Aero Or Standard Wheels



rclouviere

Member
Apr 10, 2011
126
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18
Need some help. I'd like to improve my speed so I'd like to upgrade my wheels. My LBS recommends Mavic Ksyrium wheels. They will be $500 off when the 2016 wheels come out. That'll be about $1,300, which is the max I want to pay. I'm going to start training for a brutal ride next year (155 miles/15,000 feet/and up to 20% grades). I'm a pretty good climber, but would also like to improve my speed on the flats as well as my climbing.

Should I look more toward aeros? Any suggestions would be appreciated, along with any recommendations on specific wheels around my price range.
 
Well read this and let us know what you think: http://www.roadbikerider.com/tires-tubes/physics-aero-wheels

I think the concept of aero wheels works, but in some cases you'll find a deeper dish wheel in the rear and a shallower dished wheel in the front, technically this is backwards because the air that rushes at your bike hits the front end first then it gets all dis conglomerated as it gets back to the back wheel where a deeper dish wheel does little! Of course a deeper dish wheel in the front may cause some handling issues in cross wind but as long as the front isn't over 50 to 60 you'll be fine, so you could use no more than 50 to 60 in the front and a 30 in the rear. If you're deadset on the Mavics you can get a far better price for the same wheels on the internet. The problem with the older Mavics is that you have to send away for new spokes and then they changed the design so the spokes for the old design became increasingly difficult to find to now all but impossible to find, I'm not sure if the new Mavics can be fixed with off the shelf parts, if not I would stay far far away. The Mavics are not that deep of a wheel, if you want a nice wheel set that is similar to the Mavic Shimano Dura Ace makes a good one and with labor day looming sales are on and this is the best price I could find on those: https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/shimano-dura-ace-wh-9000-c24-cl-clincher-wheelset?dc=a1ldc&psb=2865&ecn=585f6dd27096ac9e73f9407bd9874d61&ln=232271696&utm_source=BTD+2.0&utm_campaign=cab9992e93-BTD_090215_public_man_a1ldc_doorbusters0815&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bcabc9a71b-cab9992e93-71332101 You can google reviews on these and you'll find them to be all very favorable and with the sale you'll spend only about half of what you thought you needed to spend at your LBS.
 
Froze said:
Well read this and let us know what you think: http://www.roadbikerider.com/tires-tubes/physics-aero-wheels

I think the concept of aero wheels works, but in some cases you'll find a deeper dish wheel in the rear and a shallower dished wheel in the front, technically this is backwards because the air that rushes at your bike hits the front end first then it gets all dis conglomerated as it gets back to the back wheel where a deeper dish wheel does little! Of course a deeper dish wheel in the front may cause some handling issues in cross wind but as long as the front isn't over 50 to 60 you'll be fine, so you could use no more than 50 to 60 in the front and a 30 in the rear. If you're deadset on the Mavics you can get a far better price for the same wheels on the internet. The problem with the older Mavics is that you have to send away for new spokes and then they changed the design so the spokes for the old design became increasingly difficult to find to now all but impossible to find, I'm not sure if the new Mavics can be fixed with off the shelf parts, if not I would stay far far away. The Mavics are not that deep of a wheel, if you want a nice wheel set that is similar to the Mavic Shimano Dura Ace makes a good one and with labor day looming sales are on and this is the best price I could find on those: https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/shimano-dura-ace-wh-9000-c24-cl-clincher-wheelset?dc=a1ldc&psb=2865&ecn=585f6dd27096ac9e73f9407bd9874d61&ln=232271696&utm_source=BTD+2.0&utm_campaign=cab9992e93-BTD_090215_public_man_a1ldc_doorbusters0815&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bcabc9a71b-cab9992e93-71332101 You can google reviews on these and you'll find them to be all very favorable and with the sale you'll spend only about half of what you thought you needed to spend at your LBS.
Great recommendation. Thank you. That seems to be a great deal on the Shimanos. Thoughts on the same wheel at 35 mm? On Amazon, it's $772. However, it's about 150 grams heavier.

I assume these wheels will fit on my Trek Domane, 11 speed?

Thank you again.
 
Froze said:
Well read this and let us know what you think: http://www.roadbikerider.com/tires-tubes/physics-aero-wheels

I think the concept of aero wheels works, but in some cases you'll find a deeper dish wheel in the rear and a shallower dished wheel in the front, technically this is backwards because the air that rushes at your bike hits the front end first then it gets all dis conglomerated as it gets back to the back wheel where a deeper dish wheel does little! Of course a deeper dish wheel in the front may cause some handling issues in cross wind but as long as the front isn't over 50 to 60 you'll be fine, so you could use no more than 50 to 60 in the front and a 30 in the rear. If you're deadset on the Mavics you can get a far better price for the same wheels on the internet. The problem with the older Mavics is that you have to send away for new spokes and then they changed the design so the spokes for the old design became increasingly difficult to find to now all but impossible to find, I'm not sure if the new Mavics can be fixed with off the shelf parts, if not I would stay far far away. The Mavics are not that deep of a wheel, if you want a nice wheel set that is similar to the Mavic Shimano Dura Ace makes a good one and with labor day looming sales are on and this is the best price I could find on those: https://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/shimano-dura-ace-wh-9000-c24-cl-clincher-wheelset?dc=a1ldc&psb=2865&ecn=585f6dd27096ac9e73f9407bd9874d61&ln=232271696&utm_source=BTD+2.0&utm_campaign=cab9992e93-BTD_090215_public_man_a1ldc_doorbusters0815&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bcabc9a71b-cab9992e93-71332101 You can google reviews on these and you'll find them to be all very favorable and with the sale you'll spend only about half of what you thought you needed to spend at your LBS.
rclouviere said:
Great recommendation. Thank you. That seems to be a great deal on the Shimanos. Thoughts on the same wheel at 35 mm? On Amazon, it's $772. However, it's about 150 grams heavier.

I assume these wheels will fit on my Trek Domane, 11 speed?

Thank you again.
I was mistaken. That price was for only one wheel. I think I'm going to grab these from Bike Tires Direct. Thank you for the great help.
 
I think the Bike Tires Direct site says it fits 11 speed, but double check as always.

If you can get the 32's for not much more I would get those, my 30's slice the air a bit better than my vintage box rims and the 30's are heavier but I can feel the efficiency.