Northern California - Deep rims/aero downtube in Bay Area winds

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BudFox
10-24-06, 03:24 PM
Can anyone with experience riding on deeper profile rims, like Zipp 303s or even 404s, describe their experiences in Bay Area winds? I deal with some pretty harsh headwinds and crosswinds on my usual routes over the GG Bridge and around Marin Co. Will problems with crosswinds outweigh the aerodynamic benefits?

On a similar note, would a Cervelo Soloist frame have similar problems/benefits?


platypus
10-24-06, 04:06 PM
I ride a Soloist, and I haven't noticed much effect of the wind trying to buffet me around. Deep section wheels, however, are another story. I have a couple of sets of semi-deep section wheels (not as deep as 303's) and they're a handful to wrestle around in any sort of crosswind.

kylecrispin
10-25-06, 08:23 AM
I notice a lot of people with velocity Deep Vs (which are not all that deep) around. Will the negative effects of crosswinds cancel out the aero benefits of this type wheel (in our extra blustery area)? I want to get a new wheelset (and was thinking of getting a deeper one) but now I dunno...


skukta
11-08-06, 09:57 PM
I ride the Golden Gate Bridge to and from work all year long. Last year I rode a Litespeed Tuscany with Mavic Cosmic Carbones. I now ride a Look 565 with Zipp 404s. I weigh 140.

I say buy the wheels you like. Yes, there are particularly windy days when it blows like a tornado around the pillars on the bridge, but I can honestly say that that's the only wind that will bother you -- and it's not the aero wheels that cause the difficulty. Truthfully, riding with 404s is no big deal in just about any wind. And, I think it's clear that these wheels are flat out faster than non-aero wheels in any type of wind. Take a look at what people ride in Kona during the Ironman World Championships. If it's really windy they put 404s (or similar depth wheel) on the bike.

airsoft510
11-25-06, 11:18 PM
I road a Soloist carbon for about a year. It is a lot harder than a normal shaped bike, but it is do-able just saty alert