Reymolds MV32T and Gusty Wind.

[Bridgeman]

Been thinking about posting about a nasty characteristic of the MV32T wheel but haven't gotten around to doing so, until today as this was by far my worst encounter over the 6 or 7 years I've owned the pair.

On average, about 3 times per year, I will get my front end knocked away from me, like someone punched the front end of my wheel. This happens under swirling and windy conditions. Always happens when I'm in the front or alone. When it happens when I am alone, I'm left looking around to make sure someone didn't do this!

Today, while on a moderate downhill with gusty winds at around 30mph, in an instant and without warning I got knocked so hard that I almost went down. After we had gotten onto the flats and in calmer conditions my friend who is a long time and highly accomplished trackie asked me what had happened and that it looked really bad from his perspective on my wheel. He went so far as to compliment me on my bike handling skills. It was that severe.

Normally, I can handle extremely gusty wind with these wheels. I can take being pushed around by very high side winds but it's the weird, out of nowhere wheel punches for lack of a better description that I find very alarming.

I have my ideas on why this wheel does this, and though this is a bit of a moot point as they are a somewhat dated design, I'd still like to hear if anyone else has experienced this artifact with this wheel. Also, I am 6'3" and 190lbs.

I'll be moving on to the Enve 3.4 or 6.7 in the near future.

[ultyguy]

I've got the same wheels, about a full year on them in racy conditions. I'm 5'10" 165 lbs and haven't had any major problems with them. Yes, they jump around a bit on windy days, but definitely are a lot more stable than some Reynolds 46 ones that I have that truly make me cry for mommy on windy day descents. What kind of saddle/bar drop do you run? Maybe you don't have much of that weight distributed on your hands? I think weight distribution on the bike has a huge effect on wind stability regardless of your total weight.

[Fourthbook]

I had a set of MV32-ULs and would be blown around pretty severely in 15+ mph crosswinds (I'm 5'-7" and 155 lbs). I switched to Enve 3.4s and the crosswinds are much less bothersome...

[Bridgeman]

Thank you for your thoughts and observations. Been asking around and it appears that maybe the problem could be related to the small front tire I use, which is a 19mm width. The consensus is that if I went to a 23mm there may be less of a chance that, under strong gusty crosswinds conditions, the air passing over the rim surfaces could become interrupted and result in a low pressure on an area of one side of the rim.

[WMW]

With a narrow tire you will get some lift effect on the front part of the wheel, while the rim is pointy enough that you probably won't on the back. It's that differential in force the torques the steering.

With a wide tire, you basically screw up the aero all around. That might work.

[Johnny Rad]

I previously rode Reynolds Attacks (32mm) and Assaults (46mm). Only on rare occasions did gusting crosswinds make me nervous with these wheelsets; however, the shallower Attacks were certainly more stable. I do believe that, over time, I became more accustomed to riding in the wind and therefore more confident with my bike handling skills.

Now I'm on MadFibers (60/66mm) and they require more attention in gusty crosswinds than both of my outgoing Reynolds. How much you ask? Hmm. If my Assaults required x% more attention than the shallower Attacks, then the deeper MadFibers require that same amount more than the Assaults - does that make any sense?!

[Zigmeister]

This is the issue with deep-v rims. I can assure you, the only fix is box aluminum, or the new toroida/aero wheels. They really completely eliminate the slamming/twisting/torquing/jerking effect gusty winds have on the wheel. That is by design, particularly in Xwinds. You get a nudge on the front wheel, unless some gusts really kick up, but still nowhere as bad as a deep-v wheel.

That is just the nature of the deep-v designs. Best thing to come out the past 2yrs IMO, toroidal/aero wheels. Makes for an overall smoother, more aero and better ride.

[LouisN]

I faced some heavy winds like I rarely experienced before last saturday. At times I had to stop pedaling to concentrate on keeping the bike from slipping under me, or being pushed too far to the side. I even had to turn my back at the wind when there was heavy bursts to use it as a sail and have more bracing on the bike.
I had my 25mm alloy rims on with 23mm tubulars and CX ray spokes, and I seriously thought about what would have happened if I had my 60 mm wheels !!!
I never tried the new wider rounder shaped rims, so can't comment on their real effects on very strong side winds...

Louis

[Grill]

Never had an issue with my Attacks in the wind, and even my RZR 46's take a hell of a gale to lose composure. I'm 5'11" and 170lbs so it's not like I'm hulking these things down.