Do lighter road wheels ride more harshly?

[benshemuel]

All else being equal, do lighter wheels produce a harsher ride?

I'm a light rider--about 137 pounds (62kg) dripping wet--and I've just graduated from an early carbon/aluminum bike to a sweet Ti ride. It's currently got a set of Velocity wheels that weigh about 1640 gm. Despite the fact that the roads I ride are frequently rough, cracked and potholed, these wheels almost never need truing.

The ride is everything people say about Ti bikes. The bike smooths out road chatter and hugs fast descending curves reassuringly and very enjoyably. It's a bit heavier than I would prefer and I'm interested in a new pair of wheels to help trim its weight. But I don't want to lose the quality of the ride.

As light as I am, I know I can ride on just about anything. I would like to find a wheelset that rides smoothly, is made for everyday use, and ideally that weighs less than 1400 grams. I've read much of what's been written here and at roadbikereview on the topic and here's the question I'm left with:

Do lighter conventional (non-disk) wheels generally ride rougher than heavier ones? And to those of you that are on some of the really light wheels, like those below 1300 grams, how do these hoops hold up under everyday road conditions?

Thanks,
Ben

 

[mrowkoob]

All else being equal, do lighter wheels produce a harsher ride?

I'm a light rider--about 137 pounds (62kg) dripping wet--and I've just graduated from an early carbon/aluminum bike to a sweet Ti ride. It's currently got a set of Velocity wheels that weigh about 1640 gm. Despite the fact that the roads I ride are frequently rough, cracked and potholed, these wheels almost never need truing.

The ride is everything people say about Ti bikes. The bike smooths out road chatter and hugs fast descending curves reassuringly and very enjoyably. It's a bit heavier than I would prefer and I'm interested in a new pair of wheels to help trim its weight. But I don't want to lose the quality of the ride.

As light as I am, I know I can ride on just about anything. I would like to find a wheelset that rides smoothly, is made for everyday use, and ideally that weighs less than 1400 grams. I've read much of what's been written here and at roadbikereview on the topic and here's the question I'm left with:

Do lighter conventional (non-disk) wheels generally ride rougher than heavier ones? And to those of you that are on some of the really light wheels, like those below 1300 grams, how do these hoops hold up under everyday road conditions?

Thanks,
Ben

If you have questions about lightweight bike components try this forum.
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/

 

[palewin]

As a general response, ride quality has everything to do with the design of the wheel, and very little to do with the weight. Any deep rim will ride more harshly than a shallow rim, because the deeper rim automatically has less vertical compliance. Material makes a difference, because carbon fiber is stiffer than alloy, although I imagine the carbon may absorb some shocks (sadly, I haven't been able to justify the cost of carbon wheels). Clincher rims will be harsher than tubular, because of the lip which holds the bead. For one example Ksyriums are noted for being somewhat harsher than many other wheels, even though they are relatively light weight. All of that said, a very light alloy wheel will be more compliant (less harsh) than a heavier alloy wheel, simply because there is less metal in the rim, so it will flex more. And a final comment - I have a pair of AmClassic 350s (slightly under 1400 gr) which I bought as racing wheels. In different races I had a rear hub bearing fail, and a rim collapse. Both times AC was excellent in repairing the wheel (replaced the failed rim with the stronger 350Sprint rim), but I no longer trusted them for races, so tried them for training. Perversely, they have held up just fine for day-to-day training (I weigh 140, very similar to you).