Budget TT Build or new race wheels

Ryath

Coming to the point I need to decide on what to get for the up coming racing season. Do I stretch to build a budget TT bike or get a set of nice wheels for racing. Building the bike would pretty much blow my budget for the season but I think I would get more benefit from it. Wouldn't get a huge amount of use out it only a few club tt and maybe two stage races. If it's not to taboo I may even do a triathlon or two. It would be my intention though to do a good few of my solo spins on it. Should also save me a minute or two when I need to do my 20k commute to work as quickly as possible:D

It would save me a lot of messing around with my road bike if I use clip ons aero bars on it, I'm lazy and I know I'll never have them on it when I need them and I'll have them left on the bike when I don't. Also loath to go messing with the set up on my bike for a tt fit and then having to move everything back for the road.

New wheels would be nice though are not stretching me as much budget wise and would have money left another purchase or two at the very least a set of clip on aero bars for my road bike for TTs.

Current bike is a Planet x Sl Pro Carbon with Sram rival and planet x model b wheels. Must say for a budget wheel for over 2 years ~11,000k they have been faultless and are pretty light at the price. Rims are barely even worn and I'm sure they are more than adequate for another season.

Short list of wheel options
Campag Zondas €339
Shimano RS80-C24s €370

From wheelsmith.co.uk
IRD Aero 30mm Niobium with novatec hubs ACI spokes €377
Heavier but were linked in another thread as being pretty aero
Wheelsmith Race23s €377
Not listed as an option but I sure can be built for the same price as the IRD rims with novatec hub and ACI spokes. Really like the look of these pretty light and aero and look awesome with the black anodised rim.

Unlikely option if I was mad and went for tubulars
Wheelsmith Ambrosio F20 Cronos Novatec ACI €377
Very light and being tubs would insure I would only use them for racing and not be lazy and leave them on the bike the whole time.

Found these while researching the F20 Crono rim
http://www.kompressor-bike.com/en/176-wheels-alu/3148-ambrosio-crono-20-tubes-hub-kompressor.html
Ambrosio F20 Crono rim own brand hub Sapim spokes 1515grams €282
Bit of an unknown quantity with the own brand hub but at the price are they a steal?
The also have the same build with ambrosio excellight clincher rim weigh 1660grams for the same price.

Think I have discounted any of the budget carbon clinchers they are just to heavy and the aero benefit is minimal for my purposes.

So for the budget TT build Ribble TT frame total ~€800
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/showPart.asp?part=RIBBFRAT600&bike=
Built up with SRAM Apex derailers, brakes Sram 500 shifters, levers, crankset and Profile Design T2 aerowing and aero bars, planetx seatpost and saddle.
Vast bulk of parts are from ribble except for obv plan x and one or two bits ribble are out of stock of. They have 10% of everything ending today so need to decide by tonight. Had intended picking up as many of the pieces second hand but with the time and effort and the ribble prices being so good I don't think I would save that much money. I do have a Sram apex rear derailer to start me of.

I think its very good value most basic of the shelf tt bikes cost around €1500 and would not be as well speced frame may be better but other parts would be compromised. Nearest value is Planet x Stealth with sram rival at €1340 is probably worth the extra money but I don't have the money to stretch to it.

Sorry for the long ranting post and thanks for bearing with me this far. Any opinions?

velo.2010

Ryath wrote: »

Any opinions?

Save yourself some money and buy my wheels!;)

colm_gti

Personally, had I not picked up a cheap used TT bike last month, I probably would have opted for a good set of new wheels for racing. There aren't enough TT's in the season to spend big money on a dedicated bike, unless you're aiming to be competitive of course.

Good set of wheels, Profile Design fast forward seatpost, TT saddle and aero bars.

Set yourself up properly for TT's with the profile design seatpost and saddle and stick some tape around the seatpost at the ideal height so you don't have to go measuring again each time. Aero bars aren't that much of an ordeal :P

I guarantee you'll end up with both by the middle of the season anyway

Ryath

velo.2010 wrote: »

Save yourself some money and buy my wheels!;)

No offence they wouldn't be saving me money, they are not worth €200 they weigh the guts of 2kg. For €210 delivered from some of the german sites you can get Fulcrum 5s or Campag Sirrocos that weigh about 200 grams less or for €250 Campy Sirroco 35mms that weight nearly 300g less.

colm_gti wrote: »

Personally, had I not picked up a cheap used TT bike last month, I probably would have opted for a good set of new wheels for racing. There aren't enough TT's in the season to spend big money on a dedicated bike, unless you're aiming to be competitive of course.

