KONA wheels less deep?

Robert Sabo

It seemed that at Kona yesterday the Pros were not using very deep wheels.  Frodo looked like he had 404 equivalents and Cam Wurf the new bike record holder was riding what looked like 303 front and 404 rear.  Is this a new aero strategy for Kona?

Turby Wright

I used a 30mm up front instead of a 60 mostly for the descent from Hawi. Really good choice for me! I figured the extra depth isn't helping me if I'm sitting up!

Al Truscott

There's a reason disc wheels are disallowed...

But then, fashions come and go. Notice all the sleeves on everyone now? Next year, after Lange's win, we'll all be racing with little pockets inside our trisuit fronts to hold a small bottle of Coke.

Josh Church

Haha that's what I thought also @Al Truscott

Mike Roberts

I rode 404/808 and am glad I didn't have anything deeper up front. The cross winds on the descent from Hawi were legit. Sitting up made them worse. So, a lot of time low, one arm in an armrest, the other on a drop. Speed could be had, but skill and a bit of fearlessness were required. 

Paul Hough

If I ever do Kona, I will ride something like a 303-404 depth.  Meanwhile, @Coach Patrick rode my Enve 8.9 wheelset which has an 80mm front.  He rode a 5:02 bike split.  I know he felt as a bigger guy that he can handle deeper, plus without a downtube, his Ventum is less susceptible to cross drafts.  Still, I'll be interested in his feedback on whether the wheels were too deep or not for this year's crosswinds.  

Dave Tallo

Robert, my quick review showed a lot of M pros were on 80mm+ rims ... See http://www.tririg.com/galleries.php?id=2017_10_Kona_Race_Day&num=64.   

Though just one F pro on a deeper front, from what I can see.  

I actually thought there would have been more sponsored pros on the new scalloped 808s - zipp really seem to be pitching these as improvements for dealing with exactly the type of winds that occur in kona. 

Jeff Cornick

Dave Tallo said:

Robert, my quick review showed a lot of M pros were on 80mm+ rims ... See http://www.tririg.com/galleries.php?id=2017_10_Kona_Race_Day&num=64.   

Though just one F pro on a deeper front, from what I can see.  

I actually thought there would have been more sponsored pros on the new scalloped 808s - zipp really seem to be pitching these as improvements for dealing with exactly the type of winds that occur in kona. 

Not to take away from the discussion of the deep wheels but I noticed that Andy Potts had disc brakes.  That surprised me a bit but I'm also not up on the latest trend of tri stuff either.