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Wheelset

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Capt_Apollo
Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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so i have a road bike... i will eventually upgrade to a full and proper triathlon bike.

i was wondering if until then, would a proper wheelset do me good? or would i be better off saving my money until i get a triathlon bike, and THEN save for proper racing wheels.

my thinking is that i could get a proper wheel set and use them on my road bike, and then when i get the tri bike i'll have racing wheels already. right? or will i look silly on a road bike with clip on aero bars and an old Fuji Roubaix 1.0?

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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Do they help? Sure. But from everything I've read, the relationship between money spent and time saved is ridiculous when it comes to wheelsets. Now, if you go with something like FLOs or Roadfox for far less money, then the "bang for your buck" ends up being a little better.

    Either way, yes they will help. I often move my HEDs to my road bike just so I can get more use out of them, so I wouldn't worry about putting them on a non-tri bike.

    All that said, you will see far more benefit from a dedicated tri bike than you will from an upgraded wheelset. At this point, I would save for a tri bike before I got race wheels. Especially considering a good wheelset is easily $1500 and a tri bike can be had for only a little bit more than that. I think my P2 was $2200, and I'm sure there are cheaper options now.
  • scott091501
    scott091501 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    Tri bike. A well fit tri bike hides the largest object causing drag, the athlete, from the wind. Yes race wheels will make you faster, but not that much faster. Plus if you make friends in the tri world you can borrow race wheels.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    true, a friend did tell me i could borrow his wheelset for my first 70.3.

    i'll keep saving for that bike.
  • EnduranceGirl2
    EnduranceGirl2 Posts: 144 Member
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    Carbon wheels get all the attention, but I negotiated a package deal for my tri-bike which included high-end aluminum wheels from Easton, all Shimano Ultegra components, and a more comfy seat. The wheels are strong, stay true, and lightweight. After 2 years, no regrets and no plans to spring for carbon.
  • scott091501
    scott091501 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    tri4life854 wrote: »
    Carbon wheels get all the attention, but I negotiated a package deal for my tri-bike which included high-end aluminum wheels from Easton, all Shimano Ultegra components, and a more comfy seat. The wheels are strong, stay true, and lightweight. After 2 years, no regrets and no plans to spring for carbon.

    That's because tri race wheels are all about aero and little about weight.

    BTW the cheapest way to go about getting a race wheel set is to get a used front 606/808/HED3, and a disc cover for your existing rear wheel.
  • EnduranceGirl2
    EnduranceGirl2 Posts: 144 Member
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    Thx for the tip.

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