Wheel upgrade

D0MD0M ✭✭✭

Hi,

This has no doubt been asked before, but searched and could not find.

I have a pretty much entry level road bike (Felt F95), Sora/Microshift equipped, alu frame, carbon forks etc. Has basic stock wheels (alexrims R500).  Only had it 9 months, so wife would vito an upgrade. But was thinking of upgrading the wheels to a pair Fulcrum Racing 5`s. Worthwhile, or over specced for the bike. Current bike speeds are 18mph ave for 40+ mile rides, 19mph for 20-30miles and 20mph and a bit if I go for it.  Have done one and well be racing mainly std dist tri`s.  Would the wheel upgrade give me any more speed?

Thanks

 

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Comments

  • My racing wheels are worth about half of what my bike is - so you'd probably call that over specced? Gives me an extra mph. My LBS (cos I know nothing) tell me that even if I buy a new £3.5k bike my racing wheels will be better than those that come with it. Hope that helps.

    If you think you can or you think you can't you're probably right.
  • D0MD0M ✭✭✭

    Most bike reviews I read, whinge about the lousy wheels that come with the bikes. Common theme I guess.

  • tfktfk ✭✭✭

    A: Yes

    there are many varied and expensive upgrades to look forward to! I guess wheels will, most probably, make a big but expensive difference; mine certainly did. Overnight 10s of seconds came off my 20 min course PB...it is really noticeable. then there's aero position/aero bars/ bg fit, silly helmet, overshoes, disk wheels skintight lycra, eliptical chain rings, carbon etc etc.

    I know nothing about the wheels models you are talking about. after loads of research and limited budget I ended up going with 50mm section wheels ... once the section get too much bigger cross winds become more of an issue

     

     

  • LMH - what wheels do you have?

     

  • DOM I have the very same wheels.They're pretty heavy and have been sat in the shed for a long time.

    You could get some PX 30mm wheels a tad cheaper, and pretty much the same weight as the Fulcrums.

    What's the budget?

  • Whilst I'm loathed to promote Planet X after the grief they gave me this week - they are selling Shimano RS30s for half price - so they'd be cheaper than the Fulcrum's, and some may say a little better.

  • I have a £1200 carbon road bike with entry level wheels.

    When a 'borrow' OH £300 fleabay carbon clinchers, my pb for a 10m TT goes from 19.3 mph to 20.1 mph.

    I feel that is a lot of speed gain for £300. Dont know much about the wheel spec but I can ask him if interested.

  • So £300 for just short of a 1 mph advantage?

    The guys at the pointy end would snap you hand off for that

     Thats about 30 minutes on an IM distance, that could be the diference between KONA qualication and not

     

  • Agreed SA. Altough I think the guys at the pointy end already have the bling as well as the engine.

  • Wheels are the best thing on a bike to upgrade,but IMO a bike fit is the best thing to spend the money on first....You will notice the difference after a fit both in how much fresher you feel and less sore/stiff in shoulders/back.

     

  • The Silent Assassin wrote (see)

    So £300 for just short of a 1 mph advantage?

    The guys at the pointy end would snap you hand off for that

     Thats about 30 minutes on an IM distance, that could be the diference between KONA qualication and not

     

    Yes but the guys at the pointy end already have top wheels. Diminshing returns etc. The interesting point comes when considering the drag a wheelset (or indeed any component) produces at different yaw angles. Before I make everybody glaze over again, simply put the angle the air hits you at changes depending how fast you go.

    Some wheels are more aerodynamic when the wind is from in front of you (which is what happens when you ride faster). 

    Others are more aerodynamic when the wind is at an angle (which is more common at lower speeds). image

     

  • And all this isn't worth a pinch of shit if your overweight, lose the spare tyre to go faster....now if only it was that easy eh?

  • Flat Foo..ted wrote (see)

    And all this isn't worth a pinch of shit if your overweight, lose the spare tyre to go faster....now if only it was that easy eh?

