They provide the stiffness, handling, and comfort you’ll find in all-around wheels 10-20mm shallower while maintaining your speed better than those
. In this post, I review, compare, and recommend some of the best aero bike wheels available today and say more about why riders and racers should consider them.
How much do aero wheels help cycling?
The time savings for good aero wheels are significant, according to Barry’s research on the SystemSix and its new Knot64 aero wheels. Even on an aero road bike, the addition of aero wheels saved
48 seconds over a 40K TT at 300 watts
compared to a typical 30mm-depth alloy training wheel set.
What is the point of an aero bike?
The entire point of riding bicycles is
to increase the speed at which humans can travel for the same effort
. Aero bikes really lean into this because when it comes to going fast, aerodynamics are what count.
At what speed do aero wheels work?
They create less drag turbulence. Ideal aero wheels get better at this as they spin faster. Most manufacturers will tell you that the aero properties do not really come into play until a certain speed threshold has been passed —
typically at the very least 20 mph (32 kph)
.
Why are aero wheels faster?
These aero wheels are fast in two ways. First,
their smooth airfoil shapes pass through the air a lot more cleanly than a box-section rim
. The tyre is the leading edge and splits the air. Behind it, a deep rim controls the airflow, helping it to come together again smoothly.
How much faster is Aero Bike?
With almost identical power, I was
55 seconds
faster on the aero bike! I lapped the course with a 1.9 km/hr higher average speed (1.2 mph quicker). Winner, winner, chicken dinner! The aero bike kills it without a doubt!
Are aero bikes uncomfortable?
Lightweight bikes may not be as stiff as aero bikes, but their stiffness to weight ratio is much better.
Aero bikes have much larger and thicker tube profiles making them incredibly stiff, but that extra material in association with other features make them heavy
.
Why are deeper wheels more aero?
On an elementary level,
the deeper your rim’s profile is the more aerodynamic it will be
. To create a deep section wheel requires a bit more carbon-fibre material. This will increase its weight, but research has proven that over most racing and training distances, the reduction in drag offsets any increase in mass.
How do I improve my aero on my road bike?
Can you ride aero bikes long distance?
I’ve done
150-250km rides on an aero bike, race bike, and a gravel bike (endurance geo), and was perfectly comfortable on all of them
. Theoretically, you should be able to go faster on the aero bike, thereby spending less time on the bike, which should result in less discomfort, or at least for a shorter duration.
What is the difference between a road bike and a aero bike?
Aero road bikes are narrower – forks, frames, seatpost, hidden (internal) cables – are all designed and built to slice through the wind more efficiently than a climbing bike
. Deep dish aero wheels will be your next consideration. Wheels make a big difference.
Is Aero more important than weight?
For hobby riders, the average gradient where weight is more important than aero is 4.5% or more
[see above]. For pro riders who have a higher speed, it is around 7.5%. Once you are doing more than 15km/h (9.3mph), the aerodynamic drag is the biggest resistance for the rider.
How much time will aero wheels save?
At 20mph, a 45mm aero wheelset saves 99 seconds over 40km
while the brand’s 90mm deep option ups that to 116 seconds. Or for an Ironman at 25mph, you’re looking at slicing six to seven minutes respectively. It’s also worth remembering that the lower the speed, the bigger the time savings you’ll have.
What do aero wheels do?
Aero wheels
block out the air and instead force it to flow past the wheels
. This reduces drag, which in turn increases the vehicle’s efficiency. Another important factor that increases efficiency is the weight of the wheels.
How deep do aero wheels need to be?
How Deep? Rim depth is broadly speaking a trade off between weight and flat speed. Shallow 25 – 40mm Can be lighter, great for hill climbing and accelerating.
Mid depth 40 – 60mm
– Is often the best all-round option – relatively light for climbing, whilst still fast on the flat – best of both worlds.
Can aero bike climb?
Aero bikes can still climb
. Weight is a big deal for riders interested in climbing, and aero bikes generally weigh more than their non-aero counterparts because more material is needed to create aero-shaped frames.
Do Zipp wheels make a difference?
In this video, you see a cyclist testing new aerodynamic wheels from Zipp. Swapping your wheels may seem like a small change, but
can make a big difference
. From his tests, the rider discovers: With conventional wheels, he can ride 20 minutes at an average speed of 41.12 kph with an average power of 379 watts.
Does an aero frame make a difference?
With an aero bike, you’ll simply be able to go faster than you would with a non-aero bike
. The 150-Watt rider riding during a windy day now finishes 6.5 minutes faster on an aero bike (8.4 minutes with no drafting) and is 83.3 seconds per hour faster (93.6 seconds with no drafting).
Are aero bikes good?
Happily, the latest generation of aero bikes are
impressively low weights and deliver a ride quality that’s both comfortable enough for a long day in the saddle, as well as a sprint finish
.
Are aero road bikes dead?
The aero bike is dead
. Well, according to Specialized it is. Earlier this week the company launched its latest road racing bike, the Tarmac SL7, which not only hits the UCI weight limit of 6.8kg but is so fast in the wind-tunnel thatSpecialized has decided to ditch its dedicated aero bike, the Venge, altogether.
What’s a good weight for a road bike?
A typical road bike should not weigh more than
18 pounds
, pedals and cages included. Compared to other hunting bikes, these bikes are lighter and easier to ride on paved surfaces.
Is a Madone more comfortable than a Emonda?
Normally, the comfort of stiff bikes is another factor for people when choosing between lightweight or aero bike. But Madone can be made very stiff or very comfortable thanks to its IsoSpeed so
Madone is actually more comfortable than the Emonda
.
Are aero wheels really faster?
Using aero wheels has been found to reduce a cyclist’s CdA by 3-5%
, so if you generate 350W of power, using aero wheels could see your speed on the flat rise from 44.6kmh to 45.4kmh, an increase of 1.63%.
Are 30mm wheels Aero?
A 30mm rim with aero spokes will certainly be faster than a shallow rim with round spokes
, but there are further gains to be had by going deeper. Since you then have to go with a carbon rim the wheelset takes a pretty big price jump.
How much faster do carbon wheels make you?
At any level it really should be something that riders consider seriously. After interviewing a few friends, colleagues, and even some amateurs in the college racing scene, I am here to inform you that yes, every single one of them said
carbon is faster, more responsive, and better in every way compared to alloy rims
.
