Upgrading my wheelset: is it worth it/ when is time?
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eabernst
Posts: 29 Member
Several years ago, after my first tri, I upgraded my mid 80s Trek roadie to a new-to-me 2007 Felt F55. I've ridden it in 3 tris since, several centuries, and gone on plenty of long training rides. Anyway, the Felt is great and I love it (and so much more amazing then my Trek)! But I'm wondering if I would love it more if I upgraded the wheelset (I've upgraded the saddle and the components are already pretty sweet).
The Felt came stock with Mavic Aksiums, which I've read aren't the greatest. That said, I've had no problems with them whatsoever-they've held their true, no broken spokes, etc. I'm a pretty small person, so I don't think I'm particularly taxing them. That also said, I do a fair amount of my training on the old Trek due to job and riding before/after work and not wanting to lock up my nice bike all day while I'm at work/crappy weather much of the year here in Chicago.
I'm planning on probably 3 tris (2 oly, 1 sprint) this coming summer, and a century in the fall. In 2015 I hope to get to a half ironman.
Anyway, as I try to strategically plan out my gear purchases, I thought I'd throw it out there: is it worth it to upgrade wheelsets? On a 6 year old bike? Will I notice a difference? Or maybe how much might I have to spend to notice a difference? Do you have any recommendations or places to start research? I frequently feel intimidated at my racing oriented LBS so before I even talk to them I want to know the basics first.
Right now, I don't really feel ready for a tri bike (I'm a little scared of aerobars and I don't have the space for another bike right now). Though maybe it would make sense to hold off this year and get a tri bike when I'm ready to half ironman? Looking for advice. THANKS!
The Felt came stock with Mavic Aksiums, which I've read aren't the greatest. That said, I've had no problems with them whatsoever-they've held their true, no broken spokes, etc. I'm a pretty small person, so I don't think I'm particularly taxing them. That also said, I do a fair amount of my training on the old Trek due to job and riding before/after work and not wanting to lock up my nice bike all day while I'm at work/crappy weather much of the year here in Chicago.
I'm planning on probably 3 tris (2 oly, 1 sprint) this coming summer, and a century in the fall. In 2015 I hope to get to a half ironman.
Anyway, as I try to strategically plan out my gear purchases, I thought I'd throw it out there: is it worth it to upgrade wheelsets? On a 6 year old bike? Will I notice a difference? Or maybe how much might I have to spend to notice a difference? Do you have any recommendations or places to start research? I frequently feel intimidated at my racing oriented LBS so before I even talk to them I want to know the basics first.
Right now, I don't really feel ready for a tri bike (I'm a little scared of aerobars and I don't have the space for another bike right now). Though maybe it would make sense to hold off this year and get a tri bike when I'm ready to half ironman? Looking for advice. THANKS!
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Replies
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How competitive are you? Racing wheels that have aero-dishes on them are only beneficial during HIM and IM races. And even then, for the average competitor at those races, the bike improvement is marginal (few seconds on the hour). If anything they provide a mental boost.
I am guilty of buying a nice set of wheels and have experienced first hand some buyer remorse. If you buy a nice set, make them nice road wheels (Mavic, Easton, etc.) and avoid aero wheels.
In fact, put your money towards a power meter. You'll get a greater boost in your training and race performance.0 -
There are several investments to make prior to wheels. A new bike, a power meter, a coach. Race wheels are great to look at, and for me a great advertising opportunity, but for the average athlete they're window dressing.0
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I picked up a set of Flo wheels before I upgraded to a tri bike and before I bought a power meter. Why? I like the way deep wheels look and they are free speed. I disagree with them being just window dressing for anyone. If you want to go faster, they will definitely do that. While I may not be able to win a race by going faster, I still enjoy being able to go faster.
I think the question of being worth it or when is completely a personal one based on your own finances/situation and if you can justify them to yourself since most (none?) of us are making a living by doing this.0 -
Ok, thanks? What I gather so far is that a new wheelset is not necessarily something I ought to invest in at this point but maybe I should look into a power meter? I hadn't been thinking of an aero wheelset or anything particularly crazy- just upgrading the aksiums to nicer road wheels. I was looking to spend in the hundreds, not the 1000s (certainly not going to spend more than I did on the complete bike at this point). And these would be my everyday wheels on my road bike (I'd probably swap out cassettes and put the aksiums on my old trek). But I gather from the few responses is that I won't notice a difference and I ought to save those $$$ for something else?
If it matters, I am actually quite competitive. I would like to come in top 5 or maybe even win my age group in the bike at next year's Chicago tri (I think it's feasible, I've generally been top 5 in the sprints I've done, and was 14th this year in my first oly). As I get more experienced and in better shape I would like to consistently be in the top 10% for future races. This holds for the other races I'm planing on completing this summer as well races a year or two down the line.
What would a power meter get me that my current combo of cyclocomputer with cadence+heart rate monitor + smartphone with gps won't?0 -
Wheels are not free speed. You'll see more aerodynamic benefit from an aero helmet when compared to a wheel set and for a tenth of the cost (when compared to a $2000 set).
Until you have a tri bike and a great fit, aero wheels are nothing more than a cosmetic accessory. You sit up on your aero bike for 20 seconds during an IM and you will eliminate the benefit your aero wheels provided during the race.
A power meter is actually tracking how much effort your body is outputting through the pedals. This is turn allows you to monitor your energy stores and overall effort through a race. A HRM and cadence pertains more to a perceived effort and uses a formula to calculate an estimated calories burned. Through training with a meter you will be able to put out the ideal amount of energy during the bike to insure that you do not blow up on the run.
Remember, there is no such thing as a good bike followed by a bad run.0 -
If you want to get aero wheels at the best price buy a used deep front or HED 3 and a disc cover for your rear.0
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Wheels are not free speed. You'll see more aerodynamic benefit from an aero helmet when compared to a wheel set and for a tenth of the cost (when compared to a $2000 set).
Until you have a tri bike and a great fit, aero wheels are nothing more than a cosmetic accessory. You sit up on your aero bike for 20 seconds during an IM and you will eliminate the benefit your aero wheels provided during the race.
Yes aero helmets provide cheaper free speed but that doesn't stop wheels from also doing the same. I also didn't know that my wheels knew what kind of bike they were attached to or how good my fit was and only started cutting through the wind more efficiently once I fulfilled certain requirements. I'm sorry but that just doesn't make sense.0 -
Decent wheels are crucial... race wheels are over-hyped, and won't make a meaningful difference for most people.0
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Wheels are not free speed. You'll see more aerodynamic benefit from an aero helmet when compared to a wheel set and for a tenth of the cost (when compared to a $2000 set).
Until you have a tri bike and a great fit, aero wheels are nothing more than a cosmetic accessory. You sit up on your aero bike for 20 seconds during an IM and you will eliminate the benefit your aero wheels provided during the race.
Yes aero helmets provide cheaper free speed but that doesn't stop wheels from also doing the same. I also didn't know that my wheels knew what kind of bike they were attached to or how good my fit was and only started cutting through the wind more efficiently once I fulfilled certain requirements. I'm sorry but that just doesn't make sense.
The issue is that there are time savings elsewhere. Yes physics are physics, but the number one cause of drag is the rider's body, so a good fitting bike will trump wheels. Aero helmets trump wheels. A power meter will help you build the engine and race more efficiently. All are considered better investments than race wheels. That said a used Hed 3 and a disc cover probably run in the $400 to $600 dollar range and a power meter starts around $800 on the low end.0 -
As Scott said, most riders will not see any time benefit from a wheelset until most other issues are resolved.0
