Why Buy A Disc Wheel?

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If you are looking for ways to lower your time trial personal best, then before you buy a new frame you should think about a wheel upgrade; more specifically you should look to buy a disc wheel.

Buying a disc wheel is one of the most awesome ways that you can knock minutes off your time and improve your aerodynamic performance. Sadly like most thing bike related, disc wheels are pretty expensive but they make a massive difference.

One of the best things about disc wheels is that the faster you ride the more aerodynamic drag you save. Without getting all geeky, disc wheels work by cutting out the wind turbulence and drag so it makes cycling easier, allowing you to go faster. Let’s quickly do some geeky calculations to prove my point – a standard eighteen spoke wheel has 154 grams of drag where as a disc only has 97 grams of drag – over a ten mile time trial this is quite a substantial saving (or shaving) of time.

I should put in a little note here saying that discs while amazing are a little health and safety when it comes to windy days. If you are a light rider you might want to stick with spokes on days when the wind is strong. I have personally had a couple of hairy moments.

What About The Extra Weight?

Ok you if you have ever held a disc wheel you will know that they are a little bit heavier than a normal, run of the mill wheel. However it’s this extra weight that helps you to go faster. Sounds crazy right? Well to prove my point here is possibly the best story I have ever heard (outside of the pub).

Chris Boardman actually rode a disc wheel for winning the national hill climb championship – let me say that again; Boardman rode a disc on a hill climb and won! Chris Boardman was a man who knew aerodynamics was the be all and end all of cycling.

Best of Disc Wheels

I have tested in my time two different brands of disc wheels (all in open time trials).

Campagnolo Disc Wheels
I once rode a Campagnolo Ghibli Ultra Tubular disc wheel and honestly I don’t think disc wheels get much better. They look pretty stylish, they are light and they feel sound.

Zipp Disc Wheels
I have to start by saying that I didn’t buy the Zipp 900 Rear Clincher Disc Wheel with Saris PowerTap because frankly I’m not a pro or made of money but the performance was truly amazing. You guys have to believe that this is the best disc wheel that you can buy. Forget the weight of it or how it feels on the road or how fast it is – the noise that this wheel makes is truly stunning. Even through an aero helmet you can hear the hum; it’s a noise that makes you want to go faster just to hear the noise louder.