New Wheels

According to a report I read a few weeks ago, the total amount of money deposited in US personal savings accounts increased $27 billion from $427 billion to $454 billion in the past year.

Though I've been trying to do my part to add to the aggregate American savings, my efforts where set back a little bit when I walked into Surf City Cyclery and bough a pair of Mavic Cosmic Carbone aero wheels last Sunday.  Last week I made the mistake of doing a hypothetical "I have $1500 - which component groupset would you buy?" post and a bunch of you said ditch the components and get a wheelset.

You spoke,  I listened.

In my defense, I did show some restraint.  I had the presence of mind to immediately realize that an extra grand for the next level of Zipp or Reynolds wheels was not (nor should they be) in the cards for me.  Given my athletic ability, I'm better off with the Mavics and maybe an aero helmet with $850 still in the bank.

Funny enough, I did get a slight component upgrade in the end - the cassette is Ultegra.

I finally had the chance to put them on my bike today but didn't really get to try them out.  I had to fiddle with the set screws in the drop outs ("slide-ins" actually) because I needed more clearance for the wheel in the concave of the seat tube.  I was a little surprised by this but I have a feeling it's actually the tires - I threw some Continental Gatorskins on the rims just to try the wheels out and I think they are a deeper tire than what I originally had on.  I finally took a short spin this evening.  My final judgment is obviously withheld for further testing, but I could definitely feel a difference.

 

They do look cool though.  And they make that wicked churning noise when I ride...that's a good thing.  In my first couple of races, it was THE sound on the bike course that sent a shiver of fear down my spine when I heard it come up behind me.  And then "Woosh!", someone would fly by.  This (the passing) will probably still happen but the other guy's wheel sound will now be drowned out by my own.