Is it worth a change ?

mr_eddy

Ok so I ride almost exclusively my single speed road bike. Over the last few months I have been swapping out bits to make it in my opinion better (more comfortable / reliable / lighter). I am thinking about swapping out the wheels as the final transformation step and I need some advice / opinions.

At the moment I am using some fairly rubbish 50mm 'No Logo' clinchers. They weight about 1400g / 1600g respectively so are by no means lightweight. They are 32 spoke - Being heavy and overbuilt they are basically bulletproof. I am thinking of getting a 20mm high single speed wheelset - Same 32 spokes but about 200g lighter per wheel.

My question is will the 200g weight saving really make that much difference ? I ride 10-15 miles each day mostly flat with the odd mild hill (10% incline) and if the £100 for the new lighter wheels gives me a good speed increase (I am thinking an extra 3-5mph for the same effort) then I am going to be encouraged to cycle more however if I am only going to see 1 or 2 mph difference I will save my money instead. Do heavy wheels only cause issues from standstill / Uphill ? I am thinking once up to speed they may keep their pace better than light weight wheels ?

I have also considered swapping out the current 28c gatorskins for 25c gatorskins as that would drop 80g per wheel and only cost £30 for the new tyres (found a local shop selling for £15 each). Any other lightweight 25c tyres that can take some punishment - I looked at the 'ThickSlicks' but they are nearly 500g a piece ! I have tried Schwalbe Ultremo ZX but got 4 punctures in a month.

Advise please.

Thanks

MountainMonster

If you are only looking to spend around £100 on the wheels I wouldn't really bother personally, they are not likely to be any form of upgrade to your bike, other than a rather unsubstantial savings (in wheels terms) for the outlay. Save up a bit longer and buy something along the lines of Ultegra wheels, add a SS spacer kit to the rear wheel, and it would offer great savings.

upton

... NO WAY will you see a 3-5mph difference!

If your commute is flatish and you are already hitting, say 20mph, then a 1-2 mph difference with deep section wheels MAY be feasible. They look flashier. However, they can be difficult in cross winds, plus even second hand your looking at £500 for a good quality pair.

If you want to go faster for less put some clip on aero bars on (£20 used etc), and use the best tires. Can't be bothered to explain every variety but you have to weigh up Performance VS Pucture Protection (especially commuting).

DavidJB

3-5mph haha. You also won't get an extra 2MPH out of deep section wheels.

mr_eddy

Ok thanks for the advice, I will stick with the heavy wheelset - The general consensus is that it won't add much speed.

I will probably swap out the tyres - I have just read a review on Schwalbe Ultremo ZX (V Guard) 25c that get good reviews and apparently are fairly hard wearing. They are 150g lighter per tyre than my current set of Gatorskins and cost £45 for the pair so I think that seems a good compromise.

Cheers.

simon_masterson

That wheelset is 'heavy'?

bobmcstuff

I would think 1.5kg less on the wheels would make the bike feel noticeably different. Not a 3mph speed increase though!

simon_masterson

bobmcstuff wrote:

I would think 1.5kg less on the wheels would make the bike feel noticeably different. Not a 3mph speed increase though!

Well, the weight difference between the OP's wheels and these is probably about 1.5kg.

964cup

Don't use Ultremo ZX as commuting tyres. They're light and fast, but cut up easily and won't last. Ultremo DDs are a better choice for that purpose.