What is are lighter/faster alloy wheels than AC350s?

[Bigbananabike]

I’ve got a set of American Classic 350s that I got early last year (near the start of our club race season) and have raced all that season (and the start of this season) on them.

They weigh 1330 grams(I'm 68/69kgs so light enough for them), they’re pretty aero and spin up fast so I’m very happy with them.

I am thinking ( a bit) about some replacement wheels.
I don’t want to go to carbon - can’t justify the cost, not fussed on the braking lack of performance and I’m just an average middle aged club racer.
So, I’m thinking aluminum.

What wheels would be a step up from the AC350s?
Would there be such a thing? Zipp 101s etc?

BBB

 

[tafi]

Sounds more like you have money burning a hole in your pocket than any real need for new wheels. If you are happy, then why change?

Lighter is not necessarily faster, only faster is faster!
Realistically, unless you are doing a lot of dead stop turns, then anything with more focus on aerodynamics would be better, since air resiatance is a geater effect at race speeds than mass (unless the mass has to accelerate from low speed over and over again).

But you would need to get up around 40mm depth to really get any significant aerodynaic benefit. So you are probably looking at a carbon rim with an aluminium brake track.

You could save a lot of the money by just trying a couple of different tyres to see if you can reduce the rolling resistance instead.

 

[swampy1970]

I’ve got a set of American Classic 350s that I got early last year (near the start of our club race season) and have raced all that season (and the start of this season) on them.

They weigh 1330 grams(I'm 68/69kgs so light enough for them), they’re pretty aero and spin up fast so I’m very happy with them.

I am thinking ( a bit) about some replacement wheels.
I don’t want to go to carbon - can’t justify the cost, not fussed on the braking lack of performance and I’m just an average middle aged club racer.
So, I’m thinking aluminum.

What wheels would be a step up from the AC350s?
Would there be such a thing? Zipp 101s etc?

BBB

It all depends on what you want to do...

AC used to do some really light clinchers made from magnesium - nice for climbing but probably no better than the 350s you have now.

HED makes a carbon clincher with a aluminum rim/braking surface - the Jet. It comes in 3 different depths with the deepest being the Jet 9. The do a standard and "Flamme Rouge" version - the latter being made from a stiffer and lighter grade of carbon, which helps to save weight. They'd be great for flat races but they aint cheap but as will all forms of racing, speed costs... how much are you willing to pay?

 

[Bigbananabike]

Sounds more like you have money burning a hole in your pocket than any real need for new wheels. If you are happy, then why change?

Lighter is not necessarily faster, only faster is faster!
Realistically, unless you are doing a lot of dead stop turns, then anything with more focus on aerodynamics would be better, since air resiatance is a geater effect at race speeds than mass (unless the mass has to accelerate from low speed over and over again).

But you would need to get up around 40mm depth to really get any significant aerodynaic benefit. So you are probably looking at a carbon rim with an aluminium brake track.

You could save a lot of the money by just trying a couple of different tyres to see if you can reduce the rolling resistance instead.

You're so rational...and probably so right.
Basically I just want an edge over what I have now for climbing as most of my racing is in bunches where aero doesn't matter much (or so much).

Got any suggestions on tyres that are lighter than my Pro race 2s?

BBB

 

[tafi]

You want a wheel lighter than 1330 grammes? I think you already have your climbing wheels, unless you want to go for carbon zipps. No one makes a lighter clincher alloy rim.

As For tyres, Veloflex or Continental Supersonics are examples of lighter tyres. Vittoria CX would weigh the same.

But again a tyre with decent rolling resistance might weigh more but still give you more benefit than a lighter one.

There are plenty of tests on rolling resitance and their number is on the increase, but consistency in the test method is often hard to come by.

 

[tafi]

I forgot, if you are prepared to deal with tubulars you might be able to go lighter in the rim department with Ambrosio F20s or Mavic Reflex rims.

Of course you would then need hubs and spokes.