Originally Posted by
gsa103
Ok, bumping this back up for a more pertinent question. Will I actually notice a difference with new wheels?
I'm currently riding on Fulcrum Racing 5's (~1800g). They're solid, reliable, and roll well. They're kinda aero, and include things like 2:1 lacing. Near as I can tell they're excellent for OEM wheels.
Is a 1500g, wider wheelset going to make a noticable difference. For that matter, is any wheelset under $2k for super light carbon, actually going to make much difference?
Most of my riding is recreational climbing, so its not like I will see huge aero gains. I don't really have a good reason to get new wheels since the factory ones work fine. At the same time, if new wheels will make a difference I've got the budget.
Basically, I'm considering either wide (~23mm) clinchers or potentially looking at switching to tubulars if there really is a compelling argument for them.
"Kinda aero" compared to what?
If you're not going to switch to deep CF wheels for a real aero benefit, you're not going to see much difference in performance. The weight difference won't really matter more than a handful of seconds up a long climb, wider rims might handle just a bit better - maybe you'd notice, maybe you wouldn't.