Top 36 How Much Faster Is A Disc Wheel 229 Most Correct Answers

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Numerous tests have shown that a disc wheel can gain 30 seconds over a deep section wheel over 40k. It has also shown you can benefit up to 2 minutes over a standard spoked wheel. However, depending on the model, the time saved will differ slightly.A standard front wheel costs about 30-40 watts at 20 mph, while a good aero 3-4 spoke wheel will only cost 15-25 watts, and a full disc wheel will cost you just 5-10 watts. In other words, you can save 10% of your power depending where you upgrade your wheels.A disc wheel is usually the fastest option on a hilly course, but let’s qualify that: if the course has a lot of steep climbs (average five per cent or more), technical descents and not a lot of flat, then I’d opt for a pair of light, aero (50-60mm deep) wheels.

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How many watts does a disc wheel save?

A standard front wheel costs about 30-40 watts at 20 mph, while a good aero 3-4 spoke wheel will only cost 15-25 watts, and a full disc wheel will cost you just 5-10 watts. In other words, you can save 10% of your power depending where you upgrade your wheels.

When should you use a disc wheel?

A disc wheel is usually the fastest option on a hilly course, but let’s qualify that: if the course has a lot of steep climbs (average five per cent or more), technical descents and not a lot of flat, then I’d opt for a pair of light, aero (50-60mm deep) wheels.

How much faster are aero wheels?

Using aero wheels has been found to reduce a cyclist’s CdA by 3-5%, so if you generate 350W of power, using aero wheels could see your speed on the flat rise from 44.6kmh to 45.4kmh, an increase of 1.63%.

Why are disc wheels more aerodynamic?

Disc wheels work by smoothing the passage of side wind. Less wind turbulence means less drag and faster times. The weight of a disc wheel is not as important as the aerodynamic aid. Even on the hilliest of time trial courses, you will go quicker on a solid disc wheel.

Is a disc wheel always faster?

Hilly area

Over rolling terrain, a disc wheel will always be faster. However, if you are riding up longer climbs, the added weight may cost you time. So, for climbs longer than 3km, a deep section wheel will be lighter and still offer close aerodynamic benefits.

Which disc wheel is fastest?

The fastest wheel is a solid disc wheel with no spokes at all. The fastest setup would be a front and rear disc wheel. Outside that’s not a safe setup though.

Are deeper wheels faster?

As cyclists, we know that deep aero wheels are usually faster than lighter, shallower wheels when riding on flat roads. And we know that when climbing very steep roads, lighter wheels will be faster than deeper wheels.

Are carbon wheels faster?

At any level it really should be something that riders consider seriously. After interviewing a few friends, colleagues, and even some amateurs in the college racing scene, I am here to inform you that yes, every single one of them said carbon is faster, more responsive, and better in every way compared to alloy rims.

How much faster is an Aerobike?

With an aero bike, you’ll simply be able to go faster than you would with a non-aero bike. The 150-Watt rider riding during a windy day now finishes 6.5 minutes faster on an aero bike (8.4 minutes with no drafting) and is 83.3 seconds per hour faster (93.6 seconds with no drafting).

Will lighter wheels make me faster?

“Light weight wheels accelerate faster than heavy ones, which helps when you’re taking off from a stop, but heavy wheels maintain more of their momentum than light wheels, which helps you keep your speed on rolling roads and trails.

Why do pros use tubular tires?

Many pros still like tubular tyres because of the safety they offer in the event of a puncture. As the tyre is glued to the rim, it should stay there when deflated, allowing the rider to continue rolling along at the back of the peloton until their team car comes up to change the wheel.

Why do people use disc wheels?

Disc wheels don’t encounter the air resistance that spokes do, but they’re also heavier, less maneuverable, and can be blown around—or even right out from under you—in a strong crosswind. An indoor track, where races tend to be short and flat and require less turning, is a great place for disc wheels.

How much time does a disc wheel save Ironman?

Getting the right wheels and tires can save you upwards of 14 minutes on the Ironman bike leg. And it doesn’t have to cost a small fortune any longer.

Do better wheels make you faster?

A wheel upgrade can really give your bike a new personality and an extra jump when it comes to going a little faster. They drastically change the ride quality of a bike. In addition, if you have the budget you can get a pair that are lighter and more aerodynamic which will make your bike faster in all conditions.

