Wheels That Cut Through The Wind

stevepeter83
stevepeter83 Posts: 17
edited November 2010 in Road beginners
Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy a pair of wheels that will cut through the wind and support climbing well.

Any suggestions?

Also, I'm very new to wheels so what's really the difference between the depth of wheels? Are deeper wheels cut through wind better?

The path that I'm going through daily is pretty windy (Perth bike path) especially after work and then I have a little bit of climbs near my house.

Any suggestions on wheels? What about tubular, carbon fibre, tubeless, etc? Will they help me?


Thanks for your help,
Steve

Comments

  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    I think your body has a greater effect on wind resistance than a wheel. If you want a deep section wheel, then they will be a bit more aero, but not massively noticeable, and if the wind comes from the side, you can get buffeted all over the place depending how deep the wheel is.

    They are likely to be heavier than a box section wheel as well, so may not help so much with hills.

    If you live in a windy place with hills, I would go for a lightweight box section wheel rather than a deep section wheel.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    SBezza wrote:
    I think your body has a greater effect on wind resistance than a wheel. If you want a deep section wheel, then they will be a bit more aero, but not massively noticeable, and if the wind comes from the side, you can get buffeted all over the place depending how deep the wheel is.

    They are likely to be heavier than a box section wheel as well, so may not help so much with hills.

    If you live in a windy place with hills, I would go for a lightweight box section wheel rather than a deep section wheel.

    Plus 1 - hilly and windy where I am so deep section wheels not much use. Budget is key but I like my Campagnolo Neutrons for climbyness.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • balthazar
    balthazar Posts: 1,565
    I agree with SBezza. Practically all of the energy you use riding your bike is spent pushing your body through the air, or up the hills. Any changes you make to your bike can only affect the little bit left over, which matters to those who count seconds in time-trials but has no significance for everybody else.

    However, in high winds deep wheel rims may make you unstable, and add weight needlessly. I'd suggest normal, box-section wheel rims instead.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Deep section rims look and sound great but for general riding a normal set of wheels are perfect! They shave a few seconds off in a time trial or may help on the front in a race, but that's about it.
  • geebee2
    geebee2 Posts: 248
    There are also wheels that have only a shallow aero rim rather than a full 30mm or 40mm or a sharp box section.

    Besides, you want to consider aero spokes and lower spoke count, and durability.

    I haven't found information that shows how much drag is reduced for different aero rim depths. Probably the gains diminish sharply with increasing depth, and handling problems will increase, so for general purpose and climbing you don't want a really deep rim.
    My new bike
  • ilm_zero7
    ilm_zero7 Posts: 2,213
    I am not convinced my 45mm american classics are that much more aero than Fulcrum Racing 1s, and i know which I would rather ride up a hill!!
    http://veloviewer.com/SigImage.php?a=3370a&r=3&c=5&u=M&g=p&f=abcdefghij&z=a.png
    Wiliers: Cento Uno/Superleggera R and Zero 7. Bianchi Infinito CV and Oltre XR2
  • MrIP
    MrIP Posts: 91
    Hi Stevepeter83

    ^
    As Felt so Good says American Classic 420, I share them between my Felt and Kinesis they are super light and stiff, they also provide the required bling. Rutland Cycling was a good source about £499.

    Regards

    Mrip
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,471
    I read Felt so Good's comments to mean that the American Classics don't give much aero advantage and aren't as good on the hills as his Racing 1s :?
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    You probably wont notice any significant difference on your daily rides with deep section rims, unless the deep section wheels are lighter than your present set. I bought a set of Cosmic carbones for 3 reasons - lighter than the original set that were on the bike, fewer + aero spokes and also unashamedly because i like the look of deep section wheels on racers. As the other guys have said they're not a magic bullet for performance enhancement
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    You probably wont notice any significant difference on your daily rides with deep section rims, unless the deep section wheels are lighter than your present set. I bought a set of Cosmic carbones for 3 reasons - lighter than the original set that were on the bike, fewer + aero spokes and also unashamedly because i like the look of deep section wheels on racers. As the other guys have said they're not a magic bullet for performance enhancement
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • turnerjohn
    turnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    have noticed quite a difference in speed from my Zipp 404 compaired to my Mavic Rsys...Mavics still wip up quicker, but at speed the Zipps are much quicker. for climbing id go for the Rsys....you dont need aero wheels for climbing !
  • stevepeter83
    stevepeter83 Posts: 17
    So all in all, if I want to get a set of wheels that are all-rounder (i.e. wind-resistant and light when climbing), which models will you suggest?

    I'm currently riding Giant TCR Advanced 1 with Mavic Ksyrium Elite. Will this be sufficient?

    I was looking at Zipp 303, 404, 202, Mavic SLR, Shimano Dura-Ace Carbon Tubeless, Bontrager XXX Lite. Are these too over the top for what I need? Please do not provide feedback on the price as I'm willing to pay whatever it costs to get the most suitable wheels for what I need.

    I know I still need a lot of training for my leg strength but what I notice is, every time I ride after work, the wind is just a lot stronger and I'm always down from ~30-32kmh (in the morning) to ~21-23kmh :( GRRRRRRRR....

    Then I also have that little climb near my house and my legs are just gone as a result of battling with that crosswind..GRRRRRR...



    Cheers,
    Steve
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    To be honest you probably have the wheels you need!
  • SBezza
    SBezza Posts: 2,173
    The wheels you have are fine for your NEEDS. As to what you would prefer only you can say really.

    I don't have any light wheels, even my 50mm Cosmic Carbone on my avatar isn't exactly light, though it is only used in TT's. It is lighter than my normal road wheels, but I don't worry about the weight of bike parts until I have lost the excess weight off me first :lol:
  • turnerjohn
    turnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    NapoleonD wrote:
    To be honest you probably have the wheels you need!

    +1 you wont notice that much difference !
  • stevepeter83
    stevepeter83 Posts: 17
    Ah okay....yeh because if the wind is great my bike is just going left and right....crazy...it's so hard to control the bike. I thought it was the wheels before.

    So in terms of the wind, nothing I can do to make my bike more stable and wind-resistant?

    I'm 72kg myself so I don't think I'm that heavy.



    Thanks everyone,
    Steve
  • ilm_zero7
    ilm_zero7 Posts: 2,213
    Pross wrote:
    I read Felt so Good's comments to mean that the American Classics don't give much aero advantage and aren't as good on the hills as his Racing 1s :?
    thats what I thought I had written too...

    I havent weighed them but reckon the American Classic 420's are much heavier than Fulcrum R 1'S - so it depends what type of riding you are doing. But the AC's do look the part and have taken a few knocks and still remain true, which is not something that may be said for some Carbon wheels
    http://veloviewer.com/SigImage.php?a=3370a&r=3&c=5&u=M&g=p&f=abcdefghij&z=a.png
    Wiliers: Cento Uno/Superleggera R and Zero 7. Bianchi Infinito CV and Oltre XR2
  • marlin151
    marlin151 Posts: 52
    As others have mentioned, have you thought about improving your aero position on the bike to help beat the wind? Could have a much bigger performance impact than a change to aero wheels and keep you more planted in the cross winds.

    As a first step, you could try getting a proper bike fit (in a reputable shop), maybe gradually reducing spacers a cm or so and looking at handlebar position / how you ride in the drops. A lower position will enable you to haul into that headwind more effectively and keep up your average speed. If you are reasonably flexible, should be straightforward. If not, something to work at through exercise / at the gym. Over time, greater flexibility will help you get lower and stay there comfortably.

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