Originally Posted by
WTBATS
Great info. Have you ever tried flying 200's back to back with the same gearing between box wheels and Mavics? How much of a decrease in time did you experience simply by using Mavics?
My assumption is that they aren't some sort of magic wheels and you'll see a 1 second gain, maybe something more around .1s-.2s.
I've stayed away from tubulars specifically for that reason. I can change a clincher no problem. Tubulars, SOL.
I searched around for awhile looking for the best bang for the buck / aero clinchers and landed with the Reynolds. The weight of the wheels are lighter than a lot of tubular wheels which I think makes them great. But this year i'm using my budget on a new set of wheels versus buying a new bike.
Well, for me, from training wheels to race wheel I'll gain maybe 0.3-0.4" in a Flying 200M. Maybe 1.5-2" on a Kilo effort. But that's using the two extreme types of wheels.
Aero shoe covers, skinsuits, aero helmets all individually do as much as an aero front wheel
That's where the best bang for the buck happens.
Tubulars are generally preferred because they feel different and have a more predictable round profile (great for transitioning from straights to banking), not because of performance gains. But, there also exist "open tubular" clincher tires that do this, too.
The Reynolds are a great wheelset.
If you are seeking performance gains, there are lots of other things that will make you faster. Maybe keep the Reynolds and invest in:
- Annual track pass
- Skills clinics
- Booties
- Aero helmet
- Skinsuit
- Bike fit (by someone who knows track)
- Travel to other tracks to race more
- Coaching