Originally Posted by
rbrides
Upgrading wheels is commonly suggested as one of the better investments. But lets talk cost/benefit and what is considered "lightweight" and what provides lower rolling resistance. My Specialized Diverge came with a wheel set that weights 1746g. For $800 I can upgrade to SLX 24 that weight 1515g and for $1750 I can get the CL 50 that weigh the same. That's a lot of $ for 231g! Of course there are elements beyond just weight to improving rolling resistance.
I might enter a race or two this year but primarily do weekly group road rides in the 50-60 mile range, and frequently ride 30+ mile gravel routes. I am more interested in energy/watts over these distances and being able to stay with the young guys in the A group than flat-out racing. There is lots of analysis these days with power, cadence, HR, etc, but it is uncertain how much benefit these upgrades would provide.
Its a judgement call; how much to spend for how much of a benefit?
How do you folks on Bike Forums make sense of the cost/benefit of wheel upgrades?
Thanks all!
There is more to wheels than weight. Not knowing what you have, makes judging the value proposition hard to gauge. My former Giant came with heavy wheels that felt soft and was rubbing on the brake pads. My newer bike came with Cheap, equally heavy Fulcrum wheels. They feel much tighter/better even if I believe they are about the same weight. Im not looking to upgrade, but had I still had the Giant, I might have.
That aside I believe you need to get a stopwatch as well, to detect any speed improvements getting lighter wheels.