How many watts do aero wheels save?

Even on an aero road bike, the addition of aero wheels saved 48 seconds over a 40K TT at 300 watts compared to a typical 30mm-depth alloy training wheel set.

Which disc wheel is fastest?

The fastest wheel is a solid disc wheel with no spokes at all. The fastest setup would be a front and rear disc wheel. Outside that’s not a safe setup though.

Why are spoked wheels better?

This is where spoked wheels come in: they are designed to bend, flex and handle impacts to a certain degree, letting you tackle rough terrains with ease. Spoked wheels are also easily repairable, as replacing individual parts is simple and inexpensive, unlike alloy wheels, which once cracked needs replacement.

Are deeper wheels faster?

How Much FASTER are DISC Wheels? Let’s find out…!

Disc Wheel Aerodynamics – Disc wheel vs Deep Section for Time Trials

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Disc Wheel Aerodynamics – Disc wheel vs Deep Section for Time Trials

Disc Wheel Aerodynamics – Disc wheel vs Deep Section for Time Trials

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Disc wheels became popular in 1984 after legendary cyclist Francesco Moser smashed the world record. This was the first time he had used disc wheels on the front and rear of his bike. Realizing disc wheels provided an aerodynamic advantage, triathletes then took advantage of this and used them in competitions such as Ironman. Since then, they have become widely adopted in both cycling and triathlon.

However, after Moser first made disc wheels famous, aerodynamics and weight have improved. Because of this, more cyclists and triathletes are using disc wheels to improve their aerodynamics and speed.

Today, the disc wheel has become a mainstay with athletes looking to improve their speed. Unfortunately, the Union Cycliste Internationale has banned front and rear disc wheels. So no professional road cyclist can pull a Francesco Moser. But saying that, the use of a rear disc can greatly improve one’s aerodynamics.

But how has disc wheel aerodynamics improved over the years? And is riding a disc wheel faster than a shallow rimmed wheel?

Keep reading if you want to know the answer to these questions and if you want to know how they compare to deep-section wheels in time trials?

Disc Wheel Aerodynamics—A Complete Guide

Cyclists are always trying to find ways to boost their performance, whether this is through training, nutrition, or equipment. The most obvious way is to train harder, but what happens if your training has plateaued?

Well, the next step is to improve your aerodynamics. The use of a deep section front wheel and a rear disc wheel is the obvious choice. Of course, this only applies during non-drafting triathlons or time trials. So how does a disc weigh up against other wheels?

Weight

Unfortunately, a disc wheel will be heavier than a shallow spoked wheel as more material is needed to support the load and create a solid interface. Often these wheels use a foam core to provide the structure, which often leads to an extra few grams of weight.

However, the disc wheel aerodynamics often outweigh the weight in performance, so in time trials and triathlons, the penalty of weight doesn’t affect the rider.

If you’re planning to use a disc wheel in competition, you can expect an increase of 100-200 grams for a good quality tubular disc wheel. The weight can also increase by 150-250grams if you are using a clincher version.

Aerodynamics

Disc wheels are faster than your traditional shallow spoked wheels in almost all conditions apart from hilly or windy conditions. Since they have been designed to improve airflow around the rear wheel, the rider can expect much better aerodynamics than a regular spoked wheel. That means the drag of the rider and the bike is improved.

Numerous tests have shown that a disc wheel can gain 30 seconds over a deep section wheel over 40k. It has also shown you can benefit up to 2 minutes over a standard spoked wheel. However, depending on the model, the time saved will differ slightly. It will also come down to the wheel you are comparing it to as well.

Crosswinds

Unfortunately, disc wheels have a downside, and that is crosswinds. Courses or events that are subject to strong crosswinds often affect the rider using these types of wheels. Since the disc wheel acts as a sail, strong side winds can cause unstable handling and ultimately slow the rider. However, if the crosswinds come at less than 45 degrees, it can sometimes benefit the rider, again acting as a sail and propelling the rider forward.

Handling

When riding a disc wheel for the first time, it can feel slightly unstable in windy conditions. It is not uncommon to be pushed around in windy conditions, much more than a deep section wheel. However, once you understand how the bike handles in these conditions and how the wind strikes the wheel, you will feel more confident riding a disc wheel.

