# Aero or light aluminum clincher -- for under $600



## xtekian (May 17, 2012)

I thought I'd share my dilemma with everyone here so I can get some feedback on buying a new wheelset. I'm 5ft 7in and 135lbs, 25 years old, and your average "B+" pace rider, riding around 40mi a week as my free time allows (blaming grad school!). I certainly feel cut out as a climber, but unfortunately I live in the flattest city I know of (highest elevation under 100ft!), so out of desperation I've been riding up parking garages for the workout 

I have a 52cm 2009 Caad9 with Tiagra and Mavic Ksyrium Equipes which I've decided to upgrade -- just recently nabbed a Sram Rival groupset and am also looking to get the best wheelset I can for about $600.

Here are my current choices; all of them are $550 +/- 20 dollars, and all are aluminum clinchers (I want an aluminum brake track):

1) Revolution Wheelworks REV-22 at 1320g, 22mm deep (the lightweight choice)
revolutionwheelworks.com/REV-22.html

2) Revolution Wheelworks REV-30L at 1460g, 30mm deep
revolutionwheelworks.com/REV-30L.html

3) Boyd Vitesse Clincher at 1478g, 28mm x 23mm rim
boydcycling.com/vitesse-alloy-clincher/

4) Revolution Wheelworks REV-20, 20mm x 23mm rim, 1420g

5) eBay a pair of used American Classics 420 with a 34mm rim and 1530g claimed weight
6) eBay a pair of used Sram S30 AL Race wheels (hybrid-toroidal rim) <1500g

For reference, my Ksyrium equipes are 1770g (claimed) and I think are 24mm deep.

So the dilemma is, is, is it possible to spend $600 and get a REAL benefit, not placebo, on riding speed? I've read up on light vs. aero, and it seems that while light wheels accelerate faster, they don't actually improve your overall speed.

How much will the American Classics, REV-30s, or the Sram S30 improve over the Ksyriums in terms of aerodynamics? What about the "comfort" of Boyd Vitesse with 28mm deep and 23mm wide rims? How much time difference are we talking about here? Do people get light rims because they're the most "enjoyable," because they offer the fastest acceleration, or does a 150g weight savings from a REV-22 to a REV-30 truly provide a quantifiable benefit when climbing hills?

Thanks for your input!


----------



## paulfeng (Jun 10, 2011)

When I was a grad student, I occasionally toyed with the idea of upgrading my stereo loudspeakers (as an avid classical music listener), but I could never convince myself that I could significantly improve over the speakers I had bought in college for the amount of dough I was willing to spend. (Many years on, I will have the same speakers, but as you know from the other thread, I did upgrade the bike.)

I don't think you should buy new wheels. I think your new Rival components will bring you much more noticeable enjoyment than wheels will. Bank the money.

Wait until you live in a hillier place to think about lighter wheels (thank you for making me feel like I am blessed for hills where I live in comparison, in still-pretty-flat St. Paul, MN). If you absolutely cannot fight the urge to buy new wheels, prioritize aero over weight given your terrain.

If you feel you must spend the money on cycling but are willing to skip the wheels for now, maybe buying better bib shorts (though I have no idea what you're wearing now)? (Again trying to maximize the improvement in your riding experience for the dollar.)

And - try to carve out more time for riding! I know, grad school. As my advisor told me though, you're not going to get any less busy after you finish. Well, that may depend on your field. What and where are you studying, if you care to share?


----------



## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

A small weight savings shouldn't equate to much. Aero will give you more. 
I would add to that list and would recommend the Williams 30s. Me at 190 lbs have never had a problem with them after a few years of training and racing. The new ones are even lighter and are built with Sampim c-xray spokes. I think they are $549,
Also, many great wheel builders here that could build you up some pretty sweet wheels.


----------



## Sebastionmerckx (Mar 6, 2008)

xtekian- I sent you a private message.


----------



## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Your post was too long for me to finish but I did gather that you ride 40 miles a week and you are a student.

Relax, stop worrying about weight and especially aero and get a decent set of wheels that will last. Oh, wait, you already have those.
Worry about weight and aero when you start doing the riding that might actually benefit from it. Even then those benefits are too small to really make a difference but that's a whole other topic.


----------



## BWWpat (Dec 17, 2009)

I have an opinion but it would be completely biased.


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

Jay Strongbow said:


> Relax, stop worrying about weight and especially aero ............Worry about weight and aero when you start doing the riding that might actually benefit from it. Even then those benefits are too small to really make a difference but that's a whole other topic.


Isn't that the truth?

