Do you sometimes like heavy wheels?

Back by popular demand, the general all-things Road forum!

Moderator: robbosmans

victorduraace
Posts: 230
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:10 pm

by victorduraace

Yes, it will sound like blasphemy on WW, but do some of you enjoy putting on heavy set of wheels (say 36 hole Mavic CXP), well over 2kg for flat rides. My tubular light hoops seem to lose momentum so quickly and require constant pedalling, while heavy ones do not.
While I love the feel and acceleration of my nimble tubular set, I also enjoy flywheel effect of my heaviest hoops for some rides.
They also carry speed so well and are apparently stiffer.
What's your opinion?
cheers
Victor

Zoro
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:52 am

by Zoro

While I can't see the physics part makes it better, there may be something to the on/off pedaling style - and heavier wheels support that. I was going through that with my son just this morning on maybe using a heavier (disc) on a TT vs. some light 55 mm profiles.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



bm0p700f
in the industry
Posts: 5777
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 7:25 pm
Location: Glermsford, Suffolk U.K
Contact:

by bm0p700f

For flat ride wheel weight makes little difference to how fast you can go.

User avatar
btompkins0112
Posts: 2635
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:04 am
Location: Mississippi

by btompkins0112

Yes, I certainly agree. I ride my 1700g 28/28 XC279s more than my lighter XR19w wheelset because there is little performance gain for the pound lost.


Zoro
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:52 am

by Zoro

bm0p700f wrote:For flat ride wheel weight makes little difference to how fast you can go.

Reasons to go light on the flats...
-Heavier wheels by definition have more mass. If that mass is pushing wind (like extra spokes) rather than flowing it, that's not good.
-Sometime bad roads, winds may through the bike and the rider has to bring it back on track. Heavier wheels add to the overall inertia and the rider has to overcome changes in inertia using their own energy.
-Riding in a pack...as above, if there are lots of changes in inertia, and with good racers there will be purposely caused changes, the heavier wheels just take more work.

Reasons to go heavy on flats...
-Rider does not want to lose speed when coasting. Esp. the case where speed is above where the rider may be comfortable spinning.
A technique of spin fast, coast, spin fast, coast can be faster than a continuous spin. Of course the solution may be a bigger gear - which is not always an option for junior racers.

bm0p700f
in the industry
Posts: 5777
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 7:25 pm
Location: Glermsford, Suffolk U.K
Contact:

by bm0p700f

Also heavier wheels are good for training on lumpy routes so currently I am riding my Nemesis wheel on old DA hubs. These weight 1.9kg and while they are harder work that is exactly what I want now.

dual
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:55 pm

by dual

+1. I too have a set of Nemesis on 7700 hubs, 32 DT Comp 3x each, with Veloflex Roubaix on them. Comfortwise about as good as it gets. They are indeed heavy and i love them.

Geoff
Posts: 5395
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:25 am
Location: Canada

by Geoff

Yeah, but not because they're heavy. Super strong wheels (and tires) are heavy, that's just the way it is. Heavy wheels rule. Can't win if you can't finish...

HillRPete
Posts: 2284
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 8:08 am
Location: Pedal Square

by HillRPete

The wheels need to compliment the bike. Case in point, I used to run a CX frame for winter bike, with 36h Open Pros and Shimano hubs, but never found real joy in the combo. Now I put those wheels on another (a road) frame, total weight being very similar, and it feels just great. The CX frame in the meantime has been fitted with 650b wheels, voluminous tyres, and a flat bar, and is making me grin on rough terrain.

dual
Posts: 142
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:55 pm

by dual

Who the heck would love wheels *because* they're heavy? Just doesn't make sense... :lol:

But: Like the OP i kinda appreciated their "flywheel effect" in that they rolled really not bad, when i was living where it's flat.

Slagter
Posts: 250
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:42 am

by Slagter

If heavier wheels means more durable wheels, then my answer is yes to the question.

At this time of year the weather here in Scandinavia os cold and wet (-2 <-> +5 C/ 28 <-> 41 F). And all the dirt and sand from the road sticks to the rims and brake pads. It´s only a matter of weeks/few months, before this cocktail kills the braking surface on light wheels with thin braking surface.

In the matter of performance, light wheels IMHO will always be better...

User avatar
Calnago
In Memoriam
Posts: 8612
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2010 9:14 pm

by Calnago

My Nemesis/Record/DT Comp wheels are really my favorite wheels to ride. The stability is markedly better than any light deeper profile carbon offering I've used. I wondered why this was the case at first, and I'm still not sure, but I do think it's more than just the wind factor against the higher profile of the carbon rims. So as a very unscientific experiment I took a Nemesis front wheel and spun it while holding the axle ends in my hands, and while it was spinning I twisted it around a bit from side to side etc as if to mimic what's happening when it is in the fork. I did the same thing with my light Bora front wheel. The Nemesis really wanted to return to it's most stable position a lot more forcefully than the Bora, which almost felt a bit wonky doing the same things. Try it. Anyway, I attributed to kind of a "gyroscopic" effect as a result of more weight further out from the axle, even though I'm not really sure what that is other than playing with gyroscopes as a kid.
But, in real world riding, I feel much, much more stable descending at speed down a twisty descent on the Nemesis than I do on the Boras or other higher profile carbon wheels I've tried. As for climbing, I guess if I was racing I might want a lighter wheel (the Nemesis/Record combo is 1740g I think or thereabouts, but then again I like to feel confident on the descent so I don't know. But for just riding anywhere and everywhere I absolutely love these wheels. Bulletproof, easily maintained, and the record hubs just spin and spin and spin. And I do like the glistening silver spokes.
For flat rides in a group, I'll take the Boras, even if psychologically I "look" faster with them. :lol:
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ

Burgunder
Posts: 60
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 7:36 am

by Burgunder

It's seems that Sosenka used a wheelset that weighed 3.2 kg. for the UCI hour record so I think he will agree that a heavy wheelset is sometimes preferable.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



User avatar
Zen Cyclery
Shop Owner
Posts: 1244
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 5:27 am
Location: McCall, ID
Contact:

by Zen Cyclery

Sometimes I like the feel of a heavier rim especially when on the flats. It feels more like a freight train where as super light rims feel twitchy and unpredictable. With that said though I think that weight is a less important factor than the width/depth and overall profile.

Post Reply