So here is the third and final part of the Wheel Tests. First of all, I would like to thank Alain L for lending me his pair of RAR Svelt wheels for comparison. In order to understand what is happening with my RAR tubulars, I start Wheel comparison 3 again with the following wheels: The carbon Edge with Ultremo ZX tires (7 bars) which has been the benchmark wheel since the beginning, the energy-dissipating RAR Svelt (2/1 spokes, 8 bars) veloflex tubulars and Alain’s Svelt identical tubulars (12/12 spokes, 8 bars).
Same except the shelving: 4 watts loss?
I add to that an entry-level wheel, the Fulcrum 7, equipped with phone number library good old Wheel comparison 3 Hutchinson Kevlar tires + thick butyl tubes. If you’re going to go to extremes, you might as well go all the way! That’s why I don’t equip it with the Ultremo ZX + latex. A heresy anyway for a wheel that’s meant to be a training wheel and a budget one!
2 kg a pair, ouch!
For new readers, I recommend first reading Test 1 and then Test 2 before going further and better understanding the test protocol.
The weather is perfect this Monday what role does artificial intelligence play in achieving sustainability? morning with 20°C, sunshine, and not a breath of wind. I’m a little less fit the day after my time trial and road race in the Ballon d’Alsace. But this is the weather window I can’t miss for a few days. My client can’t leave his pair of Svelts with me forever either! I’m repeating the same protocol as the other times, the average will be just 10W lower than the last one, legs oblige.
I start with the EDGE
by making a first climb in progressive acceleration for the warm-up. 12’03’ / 259 watts measured and 261 watts theoretical. We always find these 2 watts of gains, no surprise. On the alternating protocol 30s@370w / 1’30”@260w, they achieve 11’12 /285w measured, 287 w theoretical. Everything is fine and it still corresponds with the other tests. Then comes the turn of my client’s Svelt: 11’06” 287w measured for 290 w theoretical. 3 watts of gains, it’s more logical for light tubulars and they are close to the european union email list performance of the Lightweight. I continue with my famous pair of tubulars: 11’09 for 288w measured but 286 w theoretical (lower starting weight). So we go to +2 watts.
