Its hard to say precisely where the line lays, but I’m certain I’m well on the wrong side of it. I never notice lines as I pass over them but I can usually tell after I have because it feels suddenly liberating to leave reason, sensibility, and convention behind. I find them very restrictive – claustrophobic, almost. They force me into the same old way of thinking, always within a set of parameters of what is accepted. Parameters are a good thing, to be sure – especially for everyone else – but since I wasn’t involved in defining The Universal Limits of Reason and Sensibility, I can’t be sure they’re calibrated correctly so I prefer to roam freely and am quite satisfied to be considered crazy for the time being.
Just like most of us, I started down La Vie Velominatus rolling along on the wheels my first bike arrived with. I trusted them to be indestructible and always carry me about safely. Then one day while racing my friend, I locked up the back wheel coming into a corner too hard and destroyed it, the illusion of The Indestructible Wheel riding up the road alongside the friend I had only moments earlier been locked in shoulder-to-shoulder battle with. It was also at this precise moment that I faced the reality that a wheel is not only destructible, but a basic element facilitating productive locomotion aboard a bicycle.
I spent the next month shingling the roof of my family’s cabin in Northern Minnesota earning the money to buy a replacement wheel. And, having recently shingled a roof, I was suddenly a Shingling Authority, discussing in depth the merits of choice in color, material, and shingle pattern of every roof I passed by. Similarly, upon having been subjected to the myriad choices of replacement wheel, after purchasing my replacement wheel, I was a new inductee into the The Order of the Wheel and noticed (and commented upon) every bicycle wheel that passed me by. Due more to the volume of by observations than their merit, I was soon thereafter indulged by my Cycling Sensei – my father – to help him curate the wheels for his custom Eddy Merckx.
At the time, choices were more limited than they are today; quality of hub varied greatly, as did the rims, spokes, and tires. Everything was limited to an alloy of some kind, though you could have any spoke pattern you wanted, as long as it was 3-cross. At the time there was also a choice between tubular and clincher, which was a relatively new option. We labored over the choices and wound up having two wheelsets built – one clincher and aero; one box-section and tubular – a choice I stand by today.
That was my awakening, but nevertheless, I have throughout my life as a Velominatus had only one wheelset per bike. The lightest for Bike #1. Whenever Bike #n came into play, it received its own wheelset; as with all the other parts on Bikes #2…n; a hand-me-down from Bike #n-1’s upgrade. (Using the Hand-Me-Down Upgrade Methodology, a single upgrade improves not just one bicycle, but several – with the added benefit of filling a longer period of time moving bits from one noble steed to the next.)
It was only recently, during preparation for the 2012 edition of Keepers Tour over the cobbles of Northern France and Vlaanderen, that I took my own place in the realm of the Specialty Wheelset – which also afforded me another of those moments when I was strangely aware of having crossed one of Those Lines. After all, a big, fat Dutchman can’t be expected to ride over the pavé of Paris-Roubaix – unleashing the awesome wattage of his artillery – on just any old wheelset; certainly not any of those wheels which I already owned. This called for a set of wheels purpose-built for the occasion. Rims, hubs, spokes, and tires were selected with great care and assembled (four times) in a wine-enhanced rite.
Riding these wheels is a pleasure highlighted by the fact that I don’t always ride them. They hang on the workshop wall in a wheel bag, waiting for the Right Occasion to ride them. Those occasions are often anticipated several days – if not weeks – in advance and deliberated over carefully. Then, when the choice is finally made to pop them in for the ride, I wrap myself in the delta between my regular wheels and these. This contrast, like the negative space in a great painting, is the area in which I dwell while riding them. The difference in tire type, width, spoke pattern, weight. The way the wheel feels when the pedal is engaged. The way the wheels and tires flex over a bump in the road or hug the pavement in a corner.
I’ve since embarked on a journey to get each road bike in the house – mine as well as the VMH’s – on the same drive train in order to be able to maximize the wheel-swapping effect. Each wheel is a new language, each tire a new dialect, and inner tube a new turn of phrase. To paraphrase the nursery rhyme: one for sorrow, two for joy, three for hills and four for stones.
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King, you are still a King, money or no money! Don't worry, you're not the only one with a poor Budgetatus at the moment. Just remember - it can only get better! Both in terms of getting nicer tools to utilize in pursuing the V & having the cash to do so! Chin up, bud!
I'm trying to only pick up things for the "needs" side of my needs/wants bicycle purchase ledger these days. And, I'm counting my blessings for having stocked up the Steeds Shed prior to get hitched to the VMH; I think she is going to want to steer my money into things that have nothing to do with getting awesomer wheels, framesets, or kit.
@King Clydesdale Yeah - I know how you feel. A month or so ago I was able to score a 2010 or 2011 Campagnolo Zonda 2-way rear wheel for $140 + about $30 in shipping. Try adhuntr.com and use the craigslist filter dropdown. The guy was in Atlanta but was willing to ship as long as I paid for it. A steal, even with shipping, IMO - and he even shipped the Campagnolo 9 spd cassette that was still attached. I have a 10s, so it is of no use to me - anyone here need one?
The wheel is a big upgrade over my cheapo Vuelta XRP Pro-Lites in terms of weight, more compliant ride, and less rolling resistance. I really wanted the serviceable bearings, and am not disappointed.
Just keep an eye out and deals to come along. Now, does anyone have an Eurus or Zonda front wheel .........?
@King Clydesdale
I'm very much on a budget. Fortunately being on a team (and on the board of said team) gets me great deals. That said, I don't know where you live, but your local group of racers will be unloading their gear about now. The kids that raced all summer are going to be selling off wheelsets (that they got for a great price) to pay for tuition and whatnot. Check around with your local clubs to see when they have swap meets.
