Aerodynamic Bike Wheels

Aero wheels are the way.

Aerodynamic bike wheels.

Bike wheels next to the frame itself nothing has a bigger impact on your bike s performance than the wheels. The original zipp 808 and 404 firecrest wheels helped define the aero bike wheels category. The 404 firecrest were among the first carbon racing bike wheels used in professional road races. Steve hed then created the aerodynamic innovation that every pro bike racer now depends on.

From durable mountain bike wheels to lightweight aerodynamic carbon road bike wheels upgrading with a bontrager wheelset is the easiest way to gain a serious advantage in weight performance and handling. If you already have aerodynamic deep section wheels then there s no point in paying more money for an aero. Aerodynamic wheel disks for your bike. So far hunt doesn t yet make an aero gravel wheelset so this isn t really directly trying to sell.

Hed once again pioneered the next step a wider rim that took the tire shape into. I d lead this with the first caveat that. The effective air speed at the top of a wheel tyre is double the indicated speed of the bike. A few weeks back hunt sent us their latest engineering research white paper where they tried to settle the score on whether aerodynamics really makes any difference for gravel bike wheel design.

Wheel manufacturers will usually adjust tests to make their particular wheels look more favourable than their. Looking for a little edge in the aero department. A moderately priced upgrade in the aerodynamics of a bike and rider with two aero spoke wheels aero brakes aero bottle ansi approved aero helmet one piece skinsuit aero shoe covers gloves with lycra backs silicone filling the gap between tires and rims shaved legs and pump under the top tube costs about 1100 dm. These wheel disks cost less than 2 each.

Many pro and amateur racers also used the nearly 60mm deep 404 as a front wheel paired up with the 82mm deep 808 as a rear for time trials and triathlons. Nevertheless road bike wheels have evolved in the last couple of decades and now usually have fewer spokes and deeper rims both changes that improve aerodynamics. In the bike industry wheel aerodynamic testing has generally been conducted by two groups of people wheel manufacturers and journalists.