How deep is too deep?

[amngwlvs]

5 hrs drive north east of MOntréal, Qc. ( always a 3 hrs drive too far away from any bike event .... .........)

Louis

I feel you on that! Other than the one Centurion event each September that is about an hour away the majority of my race calendar is a few hour drive each way. That's probably why I only do a couple a year.

Everyone is different, but I have 46mm deep rims that I ride all the time, and 88mm rims for TTs. I'm 185lbs, have zero issues with the 46's, in any weather, in a group, etc. But I wouldn't ride the 88's in a group, I can handle them, but a good gust will still push me pretty good. For me, the 88's are solo only, but as always, ymmv.

Thanks for the reply. Similar weight would leave me to believe I'd be in a similar situation. I'll have to test these wheels solo before I commit to buying or racing them.

Thanks!

[wintershade]

As other have said, it will depend on the type of riding you're doing, how much you weigh, bike handling skills, wind conditions, rim profile/shape. There is no one size fits all answer. I have 7 sets of wheels for this reason (and partially because I'm trying to decide what I like).

If I could only have one wheelset, it would probably be my WTO 45 or Zipp 303 NSW. 45mm is kind of the perfect all-around depth that can also handle extremely windy days and doesn't make my asshole pucker frequently on decents.

If you don't experience much windy riding, then ENVE 5.6 is where I'd go next. I just got a set and love them. I found the 5 front significantly easier to manage than my Zipp 404 NSWs, which I hated, and sold. The 5 front is a very manageable wheel. I use it on my TT rig with an ENVE Disc. It's an incredible setup.

I have 808 NSWs and almost never ride them. I'm going to sell them whenever I get around to taking some photos. The front wheel really does get pushed around a lot, and you really feel the added weight accelerating.

My Bora 35 tubulars are probably my favorite wheels. They just are so slight and accelerate so well, and crosswinds are NEVER and issue. I also have Bora 50 clinchers, which really are much more noticable in the wind. But I prefer the WTO 45s and 5.6 to the Bora 50s. So I'm selling those to a buddy of mine soon.

So bottom line is, I'd probably go for something in the 45 to 60mm depth. I'm a lightweight so-so bike handler, so I'd lean do the 45 end of the spectrum and go WTO 45 or Zipp 303. If you're a bigger guy and more confident and don't live somewhere as windy as San Francisco, maybe go for 50-60mm. I'd lean to ENVE 5.6 or maybe Bora WTO 60.

[TobinHatesYou]

wintershade, today was a rare day where I took out Emonda because it has the 202s on it right now. Blustery!

[gwerziou]

What’s a good depth for terrain where you want some aero but there are a lot of steep hills and climbing involved?

[TobinHatesYou]

What’s a good depth for terrain where you want some aero but there are a lot of steep hills and climbing involved?

40-50mm

[romanmoser]

yes

[hannawald]

What’s a good depth for terrain where you want some aero but there are a lot of steep hills and climbing involved?

40-50mm

Because of climbing or because of going down? 56mm LB disc rims are 460g, it is like many alu rims or similar to Cosmic SL UST 45mm rims..

[pdlpsher1]

The weight penalty between by my Bora 35 Ultra and Bora 50 One is only 120g. I only use the 35 in the winter when winds can be strong and unpredictable.


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[gwerziou]

The weight penalty between by my Bora 35 Ultra and Bora 50 One is only 120g. I only use the 35 in the winter when winds can be strong and unpredictable.


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Theoretically, would you use a WTO 45 in the winter?

[Stueys]

Agree with what's been said, I think something like an Enve 5.6 is the sweet spot in terms of aero/stability/weight. I run an old set of 4.5's at 78-80kg and have zero issue with them in resonably windy conditions.

[pdlpsher1]

Not really. The Bora 35 is already too tall for my liking in the strong winds. The strong winds I get comes from the west. And the roads I ride on are north-south and east-west. So rim shape doesn’t play a role when I get a pure crosswind. I had thought about getting the Fulcrum Carbon Zero but I dislike the wide aluminum spokes. I do like the idea of replacing my Bora 50 with a WTO 45.


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[gwerziou]

When conditions here in Seattle get super windy, like above 20 mph or thereabouts, I usually use my other wheels, as in, I drive my car. But back to bicycles, I also see the new version of the Easton EC90 SL disc at 38mm depth/ 1485 grams as pretty interesting. It has a lot of seals for wet conditions as well.

[wolfesquire]

I rode Enve 8.9s for a year as I live in a VERY flat area (even the bridges aren't steep). Did my bike look flashy? yes. Did it make me go faster? no. If anything I felt slower as it was just too much wheel.

As everyone is saying, 50-60mm is the sweet spot if you want to go deep.