Then, my new rented toys showed up. Jeff, you had the closest guess. Pair of Zipp 808's from racedaywheels.com.
Jeff guessed a 404 front, 808 rear from the correct place. How did you know?!?!THEN! My bike shop just so happened to host a Cervelo eRide after work.
In other words, they showed up with their trailer filled with nothing but CANDY for us Cervelo enthusiasts. I was able to test ride the P3 Time Trial bike and the R3SL. I was bummed they had no P4's. Dare I say the P3 is a much softer ride than the P2 and handled like a dream.
Yes, the P3 is in fact a better bike than the P2, but I am not going to let that get to me. I love my P2!!!.....even though this P3 had a 1080 in the rear and a 404 up front.......quick! somebody call the Waaaaaambulance! hehe ;)
The R3SL, despite being a mere feather weight, was not too impressive. It was light and smooth going over bumps, but it AIN'T as stiff as my S2!! HA! They had an S3 there, but I didn't want to ruin myself!
After I got back from riding a Bugatti and a Lamborgini, I jacked up my S2 and P2 with the 808's.
Oh, Baby!
OH! BABY!So why rent a pair of 808's now when my next triathlon is in 4 weeks? I want to see what the deal is with these "aero" wheels and see if they really do in fact offer a huge advantage over using basic wheels. Is the cost worth it? Is it worth spending X dollars to go only 30 seconds faster? Or is it worth it to spent X dollars to go minutes faster? I don't know! But I can test to see if it is plausible.
How can I do it? Well, since I train with power, I can tell watt for watt how much of an energy savings these wheels can give me. Using less energy while going even faster is the name of the game in this sport! The rear 808 that I have rented has a PowerTap hub in it. My training DT-Swiss wheel has a PowerTap hub in it. I happen to have a fairly flat 8 mile TT course that I can use to get consistent results. Score!
Remember my road bike vs time trial bike test I did about 6 weeks ago? I got really great (and consistent!) results that day that proved that a time trial bike (when riding in the aero position) does in fact allow you to ride faster while using the same or less wattage....on a flat(ish) course.
I hope to do the same this weekend by swapping out wheels and building up some nice data to analyze. Nerds unite!!!
Those Zipps are freakin' HOT!! I'll be looking forward to your test and full nerdy report. I know the cost to shave time with an aero helmet is a good bang for your buck and affordable but i wonder what the cost to benefit ratio will be for the wheels.
ReplyDeleteThose are sweet! I am not sure what I am more jealous about, the wheels or the test rides!
ReplyDeleteWe are all waiting for the report. Will the two different power taps be calibrated?
ReplyDeleteyou know your bikes look pretty with their pimped out wheels when my girlfriend (a non-triathlete) thinks your bikes look pretty. that's hardcore porn!
ReplyDeletecan't wait to hear how it goes!
Sweet bike porn! I'm jealous... :)
ReplyDeleteNon-wheel related question. What kind of pedals do you have? Are you happy with them? I have a pair of Wellgo SPDs that I got for free. I haven't been happy with them lately though (noisy and loose despite adjusting them).
LOVE the bike porn! Can't wait to hear the results of your test...
ReplyDeleteI am typing in RPE 10 right now. Sweet Jesus this may be quite possibly the best post in the history of the internet. Soooooooooo sexy and then you are going to do a watt test? AWESOME! I knew you got the PT too, would be foolish not to.
ReplyDeleteI got the over/under set at 6 months until you talk yourself into a P3!
Oh, and you know how I knew what you ordered? Because I have been thinking of doing the same thing myself.
Those 808's are so deep. Make sure to do the TT on a day with as little wind as possible and drop an update on FB when you are done ... can't wait to see the results. This is very exciting!
Damn, I gotta go do some push ups or something to take advantage of this high!
What? There was stuff written in this post, all I see is porn, nothing else.
ReplyDeletei am interested to see the comparison. Though i think you talking hundreds of dollars per second in my head, but will see.
Are you really Julie's little brother? I love my P2 - it was hard to read the P3 is better..... I am outta money....lol. Very interested in your little nerd test there. Must make me one too!!
ReplyDeleteCa..n't typ...e ri..gh.t no...w st..i..ll droo..ling.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the nerd report! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!
Jon, this is your next aero purchase:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gottaridebikes.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/advantage2large.jpg
cheers
S.
Those wheels are awesome! I think it's a great idea to rent the wheels and try them out before putting down the $$$. I can't wait to here about your tests! :)
ReplyDelete