Wheelsets flo vs. mavic carbone sl

damonwagner

I need some opinions please! Will be racing ironman Wisconsin this year and have decided to jump into an aero wheelset for this year. Granted zipp would be my first choice but just not in the budget this year. Have narrowed it done to flo wheels, mavic carbone sl and profile design Altair semi carbon set. I will be mounting on a cervelo p2. If I try and get on the Flo presale next week I would go with the 90 in back and 60 up front. Mavic and PD wheels would probably run a wheel builder cover for the rear. Any thought on helping me make my decision would be appreciated.

Joe Matchette

First question -- do you have a powermeter?

damonwagner

Joe- not at this time. Will be looking at purchasing one next year but not in the books this year.

Joe Matchette

Then I would *STRONGLY* recommend you take the money that you are thinking of spending on wheels and spend it now on a powermeter. You can contact CoachRich and he can hook you up with Wheelbuilder to get a wheel/powertap, or a Quark, with a Team discount.

Power is the best bang for your training buck. Period. It has the highest ROI for both *training* and *racing*.

In order of priorities, not $$, IMO your money is best spent on:
- powermeter
- 12x27 cassette
- compact cranks
- aero helmet
- then, and only then, a new wheelset. You put a cover on your PowerTap training wheel and you have a disk.

wareagledusty

Damon,

I echo what Joe says about a PM. Training & racing with a PM is almost like cheating. Best ROI dollars in performance improvement you can get. Nothing like hammering out a new FTP and then racing to the appropriate number knowing you are going to have legs for the run. Though I must admit I am not looking forward to the 2x20 Z4 intervals in the AM.... With a PM, you just can't cheat...

Al Truscott

Whether you decide to buy a power meter or not, you presumably already have wheels on your racing bike. Just spend $90 (with 10% EN discount) for a wheel cover for the rear, works as good or better than a disc wheel, and lets you spend $$$ on other stuff, as listed above, and/or a decent front wheel. Wheel cover is all I use, and I've KQ'd multiple times.

http://www.wheelbuilder.com/aero-disc-covers.html

damonwagner

Thanks everybody! I think I just needed that wake up call and really look at power meters. In the back of my head I was thinking that but I think I get caught up in the "curb appeal" of the bike and not what I really should have been looking at.

William Jenks

I like the value/priority list.

I'd slightly reorder it:

- power meter
- compact cranks (50/34 instead of 53/39)
- aero helmet
- rear wheel cover
- CONSIDER a new cassette
- front wheel

The compact cranks make a bigger difference in giving you the low gears than a cassette does, though cranks cost more. You've gotten a 20% lower lowest gear instead of a 4% lower low gear. Shimano 105s are pretty affordable, though. If you have a 12-25 cassette, then look at what race you're doing. I like the 11-26. 53/11 is a higher gear than 53/12! (And 34/25 is a LOT lower than 39/27). Anyway, that's my take on gearing.

After gearing , the choices aero helmet, rear wheel cover, and front wheel are bang for buck. Don't go bazongas on the helmet, and it's the biggest bang for buck. Rear disk is probably half the benefit of an aero front wheel...but that wheel could cost a lot. Biggest bang for buck on the wheel is probably used or FLO. :-)