Durability

Most disc wheels on the market are made from a honeycomb or a foam-type inner with a thin layer of carbon. That means any side impact to the wheel often results in damage. And it is common to see disc wheels showing dents or even cracks from traveling or hitting potholes.

You also have the issue with straightening the wheel. Since a disc wheel doesn’t use any spokes, it is near impossible to straighten the wheel again.

Time Trial Rear Disc Wheel

There are many time trial rear disc wheels on the market today. Some brands such as Zipp, Hed, and Roval all provide a range of disc wheels to the consumer. Knowing this, what disc wheel should you buy?

Firstly, budget is usually a factor when buying a carbon disc wheel. Brands like Lightweight are the leaders in weight and aerodynamics when it comes to a time trial rear disc wheel. However, it is well outside most people’s budget.

Brands like HED offer wheels at an affordable price, and there are a few other companies such as ICAN that provide a lost cost alternative. Their DC04 Road bike disc wheel tips the scale at mere 1376 grams for a clincher version and goes for slightly under 700usd.

Disc Wheel vs Deep Section—How they Compare?

Just like a disc wheel, a deep section wheel offers better aerodynamics than a standard shallow spoked wheel. But what is the difference between a disc wheel vs a deep section wheel?

Firstly, deep section wheels are often lighter than its counterpart. Depending on the depth of the rim, it can be anywhere from 100-400 grams lighter.

Apart from the weight difference between the two, a disc wheel has proven to smoothen out the airflow better than any spoke wheel regardless of its rim depth. That gives the disc wheel a slight advantage over a deep section wheel, even though it still offers better aerodynamics than a standard spoked wheel.

Typically, the deeper the wheel, the better the aerodynamics, but other factors such as rim width, spoke count, and whether they contain hidden nipples play a factor. However, without diving too deep into this Dr. Hutch (a famous English time trialist) compared a deep section wheel vs a disc wheel on youtube.

They found that the disc wheel in almost all conditions was faster than a deep section wheel.

While the test wasn’t completely fool proof, it does give you some insight into a disc wheel vs a deep section wheel and how they differ.

Flat surface

When riding on the flat, a disc wheel is always going to outperform a deep section wheel. Since the disc is solid and smooths the airflow around the rear of the bike, you will see your speed increase slightly over a deep section wheel. However, in windy conditions (especially crosswinds), you may find an 80mm deep section wheel is faster, depending on how much wind there is and the angle it is hitting the bike at.

Hilly area

Over rolling terrain, a disc wheel will always be faster. However, if you are riding up longer climbs, the added weight may cost you time. So, for climbs longer than 3km, a deep section wheel will be lighter and still offer close aerodynamic benefits.

Comparing disc wheel vs deep section, you will find that while the disc wheels are faster on flat and rolling terrain, they are relatively slow when you start riding uphill for long periods.

Disc Wheel Wind Tunnel Testing

Most of the drag caused on the bike is from the rider, but the next most important aspect is the frame and wheels.

Many company’s claims to test their wheels in a wind tunnel. However, disc wheel wind tunnel testing is manipulated often by journalists and wheel manufacturers, so their wheels look more favourable to the consumer. They usually do this by adjusting speeds and angles, unfortunately, wind tunnel testing is not comparative to real-world conditions.

If you want to understand more about wind tunnel testing and disc wheel aerodynamics, have a look at Hambini’s post, it’s a great read!

What’s the Big Deal with Aerodynamics?

As most triathletes know, improving aerodynamics is a great way to race faster and get more out of training. Anything you can do to minimize your exposed areas and reduce drag will reduce the calories needed at a given power to overcome air resistance—which is crucial for anyone who wants to beat previous times or the competition.

Just how important is aerodynamics? Well, if you take two riders pedaling at the same watts, the rider with good positioning can save 2-8 min over an 18-mile ride, and up to an hour in an Ironman compared to a rider with bad bike fit. Some experts say aerodynamics can matter even if you’re moving as easy as 12-14 mph and, of course, the faster you are the more aerodynamics factor into the equation.

