Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - fat triathlete looking for wheels

I wondering about wheels for the big guy.
I have ran marathons and raced a few triathlons and am training for my first half ironman this fall. My bike is a 2006 Giant OCR1 with the stock xero lite wheels. They are a 20 spoke set and so far they have been working well for me. I have 1000 miles on them and they are still straight and true.
The last few days I have been looking at maybe getting some better wheels and I see all the weight limits on wheels like the Zipp's 303 + wheels. Now I'm a little worried that my wheels could fail at any time.
I'm at 267 pounds.
Why is it the wheels that seem like they are just as strong as my stock wheels only rated for like 190 pounds and yet mine are doing fine?
Would I be able to ride on some Zipp 303, 404 or 808's without them having to be the clyd's?
I really can not afford the new zipps so used is my only option.
Anyone know a good wheel that I could get and be safe on without selling my soul?

I believe the weight limit on zipps is 180lbs.. The clyde version of the 404 is a very nice wheel.. I did a TT on some zip 404's and they spun up very fast and were a great set of wheels.

Another great clyde friendly aero wheelset is the Cane Creek Volos XL.. There have been a few sets being sold on ebay of late..

http://www.roadbikereview.com/mfr/cane-creek/wheelsets/PRD_303500_2490crx.aspx

Another good choice would be the DT Swiss RR1450 or RR1850 wheelset.. The 1450's are built up on the RR 1.1 rim and 1850's on the DT RR 1.2 rim..

http://www.dtswiss.com/Products/Wheels2009/RR-wheels.aspx

thanks I'll look into those too. What about the Hed3's?

http://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=583

Would some Deep V's with thin rubber work? 700x23 ?

I know their bomb proof for me and I'm around 370!

sweet link, they are like 20 miles from my house. I will look into that more. :thumb:

Deep V's are great, but I would also look at the Fusions from Velocity, they are 100 grams per rim lighter than the deep V's but still have a nice 25mm profile which is plenty stiff.. You can build them up from 18 to 36 spoke and a bunch of sizes in between to fit your needs..

well it looks like I have a hookup on the Deep-v's. A friend of mine is friends with the owner and he's going to help me get what I need. :thumb:

Deep V's and Fusions are made by the same company..

http://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=583

Would some Deep V's with thin rubber work? 700x23 ?

I know their bomb proof for me and I'm around 370!

When people talk about "bomb proof" is that strictly the wheel, or is it interaction with the tube, too? I've had what seems like an unusally high number of flats on my Fuji Absloute 4.0, all in the back where my big body puts most of the weight. Would better wheels mean fewer flats?

When people talk about "bomb proof" is that strictly the wheel, or is it interaction with the tube, too? I've had what seems like an unusally high number of flats on my Fuji Absloute 4.0, all in the back where my big body puts most of the weight. Would better wheels mean fewer flats?

what tires are you using? are you having flats from debris or pinch flats? Pinch flats look like a small snakebite with 2 small slits in the tube..

Can you use aftermarket covers in triathalons to put a disc on your existing wheel?

what tires are you using? are you having flats from debris or pinch flats? Pinch flats look like a small snakebite with 2 small slits in the tube..


I havent diagnosed the current flat yet, will do that tonight. The previous one was very tiny puncture from little debris getting in the tire (it actually caused two flats before i figured it out) There appears to be no damage to the tire itself. I rode to work yesterday only to find the tire flat when I got to the bike rack after work.

Here's the wheel and tire info:

Alex Z-1000, 36-hole
Tires 700 x 35c Kenda K-830

I can use a disk cover but I'm more worried about the strength of the wheel then aero.