Are the Wheels more important than the Engine?????

:-/ My road machine is hooped out with Campy Shamals. I am currently training for the Jock, a race on the eastern escarpment in RSA. One of the club 'know-it-alls' said my hoops were designed for flat terrain/ time trials and would be no good on category climbs. I am reluctant to spend cash on a new set and firmly believe that the engine is more important than the wheels. Get the legs right and the wheels will perform.

Do you guys have any advice - do I buy new wheels or tell my clubmate to buggeroff??

 

it sounds like a lot of crap to me. ok sure wheels make a difference but campy shamals sound good i think i saw them in the bike mag. just for interest does this 'bloke' from your club win ever? or is he just a TechnoWheeny

Iv never heard of wheels just designed for 'flat' terrain. ? though i can be corrected. unless its a track wheel with the full aeoro cover that is

 

Have you ever seen a hahahonda civic with 20 inch mags, big 'Type-R' stickers, bonnet scoop, duel 6 inch exhaust tips blah blah blah......drag off a BMW M3 or a HSV?

Of course the engine is more important ;D

Indurain used to use Shamals in the mid 90's, he used ta go ok when the road was pointing up ;D

At the sametime chippo was able to lay 2000 watts down on the road come the end of a flat stage......on the same wheels ;D

They are pretty good wheels IMO and if anyone wants to buy a pair I have some for sale

 

Thanks GG, the shamal is a deep section similar to the Mavic Cosmic (spelling???). The advice I received comes from somebody with too much cash and not enough speed.

 

steve hit it on the head. So many people think that the bike makes the difference. but a C grader with a trek 5900 will still loose agains lance armstong on a $2000 bike. its all in moderation.

I think that there are those in biking which know the exact weight of every part of there bike ;D. Obviously the better you are the more you notice improvements like wheels. but if you arnt fit you are the HOLDUP ;D not the bike.

 

Cactus,

With the deep section Shamals are a bit heavier than their skinny counterparts and the deep section makes them prone to wobbling in side winds.

That said - a pair of 'hill specific' wheels will probably save you a few minutes in the Jock - so will doing a couple more training sessions...or skipping on a few chocolate bars.

The wheels only become important when you've reached your physical potential (and if you want to impress your friends!!).

 

I'm with the rest of the guys on this one. I am fortunate enough to have a spare set of rims which I'm meant to use for training. They're Mavic CXP33s and I think they work just fine.

The problem is, I also have a set of Mavic Ksyriums which I love for two reasons. They are super stiff and I have got used to the feel of them on my bike, and I love the way they make my bike look.

The Ksyriums do feel faster and more stable at high speed 70km +, but while spending my time in the bunch and on hills, the benefits are not that apparent. (Except for the stiffness)

At our level, I think we need to concentrate more on the engine that on the fancy shiney go-faster bits. (says he with his horribly expensive and lovely wheels.) But in truth, I doubt whether it makes a huge difference in my capability. Just makes me wanna ride my bike more often which in turn makes me faster.

What the hell, you may as well buy them. ;D

 

I don't know the terrain of the Jock, or how fit a rider you are...

but like most everyone else, I believe the rider is the most important component.

that said...let me say this...

most aero profile wheels like the shamal (38mm rim) weigh more than lower profile rims (open pro about 18mm) and are used primarily for flat time trial and road races where there is very little climbing and flat out speed is the goal and weight is not as much of an issue.

however if you're doing a ride where you have a 10 or 20 mile climb at 7% to 15% or greater, weight becomes an issue (at least to some of us). if you can lose 1/2 pound or more in wheel weight, rotational inertia and all that, you'll feel it over a 100 mile jaunt. i have everyday wheels for training, and lighter wheels for "special" occasions.

some carry the weight thing to the extreme...such as Lance using a downtube shifter for his front derailleur rather than an STI in last year's tdf. (saved 5 g or so)

if you can afford lighter wheels, and can justify them based on doing a lot of climbing, go for it. but if you only do small climbs infrequently, forget about it.