Originally Posted by
eithr
I ride with a buddy, who is pretty competitive. He rides an alloy Allez. It was serious work to keep up with him last year. This year I'm doing bike focused training and hoping to show up with a lighter bike build.
Just to be clear... The bike is a very small part of the equation, especially when it comes to double centuries. Using a lighter frame might save you literally 10 minutes out of a 15+ hour event. See
http://www.bikequarterly.com/BQPBPEquipsurvey.pdf for more details.
Rotating weight does have a little more effect than frame weight. I wouldn't worry about it, though, unless you know the course is going to be very hilly.
If you want comfort, I recommend a 23mm wide rim. That will allow you to use 25c's at a slightly lower PSI, a setup that will not incur any performance penalties. I happen to like the H Plus Son TB14's; there are lots of options out there.
I'd also pay close attention to your fit. You may want something a little aggressive in order to improve your speed, but I for one find that sitting a little more upright is more comfortable after ~5 hours on the bike. YMMV.