Originally Posted by
furiousferret
Also the bike industry now seems to think you can race on 60's in any condition...
In a cross wind a modern "U" shaped or optimized profile 60mm wheel is about the same as something smaller than 50mm in the classic "flat sided vee".
Essentially, with the older deep wheels the cross wind was pushing against a flat side wall on deep section wheels. Nowadays that profile facing a cross wind is somewhat curved and profiled. So, it presents less resistance to the cross wind.
Think of it like the old deep wheels were the shape of a wedge with a tire on top. The new ones are the shape of an oval with the tire as part of the oval.
But, we're talking probably in the early 2010-teens or earlier for that cheap flat side profile vee.