If you pay shipping you can get deals from our racing association. This site doesn't have a "classified" section persay, but the chat link is us bitching, chatting and selling stuff: http://obra.org/mailing_lists/1/posts (you'll have to sift thru the posts, but you're a smart guy and will figure it out.
Happy hunting!
@King Clydesdale
Don't let the material aspect of this get you down, mate. You're still riding and that's what its about. Eventually you'll get something better (awesome advice from @scaler911) and it will be all the sweeter for it.
@brett, @scaler911, @torvid, @Ali McKee, @ChrisO (and anyone I might have missed)
These are all the arguments that usually get laid down and what I am saying is I reject the fundamental premise of these arguments which is that there is a wheel or bike that rider x deserves or should ride based on a set of arbitrary parameters.
Is the fat guy on the Venge with Record EPS and 90mm carbon rims who goes out for a 45 minute ride every two weeks a douchenozzle? Sure he is, but if that bike makes him happy and starts him down the path towards enlightenment, I say good on him. And if he doesn't, he certainly didn't do me any harm by riding it for a while. Does the Brian who rolls past on his rusty bike in baggies and hairy legs get my respect for dropping me on my plastic bike (never happen!!) - absolutely.
Ride whatever inspires you to become a better Cyclist, and leave the elitism of what bikes and setups are deemed worthy to other people. Just make sure you Look Fantastic.
On a side note, I find it ironic that there are such firm beliefs on what constitutes a racing wheelset and what is acceptable for group rides when most people I've ridden with are unable to distinguish between a group ride and a race.
@frank
Agreed. He certainly isn't doing you any harm, more likely the opposite, if the market was limited to those who are truly deserving of the technology, the manufacturers would be dividing their development, tooling and overhead costs by much smaller numbers.
Where would you draw the line anyway?
@frank and all
Thanks for the advice and support. Currently waiting prey on another wheelset, wish me luck.
@King Clydesdale
You don't bid ahead of time, do you? Decide on the absolute maximum you are willing to pay, and wait until 10-15 seconds to go on the auction before bidding.
This works for a few reasons:
I operate on the b+2 principle: Each bike should have it's "default wheelset", and then a set of racing wheels and rain wheels that can be used wherever necessary. That default set obviously depends on the bike: The #1 gets a nice, medium-range wheel with higher-end tires, while the TT bike gets training wheels (Felt's OEM, in this case) and thicker tyres. After all, the TT bike is used for training unless it's being raced - with the racing wheelset. Meanwhile the #1 should be made as enjoyable as possible within reason - so it wears Schwalbe Ultremos on a set of Ultegra WH6700. Not a super-lightweight (1650g), but amazing hubs in gunmetal grey and very solid.
What separates a racing-wheelset from a regular wheelset? I wouldn't have a problem riding deep-section wheels every day (especially mine, just 50mm deep clinchers with an alu braking surface) but I'd rather keep them pristine, with latex tubes and Open Corsa CXs awaiting duty. Likewise, my step-dad's sub-kilo ENVE/Dash set probably won't survive a weekly pounding for too long. I run sealant in my tubes, so deflating to change to training tyres is something I'd rather not do. Also, if you train with heavier, less aero equipment, you'll enjoy the race-day boost more (though of course, one should do at least a few late key sessions with all the bells and whistles to test for problems).
My dream setup would be a HED Ardennes FR (or Zipp 101) on the #1, Velocity A23 3x to Ultegra as the training set, and a set of ENVE 8.9 or Zipp 808 Firecrest for race-day. I'm a big fan of wide rims, if it wasn't noticed.
@gaswepass@frank @Buck Rogers
Always seperate your carbon pads from your alu pads. If only because it's better to be safe than sorry (and a carbon wheelset is usually too expensive to be sorry for).
Now, to the finer points:
1. Yes, Swiss' Yellows are designed for both (and not truly ideal for either). But the same pads shouldn't be used on both. Change pads when you change wheels - it's quicker and easier than changing a cassette. The shards are there, and once one gets into your carbon surface, it will either "shave" a ridge in it or get stuck in it, making for pulsing braking and, eventually, rim warp and failure (that's what happened to my mother's ENVE 45, replaced under warranty). It's a self-amplifying problem, since once there's an inconsistency that provokes pulsing, further braking causes the pulsing to warp the rim more.
2. Cork pads are OK for generic carbon rims, but when manufacturers recommend specific pads, they do so for a reason.
3. The surfaces on Zipp, Reynolds, Easton, etc. are not designed to enable use of regular pads, but to improve heat-dissipation (which is crap on carbon surfaces, regardless of brake-pad) to adequate levels in the first place (with carbon-specific pads). Even then, previous gen (pre-Firecrest Zipps, ENVE x5 series, etc) carbon surfaces brake half as well as an alu surface, and will, at best, slow you down gently if it's wet. Sadly I haven't had the luck of riding a Firecrest/ENVE SES yet.
4. Pads not suited to a carbon rim will melt and stick to the surface. Bam! Rim is useless.
@King Clydesdale it's easy to get caught up in all that cycling has to offer. one thing to keep in mind is many here have been on the road to V for years, and so have the garage of goodies to accompany said journey. i thought my world was over when i was hit and my brand new r3 and deep carbon wheels went to synthetic materials heaven. i can tell you with all honesty that after a summer of great rides, not one of them would have been improved had i still had that bicycle. more than anything, we should learn to appreciate the nuances, yet not make a wishlist based on them.
@Derek
Where are you? They are quite hard to find in the US for instance.