Do you ride deep wheels on longer rides? (social/no races)

[WindWarrior]

@Wirt

I dunno man. I’ve ridden motos and bikes for half my 41 year old life now. Think there’s a limit to good technique when you’re hit by a 60mph+ gust while leaned over on a sharp turn and 60mm front wheel + chunky tire

My scariest moments were on cheap alloy box section shallow wheels. After that I stopped riding in 60+mph gusts! Pretty much draw the line at 30-40mph gusts, and in those conditions my routes of choice are puttering along pancake flat roads in neighborhoods and enjoying the periodic pushes from the wind tunnels created by houses

[The_Conductor]

@M3GRSD

My OCD didn’t like staggered depths before, but I’m warming up to it, especially after seeing the ENVE SES 5.6 TL. It isn’t going to cost me more to go 62mm in the rear, just trying to figure out if it’s worth the weight penalty. I’m usually around 17-18MPH, so I doubt I’ll get any aero gains if I go deeper in the rear. In my particular case, does it make sense, or should I stick with a 50/50mm combo. A 62mm rear wheel might look cool, but I think that’s the only benefit.

I don’t think it much matters. But to jump on the train of pics of staggered rim depths, here are my Arc Dicut 1400s in 62/80:

(I know I know, the cranks aren’t perfect)

[WindWarrior]

@The_Conductor

But to jump on the train of pics of staggered rim depths

80 looks sick!

My previous wheels, Enve 5.6 (54 / 63 depth, 29/28 external width):

Current wheels, staggered both depth (51 / 60) and width (35mm front!!! and 31 rear) at the end of a Central CA Coast gravel event:

and why I love 'em:

I ride a lot of crappy pavement and prefer 32c tires, which in NorCal Cycling YouTube video they unscientifically tested Vittoria N.EXT tires on these Roval Rapide CLX wheels, and 32c tires were the fastest.

Now to be clear I agree with @Brennus that if you want the absolute fastest then go narrower, but these Rapide CLX are my pick for balancing performance and comfort.

[The_Conductor]

@WindWarrior

80 looks sick!

Thank you! I’d be lying if I said aesthetics weren’t a big reason why I picked them up (and they were $1000 on PinkBike, god bless people trying to get rid of their rim brake stuff). And if I ever get a TT/tri bike, I’d probably seek out a rim brake frame, and I’d have these wheels ready to go.

[HLaB]

I’ll have to rebuild this bike some day but I used to ride 62.5mm on it for longer rides; it got to circa 41,000miles before I stripped it.

[WindWarrior]

ya I noticed the prominent brake track, and what a deal!

[KorbenDallas]

Because of your post I went back in my photos and looked at how many bikes I’ve built/purchased and it’s absurd! 20 total going back to the 80’s but, 17 since 2005! Only have pics since 2008 or so…

[djg21]

I use the FloCycling700 wheels on my gravel bike, and a set of the FloCycling 64AS wheels on my road bike. My road racing days are over, but I still regularly race/ride gravel. I like the wheels. The hubs are a simple 3-pawl design, but they work and maintenance is easy. The wheels are very comfortable, and have proven very durable. Aero makes sense even in gravel.

[M3GRSD]

Correct, and I found a few good deals on the legacy hooked SES 5.6, but the affordable ones are all fitted with Shimano 11s free hubs. The costs to get the XDR free hub and spacers make it as expensive as newer wheelsets. ENVE and a host of others are also making the internal rim width wider on newer wheels, making them aero-optimized around 28mm tires, and I prefer riding on 25mm. Campy’s new Bora WTO wheels followed this trend; C23 for a 23mm internal width.

Thanks for the input on Reserve 52/63. With the DT Swiss 350 hub, it’s really adorable, a bit heavy and I think I might have to do 28mm tires but a solid option. I’m definitely putting it on my short list. Thanks again!

[M3GRSD]

Goodness gracious, you’re also right on the money, the depths you chose to stagger make your overall setup look vicious. The crosswinds here in the DMV aren’t as treacherous as in other parts of the U.S., but I got rid of my Foundation 65s quickly after a few months of winter riding. I felt like the weakest kid getting bullied relentlessly, that’s how the wind made me feel. I probably couldn’t do depths this wide, but you’re right, the slight weight doesn’t matter much, and it would look dope.

Love the look of a rim brake bike, BTW. Thanks for the input.