Wheel upgrade thoughts
 

Hi guys,

I'm a long time, born again, cyclist but I've only ever ridden stock wheels that came with my bike.

I got a new bike this year - Giant TCR Advanced 2. My first carbon frame and I'm loving it.

I can't afford $2,000+ for big name carbon rims. It also doesn't feel right putting on wheels that are more expensive than the bike.

Through my club I can get a great discount on a set of Rol Race SL. All the reviews seem very positive but maybe a little out dated. They are claiming an aero advantage for a 30mm rim but I can't imagine it being significant...

I think I would lower the weight of my bike by 350-400g

I live in Korea so we have a lot of climbing and descending here. I do group rides. I ride sportives. I might get involved in racing if I continue to improve and am not too old ;)

What are your thoughts on a wheelset upgrade? Is it worthwhile? Will I notice significant improvements and benefits?

Thanks in advance.

My thoughts are save your money and ride more, practice more. Lighter wheels arent going to make you a faster rider.

that would be a great answer if I asked "will lighter wheels make me a better rider?" There's no need to be patronising.

I didnt mean to be patronizing. You seemed to imply in your OP that the lighter wheels would help with your climbing and descending, so I gave my true opinion. A lot of people seem to think they can buy their way into being a stronger rider when it really is all about riding and practice. Not saying this is you, just something I see a lot. Sorry if I offended you. :)

Accepting the fact that the claimed benefits exist but are very small, yes, it is a worthwhile upgrade. My experience with carbon wheels has been that they are very stiff, which made the bike handle much better. The fact they weigh a lot less probably does something. Overall I'm no faster but they feel awesome and were therefore worthwhile

Look into boyds wheels

Check your PM's. I sent you one a few weeks ago regarding your Boyd Wheels.

Since you live in Korea, you're a lot closer to the manufacturers for the Chinese/Taiwanese carbon rims. You may be able to source locally for a better price than what we can get here (after paying shipping and marketing costs).

SOUL bikes also makes decent wheelsets in Singapore.

As to worthwhile... that depends on what your money is worth to you. In terms of true performance, you're shaving seconds off an hour-long ride. Getting up to speed might feel a little better.

If you have the means then I think a wheelset upgrade is the best most noticeable upgrade to your current bike. It's true you may only be marginally faster if at all but you'll notice it more in changes in acceleration, plus it's a great motivator to ride more and harder- especially up the hills. I've been curious about Boyd's as mentioned in another post, I have Dura Ace C24's on one of my bikes and it's an exceptional wheelset in terms of weight, stiffness, and comfort.

He didn't say "better", he said "faster".

What benefits are you hoping to gain..?

I think that you are right. That's not deep enough for much if any aero advantage.

That's not insignificant with respect to how the bike's handling feels. I have upgraded cheap stock wheels to lighter budget wheels and had no regrets.

You might also check if you can get some lighter, faster rolling tires if you're still using whatever came with the bike.