Front Disc Wheel

[Lief]

NICE!

Call it a finders fee?
Oooh - I hadn't considered the hub to be a problem.

Looks like the outer edge of your hub is even smaller than mine - but smooth.

alt="Sestriere Hub"

alt="Sestriere Rim"

The fact that yours is so svelt - and they are delivering one to you - brings me confidence.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Hey Guys, I don't know if the

Hey Guys, I don't know if the disc'd wheel cover will be in my future with the wind and all in my area.

For and Lief and the others, man riding season already over? I would go insane (I go insane when I miss a day). Here in Redding we are just barley tapping into the good riding weather, when you can be out all day long. We ride year-round here in Redding. I sincerely feel bad for you folks when you have to hang up your tights for the year!

Has anyone looked into the ZIPP and ENVE carbon wheels over at DHGate.com from China for $500 a set? Sounds too good to be true.

http://www.dhgate.com/product/2014-enve-3-4-clincer-full-carbon-wheelset/192222792.html?recinfo=1,2,6#cppd-6-5|null:2

 

[Lief]

?Don't feel bad Rick, I don't

Don't feel bad Rick, I don't hang up my tights! - I just put on an extra pair.
And a big ol air-dam rain jacket

So I should change my language from

...riding season is basically over...

and instead say

...racing season is basically over...

That said...I went like a bat straight outta the coldest part of the cave this morning for a 30 min segment - HeartRate avg had to be up around 168/170 - wattage maybe around 220-240*?
I'll upload tonight when I get home.

Crazy fine weather for an October in Seattle.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Ahhh! Okay Lief, I feel

Ahhh! Okay Lief, I feel better now.

 

[LarryOz]

Rick,
I ordered a pair of

Rick,
I ordered a pair of carbon wheels from an outfit in China www.light-bicycle.com
Total package price with custom graphics came to about $840.
Gary (BentAero) works with several guys that mountain bike and that have ordered wheel sets from these guys. They have been very happy with them. You can order just the rims, or complete wheel sets too.
I expect them within 2 weeks and will post a new thread about them.
They will have 88mm rim depth.
Here is picture of the "anticipated" graphic on the carbon rim.

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Hey Larry, I hardly

Hey Larry, I hardly recognized you with your new V avatar.

Cool, looking forward to you update. I've heard of Light-Bicycle. The reviews are great.

I was wondering about ZIPP and ENVE brands which are very expensive when purchase from a dealer here in the states.

DHGate.com is selling these brand specific wheelsets for a third of the price.

 

[Lief]

Oh man!

You are killing me!
nice work!

custom graphics and all - I wish I could convince my wife to sell our minivan to finance bike parts!

 

[LarryOz]

Thanks Rick! - Can't wait to

Thanks Rick! - Can't wait to get them and try them out and tell the group about them!
Yeah - My avatar needs some work - Like someone to take the pic for me.
I'll work on that. I may copy you - (I just need to find some sunglasses I guess! )

Lief,
Well, I did sell my beautiful BMW (Z4M Coupe), which was actually bought with an insurance settlement I received from from the last guy who hit me while I was riding my bike (back in the DF days). That was 3 years ago! Truck side swiped me. His right mirror hit my left elbow (ouch) - forced my palm into my handlebar -, split my palm wide open too! It did break off his entire mirror at least!
I guess it is sweet revenge in a way that that money will end up buying bikes and bike parts!

My wife's car - well that would be another issue entirely - like NO!

 

[Rick Youngblood]

Truck side swiped me. His

Truck side swiped me. His right mirror hit my left elbow (ouch) - forced my palm into my handlebar -, split my palm wide open too! It did break off his entire mirror at least!

Oh wow! That could have been much worse. I'm not sure why drivers just don't slow down (like let off the gas and use their brakes) and pass when it's 100% safe, instead of winging it...and hope they get by with out hitting us.

Glad it worked out for you Larry, and not a hit and run! Sounds pretty painful.

 

[ratz]

Progess and learning a few things.

The joy of doing these things on the fly is learning what you don't know; and what you would do different next time.

So I got the covers; they are nice. Definitely better than the Wheelbuilder $99 ones, $200 better? Hard to say so far since that is subjective, but since I don't have a machine to make them and the support via email has been great; I'd say sure, it's a fair value for a boutique product. The cover material is better; the tape mounting system has to be better than the bolt on WB approach. I suspect they should be quieter on the road but that remains to be tested.

Since they have a fixed "dish" to them they have to be cut to a correct diameter to fit the wheel without warping. Below are the pictures of the wheel with and without the cover. (Note: it's just laying on the wheel not installed).

So in my case as you can see it goes half way up the rim. That leaves me an extra step of stripping the decals off the base wheels before installing them. Not really a big deal I don't mind the all black wheel look and opens the door to put some custom logos on the wheel. I rarely resell wheel sets as I tend to ride them into the ground, so no value lost. Redoing them with something like Larry's graphics above would look pretty cool.

However now that I have them I realize that there is an extra opportunity here. Front wheels are typically quite a bit cheaper than drive wheels; and ebay abounds with deals of front wheels. So as FWD people we have lower cost options......

If I had been thinking ahead I probably would have just gotten a really nice Front wheel for cheap off of ebay and had the cover sized for it; then the install could be permanent; as it stands now it is sort of of silly to cover a 50mm wheel permanently.

I did grab my traditional wheel but the cover diameter is too little for it to be re-purposed; so I'll continue as I am. Last bike I had with a disc on the back I pretty much never removed it any how so not a big deal but something for the rest of you to consider as you go.

 

[hamishbarker]

drum brake for covered rear wheel

I know this may sound wrong, but did anyone consider using a drum brake front hub on the back wheel? then could use plastic film to cover the wheel, and avoid the extra drag of disc brakes? Also a possible solution for pre- version 2 vendetta and Silvio frames without disc brake tabs.

Drum hubs are heavier, but how much does a standard hub plus brake calliper, our disc hub, disc and disc calliper weigh? Maybe not such a weight penalty after all? And being able to use film stuck to the rim brake track instead of rigid wheel covers is also lighter and cheaper.

 

[super slim]

the weight penalty from a rim

the weight penalty from a rim brake front wheel system to a disk brake system is 250 gm and to a drum brake system is 630 gms, so disk to drum is a penalty of 380 gm.

Same rims, but 28 spokes for the rim brake and 32 for the disk and drum, and longer brake cables for the disk and drum, and different hubs for all.

What would the weight difference be of the covers compared to the film?

 

[hamishbarker]

catalyst claim 110-180 grams

catalyst claim 110-180 grams per set for their carbon fibre covers. I assume 110 is for rather deep section rims (i.e. area of cover is smaller) and 180 for shallow section rims. I wonder if they are counting the tape for sticking them to the rim.

So assuming that film is say 10 grams, that's a total penalty for the drum and film versus rim brakes and catalyst cover of 640-180 = 460 grams. Too much, given that the cost to get the carbon covers is circa what, 300 USD, and the cost to build a wheel with the SA drum hub is maybe 200 at best (excluding labour). I guess normal hubs and rim brake calipers are very light indeed.

Drum does I guess have the advantage that all brake is out of the airflow (which in a hill will end up being a heat problem perhaps...), but on the vendetta the brake is anyway shielded by the seat/ frame.

DIY covers from heavier plastic sheet rather than carbon would be a little heavier I guess.

I guess drum hubs are only perhaps worth it for cantilever hub installations when there are weight saving for the removed frame member, and aero benefits from removed frame member also.