Originally Posted by
cplager
Hi,
Contrary to what a lot of people think, wheel weight isn't much more important than any other. It's pretty much bicycle + rider total weight that matters.
For accelerating (but not climbing hills and not maintaining a constant speed), the weight of tires and the rim count as double weight. But even if we consider heavy wheels versus light wheels (particularly when we don't count hub weight), these differences are still small and for must of us, losing a couple of pounds around the waist is a bigger change than having light wheels.
Unless you are racing, it really makes more sense IMHO to buy good quality durable wheels (with good bearings) instead of light wheels.
Cheers,
Charles
I'd generally agree with that but a couple of points:
1) 1900 gram wheels are going to be heavy enough that you'll feel the difference. It will only be a fractional difference in actual time, but a bike with 1500 gram wheels feels more responsive and fun to ride than a bike with 1900 gram wheels.
2) It would appear those rims are more about being a fashion statement than about durability. A 145 pound rider doesn't need a 615 gram, 40 mm deep 32 spoke rim. In fact I'd bet that wheel would ride rather harsh for a 145 pound rider.
There are a number of options around 400 grams per rim that would make for a durable wheel for the OP.