Originally Posted by
I_like_cereal
@ Meanwhile. Slime tubes and Specialized Armadillos Elites. I commute over a lot of glass and metal and nasty things that were giving me several flats per week from punctures in my old Vittoria Rubinos. I cut the casing through on a piece of metal in my Rubinos.
So then to decrease my drag coefficient by 5% I would need, better tubes, lower rolling resistance in my tires, and a lighter all around wheel?
What I'm saying is that a lighter wheel is pointless, unless you are riding hill trials or crits. Read the articles I linked and you should understand why. As a commuter, on a reasonably flat road most of the work you do is against the air resistance of your own body. Most of what is left you do against rolling resistance. Spending money on wheel aero can only yield minute returns.
And if you're commuting on hills? Then about 90% of the work you do will be lifting your own weight.
As for reducing rolling resistance - with a route like that it is probably better to concentrate on puncture resistance. But if you're riding a road racer or close relative (something with drops and narrow tyres - otherwise none of this makes sense!) then your main options for speed are
1. Riding in the drops, on the lowest stem you can (bad for riding in traffic)
2. Aerobars (terrible in traffic!)
3. Lowering rolling resistance. Maybe try an alternative tyre? Go to the road forum and ask what the most puncture proof and fastest sanely priced tyre is. Definitely keep your tyre pressure topped up - do it every week.