    Will £300 not pay for liposuction?

     

  • Flat Foo..ted wrote (see)

    And all this isn't worth a pinch of shit if your overweight, lose the spare tyre to go faster....now if only it was that easy eh?

    So that's where I've been going wrong.... image

  • Just googled it:

    "On average patients can expect to pay from £1,500 to £5,000 for liposuction surgery."

    So more expensive than wheels or pointy helmets, but similar to a new TT bike!!

     
  • Flat Foo..ted wrote (see)

    And all this isn't worth a pinch of shit if your overweight, lose the spare tyre to go faster....now if only it was that easy eh?

    You calling me fat? image

  • They do, more on hills than anywhere.  But as will all kit it is diminishing returns after a point. As a reality check i always think of Beryl Burton - 100 miles in 4hrs 30m on a fixed gear steel bike after a days rhubarb picking.

    Riding upgrades helps more than buying upgrades - but i do both, just to make sure :0)

  • I'd be pretty surprised if you found that much extra speed from another set of shallow aluminium clinchers. If you really want an upgrade then buy some deep section carbon wheels. Drop £400 on a set of PX wheels - job done. 

  • Can I bang on about ceramic wheel bearings again? £60 upgrade, lovely. Personally, I think they have ransformed the ride and rolling resistance of my C24 DA wheels. Any comment engineer? You must know about this stuff. I've doen loads of unscientific "roll-ons" and they really do pick up quicker.

  • Mine are Easton EA90SLX Buttercup.

    If you think you can or you think you can't you're probably right.
  • I think they are ceramics too LMH. I've got some eastons too, great wheels.

  • im happy grinding on my cheap piece of alloy crap with heavy wheels and training tyres and my spare tyre hanging out - but you just wait when i lose weight and get a good bike, ill be 2 and a half minutes quicker over the 12 and half hours and then lets see whos laughing image 

     

  • Picked up my 60mm carbon clinchers from Planet X today (with 10% discount...thanks Outlaw) so will let you know tomorrow if they make any difference to speed (although I think they already look the bees knees)

  • Can changing to a set of £500 race wheels really give you a 20+min saving on a IM bike leg (for those of us in the 7hr range)? I'll be raiding the piggy bank if it does and getting wheels before a Garmin 910xt. I'm doing the trainining so maybe it's time for the bike bling too.

  • Deep sections are fine till you get caught by a cross wind and ride sideways across the road and spend more time worrying about wind then riding fast....not that this has happened to me, no, not at all....

  • I definitely gain a mph on my race wheels - even in training so it's not the race effect. Mine are not deep section so no worry about wind. The manager of my LBS found mine for me and they cost around £700 so not top end by a long way but quite an investment - at least for me.

    Doner - I don't have much weight (if any realistically) to lose though a bike upgrade would probably save me another mph at least as mine is now quite old and therefore not as stiff through the bottom bracket as one at the same price point would be now.

    If you think you can or you think you can't you're probably right.
  • scuba - i doubt a 20 minute saving - more like 8, OC or the Engineer will tell you exactly if you tell them your weight and your drag co effiecientimage

    a lid CAN make more of a difference depending on your ride position, so if i put on a lid and had aero wheels would i go 40 minutes quicker - would i feck, maybe 10 or 15 tops 

     

  • D0MD0M ✭✭✭

    IC5,

    No real budget. From speaking to people, they say wheels make the biggest difference. I know mine are cheapo`s and saw the Fulcrum 5`s on Wiggle for £162. Thought it would be a good upgrade. Don`t know if my wife would ever see the reasons to upgrade the whole bike to a c£1500 carbon frame, 105 comps, bling wheels etc. Changing the wheels may give me an extra mph or so???

     

  • Check out PX AL30.

    Don't forget you'll need a cassette, tubes, tyres, maybe rim tape. Keep the other wheels for winter.

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