So how fast are your new wheels ?

Of course the rider is the biggest factor.

But I was surprised that half a pound (454g) off a wheelset would give you "less than a bike length" in a 250m sprint. He doesn't say how much less but I am presuming, not that much less. A bike length is a hell of a lot in a sprint, I didn't think it would be anywhere near that.

blorg wrote: »

But I was surprised that half a pound (454g) off a wheelset would give you "less than a bike length" in a 250m sprint. He doesn't say how much less but I am presuming, not that much less. A bike length is a hell of a lot in a sprint, I didn't think it would be anywhere near that.

Coincidentally I was doing lots of reading on wheels at the weekend and recognised this. It comes from here.

Our riders jump for the final sprint with 250 meters to go. Our Standard Rider is on 32 spoke standard wheels. Our Test Rider is on Specialized tri-spokes. Both riders jump at the same time with the same initial speed. Both riders have the same power profile (see plot below). They are identical in all other respects. Which one gets to the finish line first?

The Specialized rider would be ahead by 1 meter or 0.08 seconds.

@Lumen- yes brainfart on the 454g, well I am even more surprised in that case!

@Diarmuid- I think that case with the tri-spokes is due to aero, not weight saving. I would not be so surprised at the aero giving a 1 meter benefit. 227g, I would be very surprised.

1 meter is a hell of a lot in a final sprint, I have lost a fair few by far less.

Of course, but we all agree that the rider is the most important variable. I have read, incidentally, that Cavendish is more aero than his rivals, despite actually having a lower power output. He certainly looks lower in that pic.

After the rider, though, we are looking at equipment. If we didn't care about equipment at all, we would all be riding entry level bikes with 32 spoke box section wheels.

The point is- and this isn't always grasped by non-racers- that the gains given by equipment are very small, BUT that very small gains can be significant in the context of a race.

I am reminded of the A4 thread where someone reckoned the speed of the winner would be 25mph, while the speed "at the back of the bunch" would be 20mph- while the difference between the winner and the back of the bunch is often more like 0.01mph (technically, they would actually get the same time if in the same bunch.)

1%, 6 seconds in a hill climb, 1 metre in a sprint, etc. etc. - these are potentially very significant- in a race. I've lost a sprint by a tyre width! Not so much in a leisure ride, sportive etc.

Again, training, position, tactics, all more important... but after all of that we want the best chance possible with our equipment.

Lumen wrote: »

Unless you're Brian Ahern, for example, who kicks arse using 36 spoke box section wheels. But since he rides Lance's bike I guess I the overall package is full of win.

As everyone's favourite cyclist says, it's not about the bike. But we all agree on that as a starting point.