by solarider on Mon Jan 09, 2012 10:51 pm
Nah, I run Zipp 202s with Vittoria Pave tubs as my winter wheels on a titanium bike. Perfect for the winter.
Plenty strong enough, puncture resistant, and easily fixed with sealant on the rare occasion (rarer than clinchers) that you might puncture. As a last resort, I carry a spare tub which is as quick to change as a clincher.
Very rarely (and I am talking about once every few winters rather than every few weeks) when you have a show stopping puncture, and you have used your spare tub, I just put it down to 'Shit Happens'.
Unless you are really training for something why not enjoy riding all year round? Riding through the winter is miserable enough already without putting up with heavy wheels unless you really need the workout.
I do understand the need for strength, but strength doesn't need to equate to weight.
As the famous saying goes 'Strong, light, cheap - pick 2'. I do understand and appreciate that these aren't exactly budget wheels, but in the other 2 respects they are spot on.
I also understand that it makes sense to wreck something cheap with salt and grime. But I also understand the need to enjoy every minute on the bike. Those minutes are precious enough in an otherwise hectic life, so I choose to invest a bit more in making them as enjoyable as they can be.
For me the only difference between a winter bike and any other bike is grime protection (mudguards for you, regular cleaning, lubrication and ACF-50 for the bike) and perhaps more strength and reliability than you would expect from super-dooper WW raceday only or summer equipment. If something lets you down in the summer it is annoying, but in the winter it is somewhat less fun standing on the side of the road fixing it in the cold and rain.
That's all a slightly alternative view from 'the norm' I know, but it's the one I subscribe to.