abstractform20

spend it on performance enhancements

Rowan

The OP has been severely misled in thinking that saving 400 grams in a wheelset should be his next priority to go racing... at 210lbs.

The weight savings/body weight ratio with the wheels is 0.42%.

The most outright effective thing for him to do is stick with the wheels he's got and lose 40lbs off his body.

The weight savings/body weight ratio then would be 19%.

And would be a whole lot cheaper to achieve.

Homebrew01

Shhhhhh ..... gotta spur the economy.

Rowan

Oh... sorry. I forgot... upgraditis.

Well, yes, if you've got $1,000 to spend, I will be in the US next month. I'll arrange to build you a super lightweight pair of wheels if you PayPal the money to my account.

Next...

Will G

I've got some custom built DT Swiss with a 465 (same as 415 but with double eyelets for more strength) rim/32 3x Super Comp spokes in the back and 415 rim/28 2x super comp spokes up front with 240 hubs. Comes out to around 1534gm. Built by Joe Young at youngwheels.com

BTM87

Assuming going from 210 to 170 is actually feasible for the OP

cmill189

Keep the wheels you have, 1900g is not even that heavy. Especially at your weight. The only thing holding you back now is inexperience and aerodynamics.

It blows my mind that anyone would recommend less than 32h wheels at more than 200lbs. The 36h FRONT wheel on my Long Haul Trucker weighs more than both wheels WITH tires on my Fuji, and guess what, I can still ride that bike 30mph unloaded on the flats. I'm one of the "2 pounds per inch" guys so maybe I shouldn't speak for the fatty's

jsutkeepspining

its not impossible. 170 is pretty big, i havnt seen anything close to 170 since the winter, and i was stil only at 165.

Andy Somnifac 

I went from 210 to 137. Even if he's 4-5" taller than me, 170 is doable.

Best wheel upgrade would be to lose the spare tire.

volosong

Liist, my weight varies between 205-210, (I'm 6'3"), and I have been running Dura-Ace WH-7850-C24-CL clinchers for over a year now. It has 16 spokes front, 20 rear. Weight comes in somewhere around 1350 grams, (or so I've heard), but it is probably closer to 1550 or 1600. Got them off eBay for about $850, shipped to my front door. I'm very happy with them. I try to avoid potholes and don't jump any curbs. You can go tubeless with them too, but I run tubes with 25mm tires. They take 23mm, but I like the smoother ride the 25s give. They are a composite wheel, carbon with an alloy breaking surface. Ultegra makes a similar wheel set too. Pretty much the same, but a little heavier.

Commodus

I also recommend some handbuilt wheels with 32 spokes, wider rims would be nice. If you're going to be racing in the spring, you'll be putting on heavy miles during the winter and it's nice to be able to replace worn rims without having to worry about proprietary spokes and other such nonsense.

I see some folks suggesting the RS80s, I have to disagree with that. I ride those wheels now at 155, and they're definitely a bit flexier than my Ksyriums. I like them just fine, I think a rider at 210 would find them unsuitable.

BTM87

Not arguing that losing 40lbs isn't doable, just coming from the direction that who's to say 200-210 isn't already a reasonable weight at his height and build. Perhaps that 40lbs has already been lost. Another example, I'm only 5'8", but given my frame/build, 170 for me is the absolute lowest end I could reasonably achieve, that would include insane dieting (borderline unhealthy) and exercise I simply don't have time for. I'll be happy at 180-185.

And +1 to the custom build idea if OP isn't married to buying factory built set.

Liist

I'm in the process of losing the spare tire. Ultimate goal is between 160-180 depending on how scrawny/serious I want to get in cycling.

For now, I'll keep my current wheels and call anyone who rides with carbon aero wheels a *****.

I'll decide again come racing season. It really comes down to whether the sponsoring shop provides a better value than a custom builder.

BTM87

great, another "holier than thou" convert

Anyway, back to the "will you notice a difference" question. Lighter weight wheels is a plus, but is not the end all be all of choosing the right wheels. I'm also currently on WH-R500 that came with my bike, and I can't wait to ditch them. They do not suit heavier riders well, they go out of true, and ride quality leaves much to be desired.

I wouldn't look at ONLY saving weight. I would look for a strong, durable rim (of your choice, the pro/cons of al/carbon have been beaten to death), with a good hub, and a spoke count to support your weight. You will probably end up saving weight (though probably not 400g) but will mainly end up with a good wheel suited to how you use your bike, not a cheap of the shelf "solution" that is really just a big compromise

Liist

A strong and durable wheel that improves ride quality would be perfect if lighter wheels aren't going to make a difference.

BTM87

Not to say that lighter won't make a difference, just that in our weight class (I'm currently 200) I would personally recommend a stronger wheel with less of a weight savings over simply looking to save as much weight as possible.

I was/am currently in a similar boat. I haven't reached my weight goals, though I want to upgrade my wheels (for the reasons above) and thought it would be an easy way to save 400+ grams. The more I research it, the more I am finding that wheel weight should take a backseat to actually getting the right wheel for the rider and the types of riding he/she does. Weight savings will (usually) be there, and are a bonus

Psimet2001 

..yup.

As a builder I get slightly annoyed by the 220 # rider (keep in mind I am 215) that is looking to debate their way into having me build them the lightest set out there.

Wheels should be built for the rider and the purpose. Everything else is just kind of silly. The right wheels will always make the ride more enjoyable. The wrong wheels never will - regardless of what the catalog looks like or what Internet or group ride tough guy tries to convince you of. Luckily no one has to take my word for it...just ride and you'll figure it out.

jsutkeepspining

honestly im only 155 lbs, and i would rather have a strong wheel (read heavier) only, then have a fragile wheel all the time. Dealing with out of true wheels and bs isnt worth the marginal benefits.

BTM87

Hey! I actually emailed with you today (my name is Brian) Look forward to getting my build with you squared away shortly

But yes, after all my research led me to get a custom wheel build, and after a few inquiries to "bigger" online wheel builders got no response, I'm glad I came across your site.

Campag4life

While I am not a wheel fairy and there are plenty of them on the 41...gotta ask. You say you can ride your LHT 30mph on the flats. How fast can you ride your Fuji on the flats?

cmill189

30.1mph Haha, I was just making a point that weight is made out to be way more important than it realistically is. 30mph on that behemoth takes a pretty good effort (and probably looks really stupid) but dropping even 2 pounds wouldn't suddenly make it easy.

Psimet2001 

Got it and had already responded. Yes, still in Elgin.

Painful Chafe

How about he does both? Gets himself a set of good light weight wheels and keeps riding to take off pounds. I'm sure he realizes that loosing some weigh would be his best bang for the buck, but there is no reason he shouldn't look into shedding some rotational weight or gaining aerodynamics.

Painful Chafe

Drives me nuts when people have the opinion you shouldn't upgrade anything until you are a 140lb runt.

bigfred 

Only a couple have mentioned this, but, if you're going racing, you're going to want at least two sets of wheels. One set will be your training wheels. These are going to accumulate tons of mileage. On these wheels you're going to wear out a couple sets of tires per year. You're going to ride them in rain and through grit. They're going to hit pot holes and road debris that you didn't see coming when on group rides. They'll be shod with a pair of reasonably durable, puncture resistant tires. They need to be durable, easily repaired/replaced and not cost you a fortune. The second set will be your "race" or "event" wheels. These will spend most of their time hanging from a hook in your garage, closet or room.


Which are you shopping for now?