@57kg Should I go with low depth wheels on the flats? OR is it a good idea to grab a pair of 38 depth or even 50mm deep for flat roads/crits? My question is.. At my weight, what would the pros and cons be concerning weight vs. aerodynamics?

A sweeping statement is that for smaller riders aero equipment often makes a bigger difference in % of the total wind drag picture(i.e. a 100 drag reduction means more to a person who has a total aero drag of 2500 grams than someone with 3000 grams).

50mm really shouldn't be that much of a problem even if you're light.

So would you say I should get the 50 mm instead of the 38? what makes somone prefer the 38's over the 50's? Also what if they were the same weight?

Your initial question had nothing to do with your body weight, which you provided.

Are you asking about your weight and how it may affect crosswind forces on your wheels due to the wheel's rim depth?

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Exp001

I'm exactly your weight and wind can really blow me away when I use 50mm rims. It doesn't happen often but when the wind is really strong and it comes unexpected...
But as long as you keep an eye on the weather and wind directions the 50's should be fine.

I used to think that I couldn't get away with a really deep wheel set for road use due to my size (59kg), but then a friend of mine turned me on to the newest generation of Hed wheels. The design of modern race wheels is totally different from the older, 'V' profile rims. The wheels are really stable in wind.

As a test, I rode a set of Hed 6/9s for a good part of last season, including wind conditions that I would not have been comfortable riding a pair of old-style 45s (15-20 knots). I was very surprised to find that I had no problems.

I have recently received a new Hed 9 front, which I will glue-up this winter to ride in the spring. I will try them on one of our stupid windy days (like, 30 knots!) just to see if it can be done.

Yes sorry for the confusion. I don't really know how to work the question but. Since I am so light it it wise to just get the lightest wheels available or should I save some money and go for a nice aero wheel? So I think the question boils down to ultra light weight, or more weight but better aerodynamics. I would really like to go down the aero wheels path, but I'm not sure if I want to get a pair of 38's or 50's since these wheels will be race wheels and I would like to use them for crits and road races. I am afraid that on a windy day they will be problematic.

-Chris

+1 what Geoff said, I went from Mavic Carbones (~52mm?) to Bontrager Aeolus 6.5 (65mm) and side wind stability improved with the deeper rim presumably because of the toroidal shape the Bonty's use. Looks like either Zipp 808s or a 606s for the next season (I'm a tubby 63kg). I figure at my weight I'm more likely to get killed on flatter terrain than going up so I choose wheels that help cover my weakness (not that Zipp tubies are that heavy anyways).

Any deep deep-v rim is going to be nasty in the wind (a heavy-weight sprinter teammate of mine wouldn't ride Reynolds 66s in wind because he would get blown around and he has 15kg on me) but the newer shapes from Zipp/Hed/Bontrager (well...Hed) all do pretty amazing in side winds,

I am about to pull the trigger on HED Stinger 4/6 Fr Rr with a 6Fr for calmer days...
I am 79kgs... and HATE cross wind pulling on the bike...

Maybe look at he HED stinger 4;s as a great compromise.. they have aero similar to many others 60mm rims with better cross wind perfomance and at a weight which is still not laborious to drag up hill...
Similar argument for Zipp equivalent product here too... just to be impartial in this instance..

So they support your weakness and complement your strength.. not a bad solution...

As others have said, your weight is only an issue in cross winds. It also depends on how fast you go. The faster you're going the more the relative wind direction comes from the front, and the less impact cross winds have. If you are powerful and/or riding in large groups you'll be less affected than if you will be using them for slower solo riding (i.e. non-drafting events).

Obviously the aero-weight trade-off depends on your courses as well, even on flat courses. On a crit course with a lot of stop-start corners the weight of the wheels may be more of a consideration than aerodynamics as it dramatically effects acceleration.

You didn't say how much you're looking to pay. Weight and aerodynamics aren't always mutually exclusive... if you have very deep pockets. My Lightweight clinchers feel as fast as my 404 tubulars, but are significantly lighter (I actually think they're pretty much the perfect wheel and am selling my 404s and 808s and using the Lightweights for everything except TTs, where I'll buy or hire a disc and a 1080 or trispoke).

Finally, it depends on your level of skill and confidence. Some people are more freaked out by cross wind buffeting than others.

Ultimately it's not a question anyone can answer for you- you need to try it . See if you can borrow or rent a pair to try first. Zipp have a demo programme, and there are a number of companies that hire race wheels.

If it helps:

I am 56.7 Kg. I have ridden:

38's
45's
65's
clincher and tubular

I have not had a problem with winds. With strong gusts I get pushed a little, but I do with 25mm rims, but, in my experience, the more you ride a deep rim the better your handling gets and you are just fine.

I don't hesitate to ride my 65's at all. I rode them the most this last year.

I am looking at Easton 38mm carbon wheels, And the Soul c 5.0 carbon tubular, and for training I am looking at the soul S 2.0 sl. So I would like some input on either the Easton Or Soul wheels, tubular of course.

-Chris

I would be interested in hearing more ride reports from lightweight riders on toroidal rims. I used to have a pair of DV46Cs and never had much trouble controlling them, though there was a time that a strong crosswind blew me into the opposing lane of traffic. That's made me think twice about deeper wheels. I'm now on zipp 101s which are obviously easier to handle, but like everyone else I do lust after something super deep like 404s or 808s.

How light are you? I'm 59kg and have had no problems with the Hed 6/9s over the majority of last season. I have ridden them in winds that I wouldn't have dared gone out on on my old-style 46s. I will ride 9s front and rear next season and report...

Hmm the rider is a weight weenie himself