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Single Speeders: Weightweenie vs Aero wheelset

2K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  chazpat 
#1 ·
I'm putting together a SS gravel bike and stuck on the wheelset. My existing bikes are steel but this one is carbon and I'm in a semi-weightweenie mode.

I'm trying to make a decision on which rim to go with for a custom wheel build. Tires will be tubeless of course and between 33-40c. I'll be riding mostly paved roads, some gravel and hilly but tame singletrack.

My first reaction is to go with the light 280g rims. But I just started reading about aero wheels so now I'm thinking the 390g wheelset would be a nice middle ground. I'm concerned about going with the full aero wheels thinking they will get damaged offroad (these rims are rated for gravel). But I really don't know if any of this matters, I'm just riding for fun!

Would love to get your thoughts as singlespeeders!

White Line Parallel Diagram Circle

280g

Line Darkness Carmine Black Symbol

390g

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460g
 
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#4 ·
Modern aero rims are better (faster) in cross winds than low profile rims.

And, any time you hit 14mph or so, you can attain some benefits from aero considerations.

That said, unless this is a SS CX or gravel bike, the wide MTB tires are going to throw everything for a loop.

You'd be better off with an S-Works Evade, a skin suit and shaving your legs.

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#3 ·
Always post your weight when asking weight weenie wheel questions.

On a SS the only place you'll benefit from an aero rim is on a DH when your coasting.

As a SSer I choose durability over weight every time.

Riding for fun? Go with the middle rim.
 
#7 ·
There's more to this than weight and rim depth. I'd be curious to know the model and manufacturers of the rims.

That said, the only time I'd consider anything 'aero' would be on my road bike, and even then I'm not at a level of riding where I believe I'd feel the benefits
 
#11 ·
There's more to this than weight and rim depth. I'd be curious to know the model and manufacturers of the rims.
Can you elaborate on this? Why does the brand matter?

The more important question to me is how much the OP weighs. If it's more than 150lbs I'd be weary of riding a 280g rim. If it's a race day wheelset, you've already maxed out your fitness, and your not concerned with long term durability, fine. But if this is a fun bike (not a race bike) and this will be your only wheelset, I'd want more durable wheels.
 
#9 ·
The rims are Nextie. The first rim listed is their Premium carbon T800/T700. The second and third rims are their T700 gravel rims. They will be laced with CX Ray spokes and DT Swiss 240 hubs.

WAvery makes a good point. To benefit from an aero rim design, do the tires have to be as narrow as the rim?
 
#15 ·
It's not my bike, but saving 200g at the expense of durability is not a trade off I'm willing to make on my personal equipment. (FYI I'm 215 lbs with gear)

At our size I don't think your going to gain anything from the lighter rims, and the aero thing is silly IMO. Those belong on a TT bike.

I think the middle rim you posted is an excellent rim for your application. Those wheels will be sweet and durable.
 
#16 ·
I'd go with the 390 rims. You may end up smacking them pretty good at some point on single track or even gravel and why worry about riding too weak of a rim when you do or having to really baby the bike because of the rims?
 
#18 ·
I just went to the Nextie site and checked out that rim. The weight rating is 242lbs, much higher than I would have expected. Maybe it's not as fragile as the 280g suggest. They just sound too light to be that strong, but I'm not an engineer.

I know how much stuff I break on my own bikes. Frames, rear hubs, BB's, tires, you name it. It sucks so I error on the side of durability.

Like I said before, even if that rim is strong enough for you I don't think you have much to gain from an ultra light rim. Maybe as a compromise you could use the stronger rim in the back and the lightweight rim in the front?
 
#19 ·
At your weight I wouldn't worry about an extra 100g per wheel. For gravel riding I'm not convinced there is a big enough aero advantage, especially once you put some 40c tires on the wheel and throw in the added drag from knobs and less smooth road surfaces. This article https://silca.cc/blogs/journal/part-5-tire-pressure-and-aerodynamics might help you make a decision as well.

If it were me, I think I'd go with the 390g rims.
 
#26 ·
Appreciate the input. Surprised that most everyone suggested the 390g Gravel rim given that aero doesn't seem to be a factor. Why not just go with the 280g MTB rim instead? It's rated to 60psi and within my weight, not sure what I'm missing??
I'll admit I'm anti weight weenie for 90% of people that ask these questions. It's stupid IMO. It won't make you faster, it won't improve your riding experience in any measurable way. All it will do is potentially cause expensive repairs, down time while your waiting on parts and a rebuild, or worst case an injury from a crash.

At your weight there's nothing to be gained. Your not racing so why go extreme weight weenie???

280g is ultra light. Think about it, the aero road rim you posted weighs 460g.

Honestly I don't care what the rim is rated for, if I was building wheels with that rim I would fully expect it to break, just a matter of time.

All that said, if you want to use the light rims (and clearly you do) then just do it. It will probably be fine if you take it easy and don't plow into things on a bike with "skinny" tires and no suspension. If you ride like me, those rims are a bad idea. I use my cross bike offroad a good amount of the time and am not afraid of rocks, roots, small drops, etc.
 
#27 ·
I've got zero experience breaking parts due to weight. My other two bikes are steel: a 29+ and a monstercross. While they have decent components, I don't think weightweenie would ever be used to describe them at over 25+lbs each. What I'm putting together now would be my first sub-20lbs bike, a gravel/road bike, so very possible. Having not owned one before, the excitement of a light bike brought out a bit of weightweenie in me. Could I pull off a 17lbs build (for less than 4k) at my weight?

When I started to Google wheelsets the search results included aero wheels. I did a bit of reading and watched some videos and aero seemed legit, but these were exclusively road bikes with the riders in full aero kits. So I posted here and what I've learned is aero benefits don't apply if the tires are 40c and the rim is 30c. So why go with the heavier gravel rim over a lighter MTB rim? If a heavier rim weight=durability, I get it. Just unsure in this case because the mfg is rating one rim for gravel use and the other for MTB.

I don't take myself riding bikes too seriously, I'm just out for fun and fitness. I know that I won't be gaining any super powers because my wheelset is 200g lighter. Or even if I pull off the 17lbs build, I'm not all of a sudden going to beat my buddies that are faster than me now. It's all about the motor and I need to spend more time improving that. :-\
 
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