Approximately 85% of your power when riding is used to overcome air resistance.10% is used to overcome rolling resistance, and about another 5% is used to overcome the friction of the drivetrain. Fortunately, we can find “free” speed when it comes to aerodynamics optimization, which we’ll discuss below.

Fit Fundamentals

Since up to 85% of aerodynamic drag is caused by the rider, it’s critical to optimize your position on the bike. The key equation to remember is:

Speed = Comfort + Power + Aerodynamics – Friction – Drag.

Saddle Position

The most common mistake that new riders make is sitting on the bike seat like they are sitting in a chair. Not only is this not ideal for aerodynamics, it will also become uncomfortable quickly. To get a more comfortable and aerodynamic position, you’ll want to rotate the pelvis forward as much as you comfortably can. This sounds horrible, I know, but I promise as you learn this new position you’ll see that it’s remarkably more effective for speed and comfort, and can take some of the tension off your spine in an aero position.

The right saddle is a personal choice, and you’ll most likely want to try a few before you choose the one for you. Your chamois can also make a difference. If you typically suffer chafing, saddle sores and numbness, you may want to avoid using a bulky chamois, as it can actually bunch up in pertinent areas causing more discomfort than relief. A very thin chamois that can dry quickly, like those found in triathlon shorts, may also help you sustain your aerodynamic position comfortably.

Back Types

For a long time now, John Cobb has been one of the most sought-out fitters in the world. He is often referred to as “Mr. Wind Tunnel” and is famous for working with Lance Armstrong in his early Tour de France years, as well as many other top pro triathletes. John uses physiological markers and muscle firing points to help determine body position power, then works from there. He classifies riders into two distinct position types (“A Back” and “B Back” riders) to help inform his decisions.

Only about 25% of riders are classified as “A Back” riders. They tend to be generally more athletic and have good flexibility in their mid and lower backs. Compressing the A Back’s hip angle or diaphragm isn’t as much of a concern, as they tend to have the flexibility and strength for this position. They can ride bikes with slacker seat angles (around 74-78 degrees) and be comfortable on the nose of the saddle.

“B Back” riders are less flexible in the lower back, but can still achieve aerodynamics similar to “A Back” riders. These riders will typically have a wider elbow positioning, with the majority of their flexibility coming through their shoulders. This is why a good “lat wing” angle is critical in helping pull the air over their hips, i.e. the latissimus dorsi should be as close to horizontal to the shoulder joint as possible.

John Cobb says the most important thing “B Back” riders can do to improve their aerodynamics is to work on their pelvic rotation—the more forward you can rotate your hips the flatter your back will be. In the meantime, “B Back” riders can utilize a steep seat angle frame (75-82 degrees) or reverse the seat post to open up their hip angle and achieve higher power between the thighs and upper body.

What about Shorter Cranks?

Many riders still think you need longer levers to produce power—but this isn’t the case. Shorter cranks have no impact on power output, and can improve your aerodynamics at the top of the pedal stroke, as well as give you more space around your diaphragm for breathing. If your hip angle is so tight at the top of the pedal stroke that you’re struggling to breathe, shorter cranks might be a solution.

Should You Slam your Stem?

#slamthestem was a popular hashtag a few years ago among fitters and riders. John Cobb is almost notoriously known for slamming the stem, and bike fit guru Phillip Shama, of Shama Cycles in Houston followed suit.

For the most part, slamming or lowering the front end of the bicycle can lower your head position, thus reducing frontal drag—but of course, there are consequences. Slamming your stem can create an unstable position, and may be unsustainable for a given distance. If you notice uncomfortable tension in your shoulders or neck, or that your vision is obstructed, you may want to try a taller position to start, and work your way lower as you train more.

Finding A Sustainable Position

Which brings us to the next important factor in aerodynamics: you also need a position that is sustainable for your event duration. You can have the most aerodynamic position in the world, but if you can’t hold the position for the duration of your event, you’re going to lose a considerable amount of time coming up out of your position to stretch and readjust.

Matt Stenmetz of 51 Speed Shop says, “Comfort is defined as the ability to sustain your position for the duration for your event. If you’re unable to sustain or hold your position because you’re uncomfortable, nothing else matters.”

