ReedZ

Saris' new PowerTap 2.4 SL built with a Reynolds DV46T arrived today from Wheelbuilder.com.

Thanks Rich! Can't wait to get started learning all of the new acronyms!



Black 24h version...



Enjoy

EdZ

Wait...your going to daily ride that wheel?

ReedZ

Yes. I also have Reynolds DV46t and MV32t wheelset which will be used. Depends on the days planned activity.

zimbo

That's the exact setup I'm lusting after. How much does the rear wheel weigh with the PT hub?

--Steve

ReedZ

915 grams. For comparison my regular rear DV46t with 20 spokes weighs 700 grams.

waterrockets 

For another comparison, my new Aerohead OC PT SL weighs 1077g. Still, it's gonna be my kickin' race wheel...

Congrats on the setup. I've had mine for 5 rides now, and am loving it.

F = MA

very naiice! how muuch??

waterrockets 

Oh man, I can't believe you got them to build it half-radial! Saris says this is a no-no for consistent power readings. I totally would have built mine radial DS if not for Saris' poo-poo of it. There goes the warranty anyway.

cslone

Man, you are brave. Wireless PT, deep carbon for everyday, and half radial lacing.

Definitely pick up the Coggan/Allen book and Cycling peaks if you haven't already. Cyclingforums.com also has a good power section. Read, read, read.

ReedZ

Honestly, I didn't ask for any lacing in particular. I just asked for wireless PT and DV wheel. On his website Rich claims to have built wheels for lots of pros, so I trust that he knows his work. Wheelbuilders provides all warraties for this build, btw.

ReedZ

I have ridden the regular DV46t for quite a few miles and it only has 20 spokes on the rear. I hit a pothole this summer so hard that it broke my saddle, but had NO affect on the true of the wheel. I'm sold, obviously.

Thanks I have the book ordered.

waterrockets 

First off, that really is a beautiful wheel. I'd take a shot of mine, but it's already all rain splattered

Interesting. I don't question the quality of the build at all, just the lacing decision for use in a PowerTap. Also, I think I'd favor heads-in on the DS to further even tension with the NDS, but I know people are concerned about protection from chains (I'm not -- my chain never goes there).

From your owner's manual:
Yeah, it's the hub warranty I'm talking about. Looking back at the documentation, it looks like slotting the holes is what I saw voiding the warranty, not radial lacing. I thought it might be a case of the flange not being built to support the stress of radial lacing. That doesn't appear to be the case, and there looks to be enough material to support it outside the spoke holes on the flange (looking at mine).

I'd still be concerned about the power readings though. Maybe Saris is just being over-cautious? Might be interesting to swap wheels with a friend sometime to see if his shows you any different numbers after you've got a baseline.

cslone

When I talked to them they liked the 2 cross due to some people stating innacurate readings. I have big max and 5 second power numbers, so I went 2x. Rich is a good wheelbuilder and knowledgeable guy. I know he took all your input into consideration.

I wasn't knocking you, I personally would just be paranoid about a carbon wheel everyday.

Prepare to be consumed for the next 6 months in numbers data, numbers data, TSS, TSB, CTL.................................................blah blah blah.

ReedZ

Thanks waterrockets, I'll be sure to keep your information in mind.

ReedZ

Yea, no problem, I wasn't taking it that way. I've been extremely impressed with Reynolds, although their shipping to Wheelbuilders took a while. I actually have three sets of their wheels and have never had any issues with them, even riding them daily. I only weigh 140 lbs, so I guess that should be taken into consideration too.

waterrockets 

Now let's get some numbers in the training status thread

JBS103

Awesome set up. Great set of wheels without the Powertap, but even better this way.

NoRacer

Don't forget to get your copy--Athlete version:

www.cyclingpeakssoftware.com

ChunkyB

And according to the great Sheldon Brown (I went his sight to find out what half-radial means) it is more typical to see the left side of the wheel in the radial configuration. You should honestly ask them why they laced it like that, but it looks like it might even be a problem.

Squint

Because with PT hubs, the left side is the drive side.

esammuli

Rich is the man. He built all of the wheels for Slipstream last year and Floyd Landis in 2006. Plus Sara Hammer, Kirstin Armstrong, and many others. Yeah, I'd say he knows what he's doing...

I've actually held the wheels that Rich custom built Floyd for the Alp Du Huez stage of the Tour in 2006. Zipp 202 with Powertap SL and a custom made carbon axle.

Terex

OK - I've just found the first major upgrade for my Scott CR1 SL. I been eying the Reynolds, and with the PT - Mmmmmm.

ChunkyB

Those honestly are beautiful. I wish I was smart enough to get the most out of power training. I just got my first HRM about a month ago, so I figure I have to get some good use out of that before I could even justify looking at powertaps. That being said, I just spend a few minutes looking at yours.

It sounds like the dude that built the wheel is pretty amazing, so I certainly don't question his decisions. I'm sure you'll get plenty of great miles out of that wheel. Good luck, and have fun learning all about power, unless this isn't your first powertap, and then just have fun.

waterrockets 

Aside from the left flange applying the torque in a PT, radial DS (drive side) makes a stronger rear wheel. This is probably the only thing I've read of Sheldon's that I disagree with.

Radial NDS (non drive side) does prevent the torque from being applied and released to the lower tension NDS spokes, and that will increase durability, but only the durability of the NDS spokes. On my wheels, I've always broken DS spokes before NDS. This is on LBS builds, Excel Sports, Colorado Cyclist, and the many wheels I've built myself. For this reason, I get no durability help from half-radial NDS.

Radial DS spokes offer a unique advantage: they help balance the spoke tension from DS to NDS. This is because the radial spokes approach the rim at a steeper angle than the crossed spokes. So, if the DS is radial, the spoke angles are closer to the same angle as the NDS spokes (especially on a high-flange hub like the PowerTap). This means that the DS spokes pull the rim out harder rather than just in, for a given tension. In turn, the NDS spokes now have to be at a higher tension to counter the forces from the DS spokes. So, your DS spokes are at a normal full tension, and the NDS spokes are at a higher tension, which prevents them from going slack during power surges.

This, I believe, is why Mavic Ksyriums outlast every single half-radial NDS wheel out there, in a given weight class.

The exception, in my opinion, is that radial NDS is much more beneficial when there are half as many NDS spokes, like in the Fulcrum and Campy rear wheels. This doubles the tension on the NDS spokes, and balances the wheel even more. You can custom build such a wheel with a 24h rim and a 32h hub, leaving half the NDS flange holes empty. Of course, there's no requirement for this configuration to be half-radial -- 2x NDS should be possible, depending on flange size. Here's the configuration I'm talking about:

waterrockets 

I never found much use for my HRM, other than confirmation of perceived effort over 2 minutes. Other than that, it doesn't react fast enough for all the high-intensity sprints and drills I do. No use for HR at all for anything under a minute, and barely for longer durations.

With a PT, I'm in dreamland with honest and useful data.