greenlight149

right now my wheels arent that deep (35mm), but at 60kg, i was almost taken down by a gust of cross wind (no idea how fast) during a slow descent (55kph). it wasnt a particularly gusty day so it might have been just been that section of the hills. front wheel got pushed around quite a bit, i thought i was going to crash for sure...

if 35mm is almost deadly from random gusts for me, does it even make sense for me to get anything deeper in the front? like 50mm+?

rpenmanparker 

Can't happen. Just ask anyone on the 41. You get used to the wind affecting deep wheels. It's no big deal.

Um, not so much. I got rid of my 50 mm wheels because they made me feel very insecure in just about any strength cross wind. Didn't need the aggravation for my type riding.

milkbaby

60 kg, I'm jealous because I used to weigh that but am feeling fat at 63 kg right now.

Anyhoo... When I ride 38 mm deep rims, I can definitely feel being pushed around when the wind is 15 mph with gusts of 25 mph, and that's just riding along on the flats. If I had deeper wheels, I'd still ride them but not on windy days.

FLvector

If your current wheels are performing well for you and you occasionally get tossed around on windy days, why would you want to go to a deeper wheel? Then you would have to consider not riding on very windy days due to your concerns of crashing. Plus, what will going from 35mm to 50mm actually do for you? Just doesn't sound worth the risks to me. My wheels are 45mm, but I'm around 190 lbs and don't get pushed around by the wind very easily.

Bunyanderman

I was about 63kg recently, ran 50mm on both wheels with minimal problems. Being pushed around a little by the rims is a little expected, is it enough to cause a crash probably not. The rider causes the bike to be pushed around more than going from 24mm-35mm deep.

greenlight149

honestly, the only reason is vanity....love the look of deep wheels

CafeVelo

You lose more than you gain if aero isn't a necessary advantage

FLvector

Yes, I hear you and agree. But you have to weigh the benefit vs. risk. Unless you don't mind switching wheels and possibly brake pads (if both not carbon) frequently.

milkbaby

You could always post to "hot or not" and have somebody Photoshop enhance your ride.

greenlight149

ya the benefits definitely dont outweight the risks, sort of like plastic surgery.

hueyhoolihan

there are those that view men wearing bad toupees and amateur cyclists sporting deep rimmed wheels similarly.

rpenmanparker 

By Jove, you're right.

FLvector

Well, there's some that consider plastic surgery on certain areas of the anatomy very much worth the risk. Kinda goes back to that vanity thing again.

StanSeven

I weigh more than you (I'm 77 kg) and don't have a problem with 50mm wheels. It does take time getting used to riding in wind. The natural thing to do when they are new is stiffen your arms instead of relaxing which makes the bike feel difficult to control. Wheels also make a small portion of the overall rider/bike profile so wind won't cause crashes unless sudden strong gusts hit like in a storm or you overeact from not having experience.

But 60 kg is light. Can you borrow deeper wheels from a friend or demo them at a LBS? Many have manufacturer days when a truck shows up with wheels to try out.

greenlight149

i should clarify that when riding at lower speeds, i can handle the bike enough without crashing even in really strong cross winds, but it feels different when descending and gaining speed, and i guess its more of a surprise when your front wheel gets knocked off course when you are heading down a hill at higher speeds (saying to myself holy ****)

igosolo

You need to show those deeper section wheels who the boss is. I ride 50 mm with no issues ever....But I am 102 KG, just "slightly" heavier than you so YMMV.

gsa103

The key thing is appearant wind speed. The faster you're going the more the wind is effectively head on. Cross-winds are worse at low speeds.