Help w/ 650c wheels

[oz rider]

If you want to check what's available, google 650c wheels, check your favourite online retailer and check the Mavic/Zipp/etc websites. Your retailer should be able to answer the load limit question, but you'll often find it buried in the details of the manufacturer websites.

Have you considered custom as well as production wheels? If you have a good local wheelbuilder, it's worth a chat, especially with the limited options in 650c. That way, you get a wheel that's the right mix of strength/durability/weight/cost for your purpose.

And if considering tubs, check out an online tutorial first, unless you plan on having the LBS glue them for you. Tubs are a great ride but they do flat. Sheldon has a nice 'n easy list of pros and cons.

[KimmyC]

Thanks for the pointers. I have given much thought about it and in the end, I decided to just go with my gut and get tubulars. Here's hoping it's the right choice for me...

Any recommendations on which 650c tubular tires I should get and which width, 21mm? Also which brakes and brake pads holder will work with the zipp wheels, I have ultegra 6700. And finally, should I buy another ultegra cassette so I don't have to switch it? Is it hard to do or too time-consuming?

Is there anything else I'm forgetting? Thanks again for the help!!

[Seajay]

I'm so excited for you. Your riding will be transformed. It will be so much fun.
I would tend to recommend something closer to a 23mm tire for general racing. You may give up a bit of aerodynamics for TT but unless you are changing tires per event...23s are the best option IMO. I'm sure there are other opinions but I trend toward a bigger tire and less pressure for performance.
I happen to like Vittoria tires because they have a pretty flat seam and I have better luck getting them straight.
Zipp has a brake pad...either cork or rubber. I tend to recommend their pad for their rims.
The cassette thing can get a bit complicated because of chain wear. You don't want a skipping chain on race day. One neat trick is to get 3 or 4 new cassettes and chains at the start of the season...Weekly, switch them around so no matter what cassette you choose for a race....your chain wear will match it. That said...changing cassettes is easy once you have done it a couple times.
HAVE FUN!

[KimmyC]

I'm getting ready to put down a deposit in the next day or so for a brand spanking new 404 tubular wheel set! So excited but can't enjoy them quite yet because it's below freezing here and roads are covered by snow

Seajay, you recommended I go with 23mm tires but Zipp recommends 21mm. Is there any disadvantages if I go with 23mm besides the aero factor of it? Will it look kind of weird like bulging out of the rim or is it unnoticeable? Why would they recommend 21mm and not 23mm?

And are the Continental Sprinter good tires to buy?

Thanks!

[Seajay]

I think they are recommending 20/21 tires for better aerodynamics as it tucks the tire "inside" the airflow of the rim.
You should be able to run larger if you want to. It won't look strange. I had the "older" version of the 404 and a bit larger tire worked great.
That said...Don't take my word as gospel....I have a message in with our inside folks at Zipp...I'll see if I can get you a better answer.
Lots of folks used the Sprinters around here. Conti tires are a nice choice. IMO and only my opinion is the conti sewing seam is a tad larger which makes it a bit tougher to get a really straight install. I was never the most perfect tire glue-er...close to straight is close enough. I couldn't do it for a living.

[Seajay]

Here's what I got from Zipp this AM.
I can tell you that we are recommending to our pro teams as well as pro-triathletes to run 21mm tires with both 808's and 404's, and NOT to run 18 or 19mm tires. We have seen no repeatable aero advantage in using 19 or even 18mm tires with these new rim shapes (though with the new 404, there was a slight tendency for increased drag with the 19mm tire, and feel that the increased ride harshness, reduced contact patch, increased rolling resistance and so on associated with narrower tires just can't really be justified on either of these rims.

Now, if you are running an H3, old Zipp 440, Campy Bora or Reynolds wheel, then we have definitely seen advantages in the wind tunnel to running 18 or 19mm tires over 21 or 22mm tires, and I would strongly recommend them for those applications from a pure speed perspective, but with the newer Zipp rim profiles, I can honestly say use a 21mm at a slightly lower pressure, and save yourself the added harshness of the high tire pressure as well as gaining back some improved handling and still maximizing aero benefits. These latest generation wheels have been fully designed around 21-22mm tires, so you can be confident that you are not sacrificing any performance with them.

There is some additional info but it reads better in the tire pressure discussion elsewhere on this forum. I'll post it there.

[mixie]

Vitorria Corso Evo CX 320 tpi!!!

Awesome tires. I bought a set of used 404s for my 650c bike and they came with these tires. They rock. I also run the clinchers version on my training wheels.

http://www.discounttrisupply.com/mm5...ry_Code=TIRETR