TT Wheels

biking_mongoose

I'm currently building a bike to be used in Triathlon. Component choice is going well (watching the sales for bargains). However, I'm unsure as to what to go for in terms of wheels. Ideally, I'm looking at wheels in the £250-300 bracket. Bearing in mind that this is to be a TT bike and not a road race bike, what would you advise?

sub55

http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=26801

you could try these and you might find some others on that site. but to be honest ,in the price range you are talking is very much a case of what you can get. as apposed to ,what anybody would recommend.
if you want new ,disc on the back ,deep section on the front ,you are really looking at spending at least £1000.

willbevan

As sub55 has said your not really going to get anything at that price range, well not that has the aero advantage.....

Second hand would be a way to go, would get something like sub55 has linked, maybe some second hand planet-x 50mm etc

I have an old zipp disc and an unbranded 40mm carbon front, and its crazy how much difference they make over standard wheels (might be tjhe sound of the disc wheerling)

Depending on how much your going to get into it, would say save a bit more money over the winter

chriskempton

+1 for second hand in that price range. I'd suggest you look on ebay - you can get bargains at this time of year. I got some Bontrager Race Lite Carbon (50mm deep tubular full carbon wheels) with new tubs and a DA cassette for just over £300 last autumn. Some second hand Planet X like willbevan says would be a good bet - I know they come up on ebay pretty regularly as well. Most people use carbon wheels for racing only, so you can get really good condition second hand if you're careful (and save a bundle).

System_1

If you can increase your budget by £35 you can get brand new 50mm Gigantex carbon wheels built by wheelsmith. These are the same rims as the Planet X (they even use Planet X hubs), the only downside being they are tub only.

You could also build a fairly aero set of wheels using the new H+Son rims from Brick Lane Bikes. They are aluminium (so probably not as light as a full carbon rim) and only come in 32 hole at the moment, but they're 42mm deep and only £46 each. Built on some decent hubs with some aero spokes (Sapim CX Ray or DT Aerolight) they'd come in under your £300 budget.

thetrotter

Agree with the comments so far. The ultimate is to go for disc rear and deep section (50mm) front but you will be very pleasantly surprised by the difference a pair of deep section wheels makes (don't go for more than 50mm at the front if you want to use the wheels in most wind conditions) However at this price you're looking at what's available secondhand. You also need to decide whether you want clinchers or tubs. If the former then the Mavic Cosmic Carbones are probably the most realistic option although they are heavy essentailly being a carbon fairing on a standard rim. Once you look at full carbon wheels (Corima, Planet X) the clincher versions are more expensive. Personally, tI would always use tubs for racing.

andrewgturnbull

Hi there.

If you want most "bang for your buck" then spend all your money on a deep section/tri spoke front wheel, and leave your back wheel as it is. Your bike will look a bit funny... but most of the aero benefits of wheels come from the front one.

If you're a confident bike handler, then a 70mm or 80mm front rim can be used in 95% of conditions (in my experience).

Cheers, Andy

willbevan

Hmm Andy has a bloody good point, get the front wheel first, then get a rear after!

Wouldnt mind a nice trispoke front myself (got a 40mm at the moment)

thetrotter

Agree with the importance of the front wheel. but not sure about rim depth. Personally I use a 80mm front most of the time but there again I am quite heavy at 78 kilos. Never used a tri spoke but understand that they can be harder to handle than a 80mm. I would always recommend 50mm as the best trade off between handling and aero advantage for the first time user of deep sections.

UncleFred

Ebay is your friend!

I got a pair of Zipp 404's for 535 dollars a month or so back, OK they were 4 years old but they are near enough perfect.

You just have to be patient, don't get involved in a bidding war and strike at the last minute.