Sunday, July 17, 2011

Wheel Lust

It took me 3 days to recover from that really hard ride on Monday morning, and the fatigue was just crushing. Riding with the slow group, I am just bored silly, so I really want to be able to ride with the fast group and NOT end up crushed for days.

I bought my OpenPro/Shimano 6700 wheels for durability, and love them for that, but pushing 32 spokes front and back on a shallow rim is adding a lot of work. Added to a right bundle branch block, which makes the left and right side of  my heart beat more and more out of synch as my pulse rate goes up, it adds up to me needing a more slippery front wheel.

By the time the air gets to the back wheel it's so hopelessly broken up that aero rear wheels aren't very effective - especially on a non-aero frame. For the front wheel however, in nice clean air, it's very effective. To make wheels more aero you need fewer, aero spokes, and 30mm or more of rim depth.

I've been looking at wheels from 30mm to 80mm, and given I don't have a spare front wheel yet, think the Mavic Cosmic Elite might just do the trick. At around $200 it should make just enough difference on the flats to keep me safe and sane.


Of course, if I had more money to play with, I'd opt for the Cosmic Carbone SL, but at almost $600 I'd need more of a reason than 5-7 BPM on club rides to justify the expense.  Still, when my lottery ticket wins, I'm there! (SRAM also makes interesting S60 60mm and S80 80mm offerings, but they are heavier and more expensive)


5-7 BPM may not seem like much, but it would drop me down out of Zone 5, and I know from a lot of experience, that staying in Zone 5 for more than a few minutes dramatically adds to my recovery time. Of course, I could just ask the guys to slow down... like THAT's going to happen.

2 comments:

Gotta Run..... said...

I am all for option #2. SWEET WHEELS!!!!!

I know you already know all about recovery but I can tell the biggest difference when I get it in within 15 minutes of riding.

Still, love that you are crushing it out on the road again.

Grey Beard said...

Agree, for reloading glycogen, the 1st 15 minutes are critical. Like riding from my front door for that reason.

I was thinking the pricy wheel was perfect for your Tri. More speed with less work. Your wheels are already 30mm deep, so you have to spend $500 to save some watts.

The SRAM S60s would have been nice when everything was 15% off for the Roseville store's grand opening. $475 out of pocket, and $112 in double dividends, so about $365.