jetta-the-hut

Jeez I've been scouring ebay and craigslist for a decent carbon wheel and have found so many variations of Zipp and HED and different brands so I'd thought I'd ask the experts for a little more help.

I have 650c wheels but here are the brands I know of 700c including, please post with any others so i can keep my search going!

Zipp
Hed
Corima
Reynolds
Token
Fast Foward
Ritchy

Plainsman

Here are some to add to your search...

Mavic
Easton
Soul
Williams
Renn
Flashpoint
Edge

Plainsman

Hopefully this won't start any controversy, but studies have also shown that you can get about the same aero advantage, and sometimes even better, from an aero helmet vs. certain aero wheels. I believe you can google aero hemet and MIT to find one study, though there are others. Looking at getting the most speed out of your triathlon dollar, that may be the best place to start.

asgelle

The only study I know of that is the basis for believing helmets show equal benefit to wheels is the one by MIT and they quickly disavowed this conclusion as manufactured by a Bicycling writer and not coming directly from them. What are these other studies to which you refer?

jetta-the-hut

i just want them for the wow factor, i'm to big to go fast! Clydesdale for life!

I just love the way bike looks with them really, I know its vein, but my first "real" bike was a shimano time trial bike and it had disc wheels, ever since that bike I've always wanted another set.

found a front HED for 50 but didn't get there in time before it sold. Thats why I cant see spending 300 for a wheel.

Triguy

Most aero wheel companies haven't ventured in to 650 territory and any that have probably haven't made wheels as fast as Hed and Zipp. You're right that 650c wheels are cheaper than 700c but don't expect many good aero wheels to pop up for $50.

jetta-the-hut

i dont really want to bend the drops to fit a 700 like I did with my Fuji it had 27x 1 1/4.
I'm patient and ebay has had a few, I think I'll budget 250 or so and get the front one first then source a rear.

The front has to be spoke per USTA rules right, what about a 3 spoke HED wheels?

Plainsman

Fair enough! In that case, then by all means go for what you like and fits the budget. I use a HED3 in the front and a disc cover on the back. The cover has a nice look, and at under $100 it's hard to beat. I'm not saying the trispoke is the best front out there, but I like it a lot, and I also dig the way it looks. Happy hunting! BTW, if you get into the number crunching game, HED's sight has some nice data on how their different wheels perform under different conditions.

jetta-the-hut

Yeah I was thinking about just going with a wheel cover in the back, wheelbuilder makes one for under a hundred and then get a tri-spoke for the front.

I wish they had my wheel listed so i didn't have to measure it, I have Mavic CXP 14's with a deep v and I'm afraid I'm going to measure wrong and then they wont fit or will wobble loose.

Plainsman

I found the people at wheel builder to be helpful when I dealt with them a couple of years ago to get my cover. Mine was cut for a Bontrager Race Lite, which was also not on their list. It's a bit of an odd bird, since the rim cross section is asymmetrical so I moved the cover to a standard box rim and it works great. It worked on the Bonty, but I felt I got a little tighter fit on a rim with a symmetrical cross section. I have friends that use them on other rims, even deep section carbon, and they seem to work fine. If you are really in doubt, I might suggest taking a digital picture of your rim and emailing it to WB with your concerns, they would probably be glad to help you out.

As far as fit goes - they do provide you with fasteners of different lengths, and I tape one side of my cover to the spokes from the inside before making the "rim sandwich." That held together fine for the last time I rode with it, which was over 100 miles.

jetta-the-hut

they say to pull them off and not ride with them all the time, does it really matter?

I found a few HED disc wheels for under 200 but I'm going to have to study up on "glued & or sewn" wheels tire types its off to sheldon browns for a some help.

ZIPP2001

Hey jetta-the-hut good luck with your search on ebay. In due time i'm sure something will pop up that is in your price range. I have all 650 wheeled bikes and use the Hed3's on several of them, I also will use the disc on the back for added aero benifit, and love the look. I have an older set of Zipp404's and have seen them on ebay every now and then for a good price.

jetta-the-hut

those are some wicked looking bikes, I love the cannondale.

Plainsman

Probably sound advice for a wheel cover. They are pretty thin, but they get the job done. They aren't made to hold up to day-to-day training though. I don't really have any good advice on tubulars vs. clinchers. I've always used clinchers, and I'm comfortable with them so that's how we roll.

As far as your search goes, when I was looking for a bike for my wife, I decided what I wanted and then started googling (is that a word?) the bike + "Craigslist." It occurred to me that even if it wasn't on the local list for my area, I could still get it shipped across the country if need be (wound up buying from a good guy on these forums though and having it shipped).

Everyone tells me the HED3 is stout enough to use as a training wheel. I don't, but it makes me feel good to know it's solid. Would love to pick up one for the rear one day.

Oh, one other thing about the disc cover - aero, yes - mega expensive, no - but you don't get that cool "whooosh" sound when you get it up to speed. Man, I really love that sound...

jetta-the-hut

my wife wants me to buy these Velocity Gold Rims, my bike is all black - Big Pimpin Style

Plainsman

Don't know the wheels (bling!), but sounds like you have a supportive spouse!

ZIPP2001

Plainsman the Hed3 are a great daily wheel, I have one set that has well over 15,000 miles on them. My Cannondale is my winter bike and I still have the Hed's on it through winter.

Plainsman

That's great to know! Thanks! BTW, what width tire are you running up front?

X-LinkedRider

Dood, those JHooked bikes are rediculous looking. I clicked on it 3 times just to make sure I wasn't seeing things incorrectly. I don't think I have ever seen a frame like that, especially on a road bike. Is there flex in that top tube/Seat stay?

ZIPP2001

Plainsman: I run 23's all the way around all season.

X-LinkedRider: You can have suspension on the beam if you want, but I lock it out no flexing with the beam. The bikes are Zipp's and are from the early 90's the flamed one has well over 40,000 miles on it and still going strong. I do have an unassembled frame that I will be building back up sometime this year.

Plainsman

NICE paint job, who did it? Is that a D. Wheeler job?

ZIPP2001

Plainsman: I had a friend of mine who builds custom motorcycles do the paint job.

Plainsman

Please pass along my compliments, great work!