Harris <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<
[email protected]>...
> Lanny R. Levenson <
[email protected]> wrote:
> > I'm dreaming of light wheels and came a cross Topolino wheels www.topolinotech.com
>
> > and wondering if people have used them and what their experience has been with them. I'm riding
> > Mavic Open Pro CD with a Campy 10 setup (about 12000 miles and still true as the day I got
> > them). Would these wheels be good for everyday riding? I have seen the Zipp 303 wheels but they
> > are tubular and a lot more $$ and I'm not sure if they are worth the cost/bother of tubulars.
>
> What do you imagine these wheels will do for you that your Open Pro/Campy wheels won't?
> Interesting that they claim the carbon fibers provide greater stiffness as well as significantly
> "dampening" road vibration.
>
Agree, a more durable wheelset is "worth" more than fancy, "lightweight" ones, especially if these
are going to be your "everyday" wheels. With regard to the "myth" of lower rotational mass, read
what Jobst Brandt says about that:
Here's Jobst Brandt's take on rotating mass:
>Also where the weight is carried is a major component..... and rotating weight can have twice the
>effect of non-rotation parts.
What makes the rotating parts have twice the effect? This claim has been repeated here so often by
the "faithful" that it has become a mantra. I use the term "faithful" because it has become a tenet
of bicycling faith by repetition. Only in acceleration does the peripheral mass of a wheel double
inertia and only when first starting. Once at speed, it is merely a flywheel that does not retard
forward motion even if speed is varying because it acts as a flywheel.
Bicycle accelerations, contrary to perception, are so low as to be insignificant in thrust (F = M *
a) where the accelerating force "F" is equal to the "M" mass time the "a" acceleration. Acceleration
being on the order of 1/50G (0.02 as much as the pull of gravity) when changing speed in a hill
climb. Thus a 1000gram wheel with all its mass in the tire would take 20gf to accelerate while a
1200g wheel would have 24gf. 1g = 1/28.3 ounce. Of course, wheels don't have all their mass in the
tread either so the result is far less, but then who cares, these claims make great conversation
because they have that faint thread of credibility with which people believe unbelievable things.
If you really want more "comfort", forget carbon spokes/rims, get WIDER tires like 700x25. Wider
tires = more air volume = lower psi and thus, more comfort. Try riding 700x25 tires at 100-110psi,
you'll like
it. Plus, wider tires handle better....