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Jun 2016
11:10pm, 6 Jun 2016
30,810 posts
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Nellers
Cheers, Winded. Not much is me being non-technical and holding the old and new wheels in opposite hands with no tyres on them and having a barely-perceptible difference. The main benefit to me is that they feel faster! I enjoy the bike more now than I did before so I'll probably try to ride it more, which means I'll get fitter and probably faster. I reckon if I can get a bit more distance or speed for the same effort I'm onto a winner.
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Jun 2016
11:19pm, 6 Jun 2016
4,212 posts
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Winded
That way lies madness. There is just too much kit to buy!
Just wheels and you can get more speed - specialist climbing wheels or aero, more aero and TT. It is bewildering and hugely expensive.
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Jun 2016
11:24pm, 6 Jun 2016
4,214 posts
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Winded
5. Stiffness - for better power transference - there are probably other numbers too.
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Jun 2016
6:22am, 7 Jun 2016
1,700 posts
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MudMeanderer
"Unless you're Chris Froome". You could have picked someone who doesn't look like a broken windmill as an example of smoothness!  I'm not sure about the micro-acceleration idea - a slightly heavier wheel will have more inertia and so damp out any choppiness in pedaling style. Ignoring aerodynamics, on the flat a disc shouldn't be slower than a box section once up to speed despite the weight penalty.
There are numerous sources of minor gains, but don't underestimate psychology. If you believe a wheel is faster you'll find more in yourself. If you believe a tyre grips better you'll brake later and carry more pace through corners. It doesn't take much to add up.
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Jun 2016
8:09am, 7 Jun 2016
4,215 posts
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Winded
You haven't seen how choppy my pedalling style is
Of course you are right there are lots of sources of minor gains but there are also lots of sources of minor losses. Lighter wheels have less inertia and are more prone to slowing down during the less efficient part of the pedal stroke, heavy ones take more energy to speed up again. I strongly suggest that the energy required to speed up the heavier wheel a small amount is more than that required to speed up the lighter wheel a very slightly greater amount. That is ignoring aero which is quite hard to do at any speed fast enough to notice the inertia difference.
6. Decals - as MM points out my Mavic wheels are faster because they have Mavic written on them
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Jun 2016
8:15am, 7 Jun 2016
19,744 posts
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GlennR
I'm faster when I wear my Mavic socks.
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Jun 2016
8:40am, 7 Jun 2016
12,943 posts
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Yorkshire Pie
[tries to ignore people talking about faster wheels...]
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Jun 2016
8:40am, 7 Jun 2016
30,812 posts
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Nellers
I'm very suggestible. Having paid out for new wheels I'm SURE they are faster.😜
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Jun 2016
8:42am, 7 Jun 2016
12,944 posts
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Yorkshire Pie
The amount the wheels I'm looking at cost they'd *better* be faster. Not that I'm looking, *cough*
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Jun 2016
8:44am, 7 Jun 2016
19,747 posts
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GlennR
With your performances you should be able to get a sponsor to cough up for them, YP.
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