As a general rule, bike technology is a waste of money. I mean you can spend £3,500 on a Campag 12 speed groupset, but the marginal difference in speed is almost nothing compared to a 2nd hand 10-speed dura ace groupset. Shimano and Campag keep pushing us to more cassette sprockets, but they don’t really make any difference. This ‘Improvement’ in technology can be annoying. I was selling a Zipp 202 rear wheel, and it was so old, it was actually 10 speed hub. For several years I was racing with a 11 speed cassette, but with one cog taken off. It was always a little bit fiddly and gears not super smooth, but I could never justify buying a whole wheel, just to get a 1mm bigger hub.
Anyway, there is one exception to this rule that spending money on bike equipment is a waste of money. When you do hill climbs, weight does make a difference. When I won the national hill climb championship in 2013, the winning margin was 2 seconds. With an elevation gain of 253 metres, I calculated that 2 seconds was the equivalent of 700 grams. If my bike (or myself) had been 800 grams heavier, then physics suggests I would probably have been 2nd. So all the spending on lightweight components was kind of worth it.
For quite a few years, I rode some old Zipp 404 wheels, but for the 2012 season, I splashed out on some lightweight wheels. I got a front wheel from AX Lightness, with a claimed weight of 365 grams. With a Vittoria tub glued on, the actual measured weight is 570 grams.
2012 – Snake Pass
My first race with the new wheels was the 2012 Snake pass hill climb. I had been training in NY during August on a $800 bike, probably weighing around 9kg. The race was the first time I would use the wheels. I think that Trek Madone with racing wheels was in the region of 5.2kg. I couldn’t believe how fast it was. It was such a great feeling. I flew up the Snake Pass and set a new course record 11.40. It was probably a better effort, than 2013 when I improved the course record to 11.34 with the help of a strong tailwind. Snake Pass was always a good event, it was the right kind of climb for me, and I think every year, the wind was favourable.
- 2012 – 11.40 – 1st. CR – Snake Pass 2012
- 2013 – 11.36.6 – 1st CR Snake Pass 2013
- 2014 – 11.51 – 1st – Snake Pass 2014
Anyway, whenever I went from training wheels to racing wheels, there was always a noticeable sense of free speed.
I’m surprised the course record still stands 11 years later. I’m sure the likes of Ed Laverack and Andrew Feather will be able to break the record, when they get the same favourable tailwind I had in 2013.
Post-2016 and selling wheels.
When I started to get injured, and unable to do intervals. I was reluctant to sell the wheels because
- a) you always lose a lot of the initial purchase price
- b) you always hope you will get over the problem and get back into racing.
Before, you know it – 8 years have passed since you were last in racing shape, and you kind of realise there’s not much likelihood of ever getting back into the kind of fitness, where super-lightweight wheels are going to be the difference.
Generally, I tend to have a Zen attitude to material possessions, if it’s not useful or beautiful, put it on ebay or give to a charity shop. This philosophy can have its drawbacks. Many times, I’ve got rid of equipment only to need it later. But, I hung on to wheels quite a long time, I was surprisingly attached to a wheel, weighing just 570 grams.
Anyway, if you want super-fast wheel, with nice bit of history, it is available here.
Great post Tejvan and funnily enough I’ve got these wheels for my HC bike. 😊
Enjoyed the read and so true
Very interesting Tejvan.
I know you have had issues that have prevented you training properly to do hill climbs competitively, but surely it would be good to keep one super light race bike to take out occasionally. It will slowly gain classic status as all the new iterations of bikes come along.
Very much enjoy your posts.
I’ve got a set of 10 speed Zipp 202’s with Corsa Speed tubs on and love them, feel so fast compared to training wheels