And to the OP's question - *"So the dilemma is, is, is it possible to spend $600 and get a REAL benefit, not placebo, on riding speed? I've read up on light vs. aero, and it seems that while light wheels accelerate faster, they don't actually improve your overall speed."*

The answer is no. I'm not measurably faster (or slower) on my 50mm deep, carbon rim $1000, 1580gram wheels than on my 24mm deep, alum rim $500, 1410 gram wheels. If you're looking for *any* improvement at all then save your money. Just buy the best tires you can find and lose 5lb of body weight. But, really, for 40 mpw nothing will make a difference.


----------



## xtekian (May 17, 2012)

Thanks everyone for your input!

paulfeng-- I'm studying medicine in Virginia, and I'm actually in my 2nd year, so I have boards coming up in half a month. I should be able to ride more than 40 miles per week after though! We'll see how busy 3rd year rotations are. In addition to the Rival Groupset I got new compact bars, and I do have nice bibs (although they don't get much use since I don't ride that much).

As for everyone else, I appreciate your opinion. I calculated the other day that I've invested about $1800 on biking since starting a few years ago (not including clothing), and I suppose that a $600 investment on wheels should at least be backed by a lot more riding per week than I'm doing now. I'll get my bike upgraded with the Rival set and see where I am from there.

BWWPat -- feel free to share your opinion!


----------



## stockwiz (May 29, 2012)

I just ordered a set of these to replace the heavy stock wheels on my Felt Z85. I found them to be a good weight to price ratio, among the best on the net, and they seem to get excellent reviews. Will let you know how they perform when they arrive. 

Of course the results may be compounded by the fact I'll be replacing the heavy stock tires with gp4000s tires at the same time.

Weigh 180, but plan to drop down to 170, perhaps lower. Hopefully these will be enough for that weight. I had given thought to the 220lb versions but opted for the 198's. 

http://www.bicyclewheelwarehouse.co...lackset-race-11-wheel-set-1495g-/prod_34.html

I had given a very close look at the Boyd Vitesse's though, but wasn't prepared to spend that money plus shipping at this point for tires with no-name hubs even if they get great reviews.

I don't know if I'd worry about new wheels with the weight of the ones you have... losing 200 grams is meh, I'll be shedding about 500-600 myself, as my stock ones weigh upwards of 2050 grams.

I've heard people say not to spend more than a dollar a gram in savings, and this is about 59 cents a gram for me.


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

stockwiz said:


> I Weigh 180, but plan to drop down to 170, perhaps lower. Hopefully these will be enough for that weight. I had given thought to the 220lb versions but opted for the 198's.
> Road - Riders 198 or less - Blackset Race 11 Wheel Set 1495g* - Bicycle Wheel Warehouse


My Blackset Race have been perfect for 1.5 seasons and my 170-175lb bulk. I can't flex 'em or wreck 'em.


----------



## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

Sounds like your wheels have been upgraded..... or changed. A buddy of mine has a 2009 Cdale CAAD 9 52 cm and they came stock with Shimano R500s. anyway, an upgrade in wheels will do more for your ride than a Rival upgrade. You will even shave off more weight and dependng on the tire/wheel combo, you can greatly improve your performance and ride comfort with wheels.


----------



## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

Mike T. said:


> The answer is no. I'm not measurably faster (or slower) on my 50mm deep, carbon rim $1000, 1580gram wheels than on my 24mm deep, alum rim $500, 1410 gram wheels.


Yes, but you feel better, don't you?


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

dcgriz said:


> Yes, but you feel better, don't you?


Ahh we get new bike parts for other reasons than how much faster they will make us. Or we should.


----------



## dcgriz (Feb 13, 2011)

...and that's the beauty of it! Life would have been very dull otherwise.
Cheers


----------



## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

Jay Strongbow said:


> Your post was too long for me to finish but I did gather that you ride 40 miles a week and you are a student.
> 
> Relax, stop worrying about weight and especially aero and get a decent set of wheels that will last. Oh, wait, you already have those.
> Worry about weight and aero when you start doing the riding that might actually benefit from it. Even then those benefits are too small to really make a difference but that's a whole other topic.


+1. From someone who has wasted more $$$ on bikes & wheels than they care to admit---Save your $$ & enjoy your 40mpw knowing you have decent equipment in that CAAD9 with Equipes. 

Now get back to studying for those Board Exams


----------



## oldandtired (Aug 2, 2011)

Completely off the subject.

I have recently expanded my job search from primarily western states to the entire nation. If you wouldn't mind sharing. What part of Virginia do you live in and how's the riding?

