Why are track wheels so heavy?
 

road wheels:

Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate: 1185 g
Mavic Ksyrium SL Premium: 1480 g
Mavic Aksium: 1855 g


track wheels:

Mavic iO/Comete: 1730 g
Mavic Ellipse: 1995 g
Cane Creek Endurance 85: 1791 g
Cane Creek Volos Track Clincher: 1766 g


mtb wheels:

Mavic Crossmax SLR Disc: 1520 g
Mavic Crosstrail: 1750 g
Mavic Crossmax SX: 1920 g


Anyway, you get the idea. I'm surprised that XC mtb wheels are lighter than most track wheels, and that track wheelsets tend to weight as much as freeride wheels. What demands of track cycling demand such strength in wheels? Or is it that weight is sacrificed in favour of a more aero profile? It's pretty clear why a disc/four spoke set would weigh more, but I'm a little confused by the Cane Creek Volos and Mavic Ellipse, which are basically road wheels with track hubs.

Aerodynamics + marketing (the carbon-wrapped aluminum factor, etc.).

Also, 26" vs. 700c gives a huge advantage to the smaller wheel size for weight.

i'm going to guess that MTB wheels aren't lighter when you put tires on them.

Right... but I would imagine that the wheels themselves take more of a beating than those for track. I can't see how they can get away with making them so light.

Or maybe it's a question of where the R&D money is...

because that high rotating mass keeps up the kinetic energy while spinning around the track *shugs shoulders*

track wheels take a lot of stress. they need to stand up to the most powerful
sprinters in cycling, which are track cyclists

Yes, but mountain bike wheels take a lot of stress, too. They need to stand up to big dudes hammering them over hard crap, like rocks and logs. Seems like it would be more stress than fast riding.

Are you serious?

I bet this has a lot to do with it--there's way more competition between companies in the road and MTB wheel industry than in the track industry. Also, you're only taking into account factory built wheels--think about a custom built wheel, for example Road Dura-Ace with Open Pros vs. Track Dura-Ace with Open Pros. Dura-Ace 7800 road hubs aren't much heavier than Dura-Ace Track hubs, only a few grams. I think that there's much less of a market for pre-built pro-level track wheels than road wheels, because fewer people buy race-worthy track bikes complete.

no never serious

Haha, I just realized after looking up the Dura-Ace track hub weights on the Shimano website that on the page advertising rear hubs, there is a picture of some track cyclists--and every single one is riding either a Campagnolo or Mavic rear disc wheel (well, I think that there might be a Zipp or two in there). None of which use Shimano hubs.

It has been said that lighter wheels advantage are mostly in climbing and acceleration from a stop or a slow pace, once the wheel is spinning the advantages are minimal to nil.

The Mavic wheels you have listed are a disc and a 5-spoke, which are heavy. The Cane creek endurance wheels are 85mm deep section rims, which are heavy. The Ellipse and the Volos are low-to-mid end (relatively anyway) track wheels.

You're comparing them to a carbon rim/hub road wheel (the carbone) and a titanium hub wheel (the Crossmax).

In any case weight means very little on the track. Rotational weight is important depending on the event, but that means rim weight not wheel weight. I know the cane creek volos wheels have a pretty low rim-weight (the nipples are at the hub) but I don't have numbers.

http://shop.greatdealsonbikes.com/me...tegory_Code=TR

The wheelset weighs 1890 g, not very different from the others...

Ultimately the answer to your question is that aerodynamics are more important in track racing than weight. Road and mountain bike racing have different requirements. I do admit to being surprised at how light some MTB wheels are but I don't know much about MTBs so I can't really comment there.

It's like comparing time trial wheels to climbing wheels, and asking why TT wheels are heavier.

Ya, that makes sense. I guess it's just the comparison to mtb wheels that's most surprising. Maybe the higher volume tires take stress off the wheels themselves...

i was surprised, too, but thinking through it, i figure that one can build a plenty strong wheel without overbuilding it - with today's technology, and still be affordable. combine that with the fact that 26" wheels are gonna be a bit lighter, and re: strength that big fat tires at low pressure take up a whole bunch of stress, it really comes down to MTB wheels and road or track wheels is talking about apples and oranges. is what i figure, anyway. i don't know **** about mtb wheels.

It is kind of interesting how there is no real middle ground with track wheels. You have the lower end, heavy box-section/small-aero-section rims (Ellipses, Volos, etc). Then you have the high end deep section carbon wheels. You don't have any light weight small section rims for the track.

I guess the people that are going to buy expensive track wheels are going to buy deep section carbon wheels, and the people who aren't going to buy deep section carbon wheels also aren't going to buy lightweight (expensive) small section wheels either.

those weights mean nothing without the rest of the info, are skewers and axles included, cause with road wheels they typically are not, neither is the 200-250 gram cassette that gets screwed on

I asked the OP's question before and got a similar array of unsatisfying answers: (1) track sprinters stress the wheels and so they must be strong (2) lack of R&D in the track sector (3) aero is more important.

I still don't see what's stopping Easton, for example, from taking one of their Circuit real wheels (955g, 28 spokes, 28mm rimm) and swapping the hub to a fixed-gear hub (which would be lighter because there is no freewheel). The front wheel can be used for track or street riding without modifications (695g), and the result is less than 1650g for a track wheelset.

Even if track riders don't take to it (not aero enough, flexes too much), it would be great for single speeds and commuter fixed gears which, as we know, are markets not too be ignored today.

Reynolds DV46 track: 1530gm.
Corima Aero: 1545gm.
Corima 3spoke: 1540gm.
Corima 4spoke: 1580gm.

Zipp 404: 1232gm.
Zipp 808: 1435gm.

Yeah.

i could care less how much a wheel weighs unless i am climbing long climbs.. but aero wheels are addicting to ride in all situations.. its like crack when you are on a slight downhill or flats.

But those are all over $1000. Like Yoshi mentioned, there is no middle ground wheelset in the track category. The hypothetical Easton Circuit track wheelset I described might go for $400.