Originally Posted by
rustymongrel
Yeah I think it's important to note that the 19c vittoria pista tires were at 200psi for testing and would have likely been faster at a more reasonable 140-160. Not sure if they still would have been as good as the clinchers. I'd also be curious how the T4 would have done with a mavic disc in front and the Zipp in the back.
I'd really like to see how fast a tubular wheelset would be with a fully hardening cement vs. clinchers like he used. There are not insignificant losses with tubulars due to the fact that the tires "squirm" against the rim. Of course this would be feasible only for a big event as its not very reliable over time and a huge pain.
Yup. And the Tubular version of the Zipp Super 9 ($2700) is the Zipp 900 tubular and that wheel is $900 less than the Super 9 at $1800.
I think the biggest takeaway is that if you go straight tubular:
Zipp 808 Track: $1100 MSRP
Zipp 900 + Track Axle ($100): $1900 MSRP
Total: $3,000
is on par with:
Mavic Comete Front: $2,900 MSRP
Mavic Comete Rear: $2,900 MSRP
Total: $5,800
That extra $2,800 can be put to use in other ways to make a sprinter or pursuiter faster. Upgraded helmet, bars, frame, coach, wind tunnel time, etc... That's real.
BONUS: It's uncommon to use the Comete front outdoors and for mass start. It's very common to use the 808/900 combo in any conditions.