Remember, the time trial/triathlon position is not a natural one for the body. Over time as you work on your flexibility and training, you may be able to sustain a more aerodynamic position—but forcing yourself into that position when it’s too uncomfortable to hold will ultimately make you slower. Here are some other important factors to consider:

Safety and Stability

“When it comes to aerodynamics and riding a bicycle, it’s more than lowering the front end of the bike or taking out all the spacers,” says Barry Anderson of Cyclologic. The first principle is that the rider’s position needs to be stable on the pedals and saddle. You want to be able to push power from both sides of the bike.

A stable position is also a safe one. Remember that your position and component setup may affect your bike’s handling—for example a large stack between headset and aerobars can cause the rider to understeer the bike. You also need to make sure that you can see down the road—time trialists may be able to just put their head down and hammer, but as a triathlon (and presumably for training outdoors) you need to be aware of cars and other riders.

Breathing

Another key factor is the ability to breathe. When a rider is in an aggressive aerodynamic position, the diaphragm can be compressed, causing heart rate and ventilation to increase, and adding stress to the overall system. Remember, you still have to be able to run off the bike, so you’ll want to balance efficient breathing against any aerodynamic gains.

What about Gear?

It’s true that you do still have to pedal the bike, but your equipment choices can save you significant time, watts, and energy out on the course. Cycling and triathlon are far from being inexpensive sports, so here we’ll discuss where you can get the biggest return on your equipment investment.

Choosing a Bike

First, to save you some pain, discomfort, and buyer’s remorse, seek out a knowledgeable bike fitter before you purchase your bike. A good fitter will be able to match up your body geometry to the frames that will fit you the best, all while considering your budget. Yes, this will generally cost $200-300, but the money you spend here will save you money and time later.

Once you have your new bike frame and are ready to race, you’ll most likely start hunting down some aerodynamic upgrades. Which ones are the most important and least expensive? The table below may help. This table was created from research of Barry Anderson’s time in the wind tunnel:

Time saved over 40k Time Trial

Equipment Time Saved Approximate Cost Aero Helmet 67” $200+ Time Trial Suit 134” $250+ Wind Tunnel Positioning 56” $1500-3000 Aerobars 122” $200+ Aero Frame 17” $3000 Shoe Covers 30” $50 Rear Disc 29” $1000 Front/Tri Spoke 42

$700

Table based on Barry Anderson’s Research

Choosing Your Upgrades

I started racing with a basic road bike, and during my first sprint triathlon I averaged 21 miles per hour (I may have borrowed some wheels). By my second race (a 40k olympic-distance triathlon) I was using some aerobars I had found on sale for $70, and I averaged 23 mph. If you do the math (and buy your aerobars new), this easy upgrade can save you 122 seconds for $200. This breaks down to $1.64 per second of savings, making this the best financial and performance outcome for your investment.

From there you can work your way up the cost scale as you seek to improve performance. You’ll notice that an aerodynamic frame saves you just 17 seconds over a 40k distance, and can be quite expensive—while an aerodynamic kit is a relatively affordable investment, and can save you over two minutes. Jesse Frank, from the Specialized wind tunnel, says that wearing a wind-breaker on a cool day could easily cost you four minutes in an Olympic distance triathlon, and up to 15 minutes in an Ironman triathlon.

Aero helmets are another good investment. These days there are many models in the market, but whatever your tail preference, you’ll want a helmet that wraps closely around your ears, as a lot of the aerodynamic effects depend on your face, shoulders, and back shapes.

Wheels

While aerodynamic wheels can add weight, it can usually be offset by aerodynamic gains. A standard front wheel costs about 30-40 watts at 20 mph, while a good aero 3-4 spoke wheel will only cost 15-25 watts, and a full disc wheel will cost you just 5-10 watts. In other words, you can save 10% of your power depending where you upgrade your wheels. Unfortunately it’s not as simple as just choosing a disc front and rear. In track racing this might make sense, but with wind playing a role in outdoor races, you don’t see many front disc wheels, which can be extremely unstable in crosswinds.

Most conditions, however, will favor at least a rear disc wheel. As always, these decisions will be subject to the conditions on race day, which is when tools like Best Bike Split can help riders make the best call for themselves.

Should You Shave your Body?

