Originally Posted by
tetonrider
agreed.
... wind tunnel data on wheels is a good example of reliable data to extrapolate; aero data on frames is too personal (impacted too much by rider position) to be of a ton of use, in most cases....
While wind tunnel data on wheels I expect is pretty repeatable, it is different than riding. I saw some wheels took higher HR to manage at the same power. The question became was it worth it for the speed.
Choosing between a 50mm or 80mm rim or a Veloflex Record 22 vs a Vittoria Corsa Speed G+ 23 (actually thinner than the 22), is hard. It is harder when a glue job is needed to test. Sometimes I just squeeze them @ 30 PSI and guess.
I've seen a lot better seating/straighter tires than the FMB silks. I have not seen anything in the 25mm that rolls better, or is even close. At the time Francois was making the standard stuff for Sky, he was happy to build weird combos for me. I had some made with no sidewall coating and the record tread on. I don't really need to test those.