I am in a bind about wheelset choices...

Between a 1400 gram 24/28 spoke 22mm rim wheel

AND

a 1500 20/24 bladed spoke 30mm rim...



I know that for just those 100 gr, the 30mm looks like the clear choice, BUT I have been admitted by the manufacturer that the 30mm is so close in weight because it actually uses a rim that may be slightly more susceptible to crashes (niobium)... So is those 9mm worth it to have a heaviear, weaker, more flexy (less spokes), wheelset???

Do you think a 22mm lightweight wheel with 24/28 will actually be so horrible in the wind, compared to the deeper wheel... I know Zipp actually says under 38mm it's all mental.

So, help me choose please. These wheels, I would like to be light, and I ride in a pack a lot, but don't want to think I'm missing out on an advantage when on a breakaway or something because I didn't have the slightly more aero wheels.

Unless you are just missing the podium, the differences in these wheels are not going to mean squat in your riding/racing. If you are just missing the podium, then you need a light set of climbing wheels AND a set of aero wheels where breakaways are a possibility. Then you put on the best guess wheels for the race day. The difference between them will never be large - 30 mm deep is not that aero.

Leave the aero wheels to TT or Tri guys. Breakaways only succeed if a group of riders let you go in the first place. No amount of aero wheels is going to negate that. If someone claims otherwise, he's not riding with a fast enough group :)

Leave the aero wheels to TT or Tri guys. Breakaways only succeed if a group of riders let you go in the first place. No amount of aero wheels is going to negate that. If someone claims otherwise, he's not riding with a fast enough group :)

yup, always makes me laugh when guys show up for RR's and local crits with Zipp 404s on and end up finishing either in the pack or off the back. Aero wheels are indeed best suited for TTs for us roadies. Get some good lightweight wheels for RRs, as that'll serve you better.

iF you are the kinda person who goes off the front for long periods of time - with SUCCESS - in RR's and Crits, then maybe you DO need aero wheels. But most folks aren't strong enough to do that consistently with results.

OK great, you guys helped me a whole bunch, I think I probably will end up getting the low profile lightweight ones and eventually get some hed 3's as well....

OK great, you guys helped me a whole bunch, I think I probably will end up getting the low profile lightweight ones and eventually get some hed 3's as well....

That's good to hear. Since neither of those wheels you're looking at are truly "aero" - as you know - you're probably right to get the lightweight ones. Never hurts to carry a few less grams going uphills and in longer races.

I am in a bind about wheelset choices...

Between a 1400 gram 24/28 spoke 22mm rim wheel

AND

a 1500 20/24 bladed spoke 30mm rim...



I know that for just those 100 gr, the 30mm looks like the clear choice, BUT I have been admitted by the manufacturer that the 30mm is so close in weight because it actually uses a rim that may be slightly more susceptible to crashes (niobium)... So is those 9mm worth it to have a heaviear, weaker, more flexy (less spokes), wheelset???

Do you think a 22mm lightweight wheel with 24/28 will actually be so horrible in the wind, compared to the deeper wheel... I know Zipp actually says under 38mm it's all mental.

So, help me choose please. These wheels, I would like to be light, and I ride in a pack a lot, but don't want to think I'm missing out on an advantage when on a breakaway or something because I didn't have the slightly more aero wheels.

I think the common conclusion is that aero benefits will generally trump weight in most road racing situations. However, the aero benefit is not really significant until the rim section is at least 40 mm in depth. So, for most clinchers that means they will be quite heavy.

The ultimate is Zipp 404 or Reynolds Stratus tubulars. Light and aero. But expensive, and with suspect braking plus the additional hassle of tubular mounting/gluing/weeping when your $80 tire punctures after 10 km(!). If I had someone else paying the bills and working on the bike, I would gladly ride deep carbon tubulars. For aero clinchers that are of reasonable weight there is the Reynolds Stratus clinchers, full carbon clinchers at a 48mm section with a weight around 1500 grams. I have actually owned a pair of these, but I let them go because I hated the braking performance. They were fast, but I would never trust the braking in wet/technical conditions (and I live in wet climate).

I say the best option is to go for a wheelset like a Velomax Ascent, DT RR1450, or the Campy Neutron or Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL. They are all mid-section, somewhat aero, reasonably light and well built. I would stay away from the paired spoke designs like Rolf and Bontrager, the wheels tend to be on the flexy side for out of the saddle efforts.

However, the aero benefit is not really significant until the rim section is at least 40 mm in depth.
Aero benefit for a given rim profile generally increases monotonically with increasing depth; so a deeper rim will be more aero than a shallower one for any rim depth. There is no magic number. Significance, on the other hand, is in the eye of the beholder. Some might argue that the difference between the most and least aero wheel is not significant for the vast majority of non-professional riders.