What about shaving? Jesse Frank from Specialized estimates that, depending on how naturally hairy you are, shaving your legs could save you a minute or more in a 40k race and up to another 12 seconds if you shave your arms. Regarding facial hair, our heads aren’t especially aerodynamic, so shaving facial hair doesn’t make any noticeable difference.

What about hydration?

Ideally, the Ironman racer will have a bottle tucked between their aerobars and behind the seat post. Bottles behind the seat post are the most aerodynamic, but you have to reach around to grab the bottle, breaking your aero position and essentially slowing yourself down. The best and most practical place to have your water bottle for easy access and to remain in aero position is between your aero bars—sometimes this can even be more aerodynamic than if the bottle wasn’t there! The worst place you can store a water bottle is on the frame, where it will disrupt the flow of wind.

Ultimately your aero position will be a personal journey, balancing what is sustainable, efficient, and reasonable for your body. Remember that your position needs to work for you (and your wallet!) as you strive towards your best performance yet!

Sources

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/features/?id=2006/cunego_windtunnel

https://51-speedshop.com/blogs/news/the-kona-process

https://51-speedshop.com/blogs/news/adapting-to-the-tt-position

http://www.ero-sports.com/2020/index.php/journal/36-triathlon-specific-fit-8

Advanced Aerodynamic Position System. Cobb Cycling. John Cobb,

Wind Tunnel Magic. John Cobb.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11417428

https://www.uci.org/inside-uci/constitutions-regulations/equipment

Wind Tunnel Magic. John Cobb.

Aerodynamic Optimization. Cycologic. Barry Anderson

Which is faster: Aero vs lightweight wheels

Watch a stage race and you’ll see the depth of the riders’ wheels change with the terrain. Normally deep-section rims come out on the fast, flat stages, while shallower lightweight rims get bolted on for the mountains.

Most efficient on the level, and of greater benefit when riding alone or in a smaller group, a set of conspicuously deep rims can even signal a rider fancies getting in the break.

By comparison, a skinny set of rims means that the rider expects the day’s main action to take place on the ups. But with most routes composed of both flat and hilly sections, which wheels will be most efficient; aero or lightweight?

‘If a cyclist rides 10km on the flat followed by 10km uphill, then obviously the uphill section will take longer,’ says Marco Arkesteijn, lecturer in sport and exercise biomechanics at Aberystwyth University.

‘Now let’s say [arbitrarily] that the deep section aerodynamic wheels give you a 10% increase in speed over shallower rims on the flat but, due to their extra weight, a similar decrease in speed on the uphill.

‘It stands to reason that you should choose the shallow rims because you’ll spend more time on the ascent so that’s where you want to save the time.’

Ah, but it’s not that simple. Over to Kevin Quan, director of engineering at Knight Wheels: ‘My ex-colleagues at Cervélo did a lot of testing and calculations to answer this question.

‘They discovered that aero gains trump weight loss for anything up to around a 5% slope for the average recreational rider and an 8% slope for a pro.’

So if you’re Chris Froome tackling the Col de la Ramaz at the Tour de France, a 13.9km ascent with an average 7.1% gradient, deep rims are the way to go. If you’re accountant John Smith having a go at the same climb, it’s better to go shallow.

For a slightly different take on things, let’s change our measure of comparison to the trusty watt.

‘At 40kmh, the switch from shallow rims to deep sections could be worth around 10W, which could save you 30 seconds over the hour,’ says Rob Kitching, founder of performance-modelling outfit Cycling Power Lab.

‘Let’s assume the weight penalty of using deep-section aero wheels is half a kilogram. Even on a gradient of 10%, the cost of carrying that extra weight up the climb would likely be less than 5W.

‘A course would have to have a lot of tough climbs where there would be a big weight penalty before it would make sense to ditch the aero upgrade.’

Life’s a drag

A key factor we need to consider is the drag area (CdA), which is the product of an object’s drag force and its frontal area. Using aero wheels has been found to reduce a cyclist’s CdA by 3-5%, so if you generate 350W of power, using aero wheels could see your speed on the flat rise from 44.6kmh to 45.4kmh, an increase of 1.63%.

At a 2% gradient, aero is still the way to go – the deep section wheels would have to be at least 2.8kg heavier than their shallow counterparts for them not to be the quicker option. But this value drops dramatically as the road ramps up.

