At what speed does an aero wheel set make sense?
Hi,
I'm racing my first IM distance in July and am new to racing with power. From what I read on the WIKI, I have to stay at an IF of 0.7 (or so) for the bike leg of an IM.
If at my current FTP, an IF=0.7 is about 16mph for me, would an aero wheel set allow me to go slightly faster while staying at the same IF?
If getting good wheels would not help my at my current fitness level, at which speed/FTP/etc would make more sense to invest?
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The term, aero wheel, can be defined in a lotta ways. Is it fewer spokes? Lighter weight? Deep dish rim? etc. People can spend thousands of dollars chasing an ephemeral goal.
Luckily, the cheapest "aero wheel" option WILL save you time, and cost less than $100. And its not even a wheel! Go to wheelbuilder.com and get an aerojacket disc cover. Slap it on whatever wheel you have now, and on race day, you'll go faster than you otherwise would. Your coach does it; lots of us do it.
Other cheap, "free speed" (meaning you don't need to get fitter; you do need to spend a little money, but not nearly what a fancy bike or wheels would cost) opportunities include an aero helmet, and tight fitting race kit with no floppy pockets or sleeves. Just because you are "slow" doesn't mean you are not fighting wind resisteance. And, the longer you are out there fighting that wind, the bigger an opportunity there is to use these simple tools.
Oh, and don;'t forget the free speed opportunities available by spending less time in transition:
http://members.endurancenation.us/R...d%29
Thanks Al!
I explored the option of adding a disc cover but unfortunately WB can't make them for my wheels (Shimano DA WH7900).
Transition time is definitively an area that I need to improve on.
As Al said, it's more about what changes/actions yield the biggest bang for your buck in terms of aeroness per dollar spent. These are:
Investigate ^these^ more affordable, high return investments first, then $$$ fancy wheels. If you stand at mile 1 of the bike course you'll see $$$$$ bikes with $$$$ wheels being ridden by folks with $.x riding position and very little attention to detail applied to bike setup.
I would re-write this to say:
Wet suit: as you exit the water, leave your swim cap and goggles on your head but move your goggles from your eyes so they are resting on your fore head. The cap and goggles should be the last thing to remove as it is two less things to fumble with on your way to transition. This frees your hands up to unzip and start removing your wet suit. Catch the eye of a team of wet suit strippers, and let them do their work. Once you get your transitions bags then remove your cap and goggles and stuff them in your wet suit bag. If a volunteer is near (in the changing tent), let them stuff your suit in your bag for you"
My suggestion is a little different, but removes the fumbling factor of messing with the wet suit and trying to stuff the goggles and cap in the sleeve (if your wet suit has sleeves). I've used this on numerous occasions and it leaves your hands completely free to deal with the wet suit.
Most people say to stay in the aerobars down to 11 or 12mph.
To riff off what Rich stated...
Jim Manton knows more about aerodynamics and bike fit than everyone on EN combined. His aero hierarchy is:
1. Position
2. Position
3. Position
4. Position
5. Position
6. Clothing
7. Helmet or wheels/tires
8. Helmet or wheels/tires
9. Clean front end (this could include aero bars, which may result in moving up this list quite dramatically depending on initial setup)
10. Hydration/Food setup
11. Frame
Sorry, I hit reply before I was finished...
So the majority of aero gains can be done through your position and fit. Of course everything isn't mutually exclusive so you can get a great fit, great wheels, helmet, aero clothing, etc.
The lowest hanging (and cheapest) fruit is usually the rider itself. Get a good fit that allows a good mix of aero and comfort and pay attention to your clothing. Too many triathletes worry about buying the most expensive bike and gear only to have some of the worst positions I have ever seen which totally negates all the fancy aero gear.
- Fit/Position: I had a fit done last December. Here's the before & after video: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/250549/ThaiMai_14Dec2013-16-20-27_Triathlon.wmv
Left is after and right is before. if from what you see on the video my fit is off and aero wheels should be the least of my concern, let me know.
- Tight clothing: I've always worn tight tri shorts & tops. I am thinking of moving to a one piece tri suit this year.
- Did not expect aero helmet to make the list so high. Will def get one this year!
- I'll have to post a pix of my hydration setup in the appropriate thread to get feedback but since I'm planning to use on-course Gatorade drink, there 'shouldn't' be too many bottles on the bike.
The bells and whistles of buying the greatest latest wizz-bang is cool stuff and may help being more aero but there is nothing like sitting your azz in the saddle and getting stronger.
Yes, but...
All that said, wheels, the original subject of this thread, are friggin' expensive, no doubt. I'm the only local doode I know who rocks totally budget wheels on a 13yo road bike because I just can't wrap my head around the expense. But my recommendation would be to rent/borrow a front wheel and toss a wheelcover on your rear wheel. Again, because you have to wheels on race day and ^this^ method is very, very low cost.