elalynn

Other than the aesthetics, do wheel discs actually provide any benefit for road or TT bikes? I've seen 2-piece wheel disc products for $100 that simply snap on using 8 interlocking pins once the cassette is removed. Any thoughts?

CliffordK

They are supposed to be more aero. Probably down to cutting a couple of watts when riding at high power. However, they're probably most effective with a couple of wind directions, and perhaps damaging in a strong crosswind.

Note, not all discs are the same.

Zipp discs are thin... about the width of the tire for the whole disc (although they've experimented with bulge at the rim on some models). And, they are extremely lightweight. Rivaling the weight of some moderate quality conventional wheels.

Your clip-on discs are probably less effective.

rubiksoval

They're not for aesthetics at all, and they're not for every day riding. It even says that.

They're purely meant for aero benefits in time trials and races of that nature. Significant time savings, typically on par with complete disks.

caloso

I've read reports that they're pretty close to solid discs and frequently cited as a huge bang for the buck upgrade for the gentleperson time trialist.

LAJ

I run the Aerojacket, which appears to be what elalynn may be referencing. There are certain wheel and rim combo's it can't be used on, so double check that. I use it, and it works. There are some super fast people that also run it, and they have no complaints. I'm not one of those super fast people, in case you're wondering.

Bah Humbug

No one has demonstrated a meaningful difference between a disc cover and an integral lenticular disc. The disc covers are faster on most frames than flat integral discs.

elalynn

I am very appreciative for the feedback. The product I was referring to is offered by Aero Disc Cover which sells for about $100 + roughly $10 shipping. And yes, although there are restrictions on some bikes using this particular product, it will work on my Cannondale road bike. My thoughts are that if I can increase my average speed by 5% with this product, it is well worth the investment. My concern is the potential reduction in speed due to crosswinds. I already have a duplicate Roval rear wheel with cassette for this project. This will be an interesting experiment.