At 4%, aero wheels up to 940g heavier will still be the faster option. At 6% this drops to 390g, but by the time you hit 10% there’s just 50g in it for the aero advantage to win over shallow wheels.

So let’s take that into the real world. Zipp’s 202 Firecrest clinchers are its shallow lightweight option at 1,450g, while its 808s are the super aero choice at 1,885g, a weight penalty of 435g.

According to our data-modelling, that means they would still be the better choice at gradients of up to around 5%, in line with Quan’s statement earlier.

But all our calculations thus far effectively assume that any gradient is constant and that the road is straight, when in reality neither is the case.

Having to negotiate bends and changes in pace introduce a new variable into the equation: inertia, which is roughly a calculation of mass multiplied by the distance to the wheel’s centre.

Wheel maker Mavic has studied the impact of inertia on wheels and found that the higher the weight at the rim (a la aero wheels), the greater the inertia.

‘That’s important because inertia influences how quickly the wheel reacts,’ says Mavic research engineer Maxime Brunard. ‘If speed is varying greatly from one moment to the next, you want low inertia. If you ride at a constant speed, high inertia is fine.’

In short, if confronted with short, punchy climbs, go shallow. For longer gradients that require one speed, go aero.

Performance modelling

OK we’re getting somewhere, but having only dabbled in data to test our theories thus far, it’s time to go all in. Best Bike Split, which was bought by TrainingPeaks in 2014, has developed a performance-modelling engine that’s able to absorb a ton of data – a rider’s functional threshold, weight, bike set-up and wheel choice – before predicting a bike split for a particular course.

It’s an accurate enough model for pro teams such as Trek-Segafredo to have utilised it to choose, for instance, whether their riders should use the TT Speed Concept or Madone with clip-ons when faced with an uphill time-trial.

FLO Wheels is a US wheel company that used Best Bike Split to model its wheels over numerous Ironman bike courses to see how terrain affected wheel choice.

These included flat, rolling and steep courses, plus extreme courses like the Alpe d’Huez Triathlon, which features the iconic ascent used in the Tour de France.

The company compared light training wheels (1,100g) and aero wheels (1,624g) against heavier training wheels (2,259g). On the Ironman Florida course, which featured just 300m of climbing over 180km, the heavier wheels came in at 5h 21m 44s.

The lighter wheels only saved 2s, while the aeros came in at 5h 14m 10s – a 7m 34s saving. Even on the 13.2km Alpe d’Huez climb, the lightweight wheels bettered the ultimate aero combo by just 23s.

‘Our modelling showed that aerodynamics are more important than weight when it comes to wheel selection,’ concluded FLO co-founder Chris Thornham.

So for most real-world scenarios, it looks like aero wins, but this lightweight versus streamlining debate is missing the point, according to Lightweight Wheels’ Chris Hewings.

‘Based on experience, anecdotal evidence and being a bit of a fatty, I’d be more concerned about wheel flex,’ he says. ‘Most of the lightest wheels will be inherently more flexible for anyone other than a really skinny racing snake.

‘Power transfer due to wheel stiffness is equally as important as having low weight, which is where most climbing wheels lose out, especially for riders like me, who are over 80kg.’

Hewings makes a valid point, and further to the body weight issue it’s worth considering the following too: if you weigh 90kg and your bike is 7kg, with the wheelset a miserly 1.1kg, your hoops make up just 1.12% of your 98.1kg total set-up.

But if you’re like Quintana and around 60kg, with the same frame and wheel weight, your wheelset makes up 1.61% of the total, which may only be 0.5% more overall, but represents a near-50% jump in its proportion compared to the larger rider’s wheels.

So shallow rims for lighter riders and aero for heavier? We’ll give the last word to Specialized aerodynamicist Chris Yu: ‘Combined with a given weight difference, the question of which wheel to choose boils down to gradient and wind – specifically yaw angle, which actually depends on rider speed, too.

‘But depending on the specific combination of aero and weight difference, the trade-off point for gradient can range anywhere from about 4% up to nearly 10%.’ That’s hardly definitive, but it’s an answer… oh, wait, there’s more: ‘That’s before taking into account exposure to crosswinds and speed of the rider.’

Crosswinds, you say? Right. Maybe we should just forget the whole thing…

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