Good set of wheels, Profile Design fast forward seatpost, TT saddle and aero bars.

Set yourself up properly for TT's with the profile design seatpost and saddle and stick some tape around the seatpost at the ideal height so you don't have to go measuring again each time. Aero bars aren't that much of an ordeal :P

I guarantee you'll end up with both by the middle of the season anyway

Ribble 10% off has been extended so I have till Thursday now to decide. Reckoned they would they nearly always extend their sales. Have managed to get the price of the TT build down to €720 by a bit more carefull picking of finishing kit ditching the sram brakes and picking a Deda alloy post and Charge saddle instead of the Planet X carbon seatpost and saddle. I would probably spend the extra €30 for them though the carbon post is worth it for the extra comfort and I like the Planet X saddle. Have to budget for an extra €30 on cable cutters and hollowtec bottom bracket tool as well.

The new wheels and getting a separate fast forward seat post and saddle and a set of aero bars is tempting alright a little more affordable but I'm still going to spend the guts of €500-600 on them which is getting very close to the price of the tt build. Though I would be able to reuse them all in a TT build next year.

I know it is easy to change everything over as needed but in reality I would only put them on for TTs probably rarely for training and if you don't train on them and get used to holding holding an aero postion are of less use. I know I will end up leaving them on after a race get up for the club spin at the weekend and spend 15 mins faffing around getting them switched over and miss the spin.

I'm leaning towards the dedicated TT rig it will focus my training a bit more. I'm not a very strong time trialist but TTs and hill climbs are the only events where I have scored points in the club league so even improving marginally should score me more points in these. I have no sprint but can suffer and enjoy pushing myself so it can only help my chances in road races if gets me bit stronger to get in and stay away in breaks from the fat sprinters who just sit in for the glory at the end:D

If I was to go for wheels though any opinions on the options I posted?
They have all come well recommended from what I have read except for the Kompressor wheels where the hubs are an unknown quantity but for the price they may be well worth it. In factory built Zondas are the most affordable RS80 slightly lighter and both look the great. In hand builts the Race23 should be a bit lighter and look great in a more understated way. The IRD 30s are tempting though for their slight aeroness without weighting much more. The handbuilts are obviously a better option long term for repairs aswell.
Oh decisions decisions!!

colm_gti

You'd probably see very little aero advantage over a low profile rim with 30mm, so out of those I'd just go for the lightest and stiffest ones. I was actually about to buy a pair of those race23's before a cheap pair of barely used 50mm carbon tubular wheels popped up and I picked them instead.

Arthurdaly

FYI - ill have rarely used (once maybe) fast forward seat post and profile design t2 aero bars in adverts shortly. May be able to a deal on both.

el tel

colm_gti wrote: »

There aren't enough TT's in the season to spend big money on a dedicated bike, unless you're aiming to be competitive of course.

Are TTs really in short supply in the South? In Ulster you could be TTing four or five evenings a week during the season.

Ryath

colm_gti wrote: »

You'd probably see very little aero advantage over a low profile rim with 30mm, so out of those I'd just go for the lightest and stiffest ones. I was actually about to buy a pair of those race23's before a cheap pair of barely used 50mm carbon tubular wheels popped up and I picked them instead.

I'm leaning towards the Race23s myself on less some can convince me the zondas or RS80s are a better buy. Just emailed wheelsmith inquiring about pricing for a build on novatec hubs and discount for bulk orders. I may try and organise a bulk buy if the savings are significant enough. There are enough people on here every day asking about wheel recommendations in that price range that I should get the numbers.

Arthurdaly wrote: »

FYI - ill have rarely used (once maybe) fast forward seat post and profile design t2 aero bars in adverts shortly. May be able to a deal on both.

Thanks I'll keep an eye out for them would definitely be interested in them if I get the wheelset though I would take just the T2s of your hands depending on pricing.

el tel wrote: »

Are TTs really in short supply in the South? In Ulster you could be TTing four or five evenings a week during the season.

They are not as popular though someone is trying to get a leinster league up and running.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056793756

There is a fairly popular one in Connaught but most of the races are a bit far away for me. My club normally run a few over the summer on a Tuesday night but it didn't happen last year. They used to be fairly popular with the triathletes in fact most of the best TT do tri Hopefully it will be run this year.

They just don't seem to as popular as the road races though in the Club league that is run between several clubs there could be about a hundred at road races and only half that for the TT races in the league. Probably why I'm able to pick up points in them I guess some people don't like the continuous suffering and prefer to be towed around getting little breathers!