and all components over. Buy a new seat for that frame, end up spending about a thousand bucks.
PLUS side, I will be able to have a road bike that is suited for the purpose of road riding.
Minus, I will have carbon fiber rim brake wheels.
Minus, I will have no way to recoup the money spent because I am literally using all of my components over.
or
Buy a decent set of wheels, tires, and brake rotors and put them on the Trek, for nearly the same price.
I can then maybe sell the carbon rim brake set, and the other parts of the bike and just switch my wheels back and forth.
UGH it sounds like a no brainer...but why do I keep wanting the pure road bike?

SoSmellyAir

Because a pure road bike looks sleeker, is probably lighter, and handles better due to its shorter wheelbase.

Eric F 

I have carbon fiber rim brake wheels (Enve 3.4) on my #1 road bike. I have no issues with them, but I try not to ride that bike in the rain.

Kokiafan

When I rode in Florida, this was not an issue...but here in Virginia we have all these stupid hills...making the brakes more of an issue.

Eric F 

In my part of the world, nothing is flat. I'm also at the base of a mountain range that includes extended climbs/descents, plus the short and punchy climbs in the foothill areas. I understand about hills. Yes, disc brakes have better stopping power. However, I have no problems riding hard and fast with carbon wheels on my rim-brake bike.

My point: Don't give up on your road bike. Fast is fun.

tempocyclist

I have a Trek SL5 and even if I put my very best Reserve 50mm carbon wheelset on it with fast tyres, it's still not as fast or light or as nimble as my pure road bike.

That's not saying it's bad, just not as good. If I had to just have one bike, then I'm sure I'd be more than happy with the SL5 and two wheelsets, a lightweight gravel set and an aero set for the road.

unterhausen

I got an set of wheels with 40mm road tires for my gravel bike. They are pretty useful. Now I'm getting an extra bike to put them on since I like them so much.

Kokiafan

Well....I can always use the wheels I just bought on a new road bike, should I choose to win the lottery or something.

unterhausen

You don't have to get a new bike ... or do you?

My real point was that the road wheels for my gravel bike have been very useful. The downside is swapping the cassette. The bike tends to be set up one way of the other for a long time. I also usually put fenders on when I'm using the road wheels. So my gravel riding suffers. Thus the new bike. Most people probably wouldn't have the same issues.

SoSmellyAir

No, but the name of the N+1 game is for one's regular purchases to lead to a growing imbalance between (1) frames, including forks; (2) wheelsets; and (3) components. Consumable items such as tires, chains, and brake pads may or may not count toward the relevant category that they respectively fall within. Over time, one realizes that one has almost enough parts to assemble another bike but for one or two missing components and reduces the imbalance by doing so.