New wheels?

gerfmurphy

Started cycling a bit more. Join a nice club and 2 spins a week now. 65-80k evening 100+ sunday
I like my bike its comfortable and feels fast. I have mavic cosmic elite wheels and have been told it maybe worthwhile upgrading. (I could do with a better garmin too).
Couple of questions
How much to budget to gain a noticeably better ride/roll. I'm pretty bad at going uphill as I'm big and carrying a bit of weight. So help here would be best.
Do I need to worry about clearance of tyres width etc for a wheel fitting my bike?
Is 2nd hand an OK option for wheels?
Should I keep my present ones for a while?
Was thinking something like vision sc 40.
But a bit worried about carbon and breaks in wet weather going down hill etc .
I have rim brakes not disc
Thanks for any advice

benneca1

Imo deal with weight first will make biggest difference. Wheels next if you dont lose weight get big fella wheels broken spokes lose youmore time than anything else. If you lose weight then good wheels ie light weight will make you feel even faster

jamesd

Upgrade the wheels, they will make a difference and you will enjoy.

gerfmurphy

Thabks for for info and I agree but i'm not young so reaching peak ability is not my goal , making life easier is!
I do understand losing a few kg will help but I'm just about able to fit in a couple of cycles, with kids work garden etc.

strmin

Mavic cosmic elite is ok wheelset. New wheels will save 2 maybe even 3 seconds on a climb. Skipping few junk food portions will save you ten times that. You already cycle enough to lose weight, next step is to watch what you eat.

TheBlaaMan

Another vote for concentrating on your own weight. Clubs can be snobby places and someone dissing your Cosmic Elites aint necessarily the right advice for you if you want to go faster/enjoy climbing a bit more, but easier to give than saying, "give up the confectionery" for a few months.

gerfmurphy

OK so the hard truth is the best I think, I'm a bit bad for having an extra biscuit or 2 with tea so will cut that out first.
The club guys are very decent and don't seem snobbish at all , it's all in my head I think.
Thanks for the input

Macy0161

I'd have cosmic elites as an upgrade to most "stock" wheels tbh - they were one of the ones I was looking at to upgrade too.

I'm not going to say don't upgrade - if it makes you happy, do so - but they're not going to make a massive difference to your power to weight which is what matters for climbing.

I'm also not going to say concentrate on you're own weight - you have to have your own head ready for that challenge, if at all.

ARX

gerfmurphy wrote: »

Thabks for for info and I agree but i'm not young so reaching peak ability is not my goal , making life easier is!

:pac:

ARX

I was wondering, for big lads (like myself and the OP) are aero wheels (of similar weight to the existing wheels) a better upgrade than lightweight wheels? Would wheels that let you go faster for the same power output be a better investment than, say, reducing a 100 kg bike + rider weight to a 99.5 kg weight?

Seth Brundle

I think when you're looking at that level, just keep exercising and stop thinking that there's a magic wand that lets you go much faster. Keep practicing and you'll get faster because you're getting fitter. However, in order to keep practicing, keep enjoying it!

To answer your question though, have a read through this article: https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/1467/which-is-faster-aero-vs-lightweight-wheels

Macy0161

ARX wrote: »

I was wondering, for big lads (like myself and the OP) are aero wheels (of similar weight to the existing wheels) a better upgrade than lightweight wheels? Would wheels that let you go faster for the same power output be a better investment than, say, reducing a 100 kg bike + rider weight to a 99.5 kg weight?

Notwithstanding the article, on a club/ group spin, you'd probably be at the pace of the group on the flat and then every person for themselves on the climb? So do you really get the benefit on the flats? Solo would be different I guess.

delynet

Repeating what some have already said, new wheels won't make a huge difference. Bigger gains to be got in other areas

However, I was in a similar position to you a few years ago. I upgraded the crap wheels which came with my Boardman road bike to Mavic Ksyriums which were a great wheel that I completely wore out. I then bought a second-hand set of fulcrum carbon wheels. Fantastic set of wheels, you do need to be a bit more cautious in the wet, brakes will work but takes a second for them to bite.

Nothing wrong with planning to upgrade wheels. Looking after and upgrading your bike is all part of the addiction, you should end up using it more with the new shiny bits. Don't rush into buying anything, you should get good deals with the industry moving to disc. Avoid the fake Zipps etc... While not all China direct wheels are bad they can look naff with fake logos.

gerfmurphy

Seth Brundle wrote:

I think when you're looking at that level, just keep exercising and stop thinking that there's a magic wand that lets you go much faster. Keep practicing and you'll get faster because you're getting fitter. However, in order to keep practicing, keep enjoying it!

Honestly the magic wand thing is something I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing.
I'm happy training moved from tri tt sprints and lone training. The group spins are so much easier and more enjoyable.
Thanks again for the wise words , very much appricated

ARX

Macy0161 wrote: »

Notwithstanding the article, on a club/ group spin, you'd probably be at the pace of the group on the flat and then every person for themselves on the climb? So do you really get the benefit on the flats? Solo would be different I guess.

I never ride in a group. But tbh I would probably be better off dropping 10 kg than reading about aero wheels while eating biscuits

Macy0161

I did the same over a number of years (8 stone-ish over 5.5 years), and like that now have a bit more wriggle room having been in and around the same weight for 3. I probably did too much dieting on the bike though, which meant my raw power numbers were fairly static. If I was going again, that's one thing I wouldn't do - I'd fuel the bike and cut something else (It's still something I struggle a bit with to be honest).

byrnem31

I don't like people in particular so I love cycling on my own. I have 3 kids and a misses and the only time I get a minute to myself is on my bike.

I bought hunt aero 33 discs few months back. I don't race or do many hills, I dont time myself religiously, count watts etc

The one thing that was instantly noticable on my bike when I changed to carbons was the comfort. The bike is far more comfortable. The bike is nearly a 1kg lighter too and you notice it when you pick it up straight away.

I'd definitely get a set again when my pair come to the end.

padyjoe

You've got a nice enough wheelset already. To be better on the hills needs more training. It's up to you in the end, what you go for but after a quick search, losing that 300g won't be cheap.
My example was not a long ago: I went from a 36/36 spokes and 2300g to 24/28/1700g. Yes, it's made me somewhat faster, the bike handles crisper but I'm still no Pantani. From here, I think I have to get down to start training and lose some more weight. I have a practical viewpoint, I want sturdiness, not the look or what the others think.

corelokttikka

Carbon wheels and break pads to suit are not great in wet conditions especially if your coming down hills or any grade of decline.

eeeee

I would advise buy the shiney things and enjoy looking at them They probably won't make you go much faster, or make it any easier, but they'll feel nicer.
That said what you have are a nice set of wheels.

ednwireland

eeeee wrote: »

I would advise buy the shiney things and enjoy looking at them They probably won't make you go much faster, or make it any easier, but they'll feel nicer.
That said what you have are a nice set of wheels.

i heartily agree i love my not so shiny new carbon hoops but just watch the weight limits on some wheels - i think hunt is pretty low.
the bontrager i have dont have but they are disc so dont need to worry about braking.