Thanks


----------



## xtekian (May 17, 2012)

oldandtired said:


> Completely off the subject.
> 
> I have recently expanded my job search from primarily western states to the entire nation. If you wouldn't mind sharing. What part of Virginia do you live in and how's the riding?
> 
> Thanks


The good news is, it's far south enough so that it rarely, snows during the winter, so you can pretty much ride all year round with just a few layers on during the winter. The bad news is, that the Eastern shore is absolutely flat and if you like to climb you have to drive a couple hundred miles west to the Blue Ridge Mountains.


----------



## oldandtired (Aug 2, 2011)

Thanks for your reply
So how's the traffic, road conditions, driver awareness etc?


----------



## xtekian (May 17, 2012)

oldandtired said:


> Thanks for your reply
> So how's the traffic, road conditions, driver awareness etc?


Traffic probably varies by city and time, so I can't really comment on that other than saying the more traffic there is, the better it is to bike 

Road conditions -- Roads are generally in good shape, probably due to the lack of a real winter (I think it's the snow that really creates big potholes). Again, your mileage may vary depending on where you're considering moving to.

Driver awareness -- to be honest pretty bad. I've biked in Philly and Boston as well and in those cities drivers generally know to watch out for bikers, probably because there's more. In Norfolk, they're often oblivious... and angry. I get flipped off on a regular basis it seems. In Virginia Beach there was an incident where one crazy driver dropped tacks on the road on biking routes which caused many flat tires. Fortunately he got caught, and that person's an extreme case. Finally, I know that there is a pretty vibrant fixie community in Richmond so I'm sure the biking is better there as well.


----------



## oldandtired (Aug 2, 2011)

> Traffic probably varies by city and time, so I can't really comment on that other than saying the more traffic there is, the better it is to bike
> 
> Road conditions -- Roads are generally in good shape, probably due to the lack of a real winter (I think it's the snow that really creates big potholes). Again, your mileage may vary depending on where you're considering moving to.
> 
> Driver awareness -- to be honest pretty bad. I've biked in Philly and Boston as well and in those cities drivers generally know to watch out for bikers, probably because there's more. In Norfolk, they're often oblivious... and angry. I get flipped off on a regular basis it seems. In Virginia Beach there was an incident where one crazy driver dropped tacks on the road on biking routes which caused many flat tires. Fortunately he got caught, and that person's an extreme case. Finally, I know that there is a pretty vibrant fixie community in Richmond so I'm sure the biking is better there as well.


Cool, thanks dude


----------



## Rob T (May 9, 2007)

*What wheels are these?*



Mike T. said:


> Isn't that the truth?
> 
> And to the OP's question - *"So the dilemma is, is, is it possible to spend $600 and get a REAL benefit, not placebo, on riding speed? I've read up on light vs. aero, and it seems that while light wheels accelerate faster, they don't actually improve your overall speed."*
> 
> The answer is no. I'm not measurably faster (or slower) on my 50mm deep, carbon rim $1000, 1580gram wheels than on my 24mm deep, alum rim $500, 1410 gram wheels. If you're looking for *any* improvement at all then save your money. Just buy the best tires you can find and lose 5lb of body weight. But, really, for 40 mpw nothing will make a difference.



Just curious of wheels you purchased for $500 that are 1410 grams? Any details would be appreciated. I am definitely interested in a set. 

Thanks.


----------



## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

Rob T said:


> Just curious of wheels you purchased for $500 that are 1410 grams? Any details would be appreciated. I am definitely interested in a set.
> Thanks.


My wheels are the BWW Blackset Race with their "Podium" build option (Sapim CX-Ray spokes). Mine are an older set (3 yrs old) and weigh 1410 grams. They updated the rim after mine and the new rim has a bit more material which makes it just a bit heavier. How much?

This they say on their site - "This slight increase in material weight is the result of a uniform increase in rim wall tolerances, making the whole rim slightly “thicker” and more suitable to everyday riding applications."

But they list the wheelset (with the CX-Rays) at 1405g. So I'm not sure what a new set will weigh. I'm sure they could tell you.


----------



## fiziksdrop180 (Jan 24, 2017)

*Williams 31 Wheelset*



T K said:


> A small weight savings shouldn't equate to much. Aero will give you more.
> I would add to that list and would recommend the Williams 30s. Me at 190 lbs have never had a problem with them after a few years of training and racing. The new ones are even lighter and are built with Sampim c-xray spokes. I think they are $549,
> Also, many great wheel builders here that could build you up some pretty sweet wheels.


I’m quite positive the current Williams 31 wheelset uses Kinlin XR-31T rims. Not sure if this is the case for your Williams “30” wheelset. Either way, I’ll assume the rim on yours is similar to the Kinlin rim, which I’m thinking about using for a custom build. So I’m curious, how many spokes does your Williams wheelset have front and rear?


----------

