Originally Posted by
chaadster
Possibly, yes, if all you ride is uphill at speeds under 10mph.
But who does that?
Aero gains are so much more significant than weight savings that, even on an out-n-back route of a climb like that, the descent would be enough to advantage aero wheels.
There have been lots of studies and tests on this matter, from FLO to SwissSide to GCN, and aero trumps weight in all but the most extreme cases, most of which are only attainable by pro level cyclists. In other words, aero is even more advantageous to the typical, amateur cyclist than to pros ( in terms of time saved).
Here’s a link to the more recent SwissSide study; pay-walled, but Reader-view on Safari browser makes it accessible if you don’t want to do the email signup:
https://www.velonews.com/gear/road-g...els/#_reg-wall
Excellent article. Thanks for posting.
In November I purchased Hunt 60MM carbon wheels with Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tires and they have made a noticeable difference in average speed and cruising ease. I was rather stunned at how well they performed. I was running 32MM carbons before which were good, but not this good. On climbs, I am not getting the PRs now like I am on the flats, but I also have not been doing much hill work due to slippery conditions on descents and debris on the shoulders where I usually ride when vehicles want to pass. But full disclosure, as in my “Cadence, who needs it?” Thread, I am also spinning at 90+ RPM on the flats and 100 on the climbs, where before I averaged 82 and 90 respectively. Don’t know if or how much that factors in.
In my experience, go for the deep section rims.