With unlimited funds, imaginary (or very wealthy) cyclists will be able to customize their bikes and equipment according to their daily rides and conditions-a bit like a flip book with unlimited costumes, no two occasions will Produce the same ensemble. Of course, the reality is that few of us can invest in the level of kit required to get it right every time. Perfection must be compromised every day.

This of course applies to wheels: no one wheel can rule all wheels, but most of us cannot afford to build a wheeled wardrobe with a lightweight device suitable for mountain riding and a deep part for a two-lane time trial. , And some reliable winter hubs. So if we only have one set-how deep should the edges be?

Aero over weight

The consensus is that the aerodynamics exceed the weight in all cases, but in the most mountainous situations.

Dov Tate, the founder of British wheel brand Parcours, told us: "If you calculate these numbers, you really have to climb to Alpe d'Huez or equivalent before weight becomes more important."

The good news is that the capabilities of modern wheels mean that the weight loss is usually small anyway.

"Nowadays, wheels are more flexible in terms of use. High-end wheels are getting lighter and the aerodynamic advantages gained from deeper wheels almost always outweigh any weight loss," Tate said.

It is important to know that the biggest leap in performance comes from the transition from box-section rims to 30mm-40mm wheels with aerodynamic shapes; increasing depth is the area of marginal gains.

Specialized Mio Suzuki’s Aero Lead and senior R&D engineers agreed that a lot of the initial savings came from the jump between traditional box-section rims and the wider 30mm-40mm group.

"I think one of the important aspects of choosing a deeper rim wheel is to understand the degree of design and accuracy of the rim shape. It looks like a simple structure, but the sidewall curvature shape contributes a lot to the resistance and lateral force." . So the deeper is not necessarily the better. "

However, he still believes that for those who pursue speed, it is good to go deeper. Commenting on the data collected by Spragg, Suzuki told us: "At a specific riding speed of 40 km/h, at those yaw angles (0 degrees and 5 degrees), the data we obtained from the wind tunnel also showed Similar power gain range."

The yaw angle is the degree to which the resistance deviates from the forward movement. Professional riders sitting in large units and moving very fast will encounter low yaw angles, while solo riders fighting crosswinds at a speed of 25 km/h will encounter high yaw angles.

"We calculated the yaw angle curve for the entire Grand Tour stage of the 2017 race. The calculation was carried out for drivers with various power-to-weight ratios. The calculation took into account the speed and the corresponding changes in the road gradient, so that we can truly Understand that "Aerodynamics are important to all riders no matter when and where. A yaw angle of more than 5 degrees is very important. According to our internal data, at a higher yaw angle of 40 km/h, the power difference continues to increase to more than 10W. "

For riders who have optimized all other elements (including kit and bike location), saving 10W may be huge, but if not, there may be cheaper ways to get rewards. The human body on the bicycle accounts for the largest part of the resistance of the bicycle/rider unit.

"You can get more in terms of optimizing your location—for example, spending your money on wind tunnel time—rather than spending money on wheels or other things. You have 85% resistance—so look at the big things first. When people Thinking of the Wind Time Tunnel Conference, they thought it was super scientific and only suitable for those who wish to find marginal benefits-but that is not the case-we first got 85% of the pictures!" Sprague commented.

The wind tunnel test at the Boardman Performance Center starts at £195, including a 30-minute Aero experience in the tunnel, and a full Aero Fit extension to £695.

Weight and control

The other part of the equation is control-if you are trying to keep it in a straight line, then choosing an 80mm rim is meaningless.

"Once you turn from barbell or descending aerodynamics, you give up more aerodynamics than you gain from the depth of the rims. So if you can't grab an ultra-deep front wheel race there is no good aerodynamics Position, if this is the case, you should choose a lighter profile," Tate said.

"When considering this, I will consider your rider's style, physique and experience. When using a deep wheel set, lighter riders will be more susceptible to crosswinds, and it does require a certain degree of experience to handle deep wheels."

Mid-sections for most

When it comes to buying all the important wheelsets, the overall theme must be compromise-but considering technological advancements, this compromise may not be as large as previously thought.

"I would say choose the wheel that best suits the work you do most of the time, and consider your riding style, level of experience and weight," Tate added.

"For most people, the ideal rim is a 40-60mm middle part; this is all-purpose. But if you live in a mountainous area and look for something shallower-modern 40mm wheels will have an optimized rim shape, So even if you lose depth, it will be faster than the old model, and it will still give you an advantage even in a flat time trial.

"If you plan to focus on time trials, don't be afraid to look for 80mm rims-they are not heavy, and the modern design means they are greatly improved in terms of handling."

It is always comforting to reach a consensus-when we asked Suzuki the same question, we got this.

"After evaluating the wheels of many leading brands and designing some wheels during my career in the bicycle industry, my recommendation for performance or race-conscious consumers is 40mm-50mm wheels. However, if consumers have Weight conscious, and don’t like the feeling of dealing with deeper rim wheels, then 32 mm is a good choice."

Please contact us(sales1@gofastbicycle.com) to discuss and provide you with customized services.