# Are Zipp wheels worth it?



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Any road riders out there? I've always wondered about Zipp wheels. Would the extra like 2-3" on the wheel not cause drag?

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/1681105358.html

I've been thinking of getting a road bike for a while with aero-bars. Seen some for like $5000 on Craigslist for a few years old models.


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## WiyRay (Jan 11, 2009)

I don't claim to know anything about tires on bikes, but I know like everything out there, there is some kind of high-end type products that are super expensive and people swear by them.

But wow... $3500 for a set of bike tires? Sounds kind of crazy... mind me asking what makes them so expensive?

For that kind of money, I think I would buy a second bike and strap large rockets on it for a very short lived amount of fun haha.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Considering you can buy a decent used motorcycle for 3500...


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

WiyRay said:


> I don't claim to know anything about tires on bikes, but I know like everything out there, there is some kind of high-end type products that are super expensive and people swear by them.
> 
> But wow... $3500 for a set of bike tires? Sounds kind of crazy... mind me asking what makes them so expensive?
> 
> For that kind of money, I think I would buy a second bike and strap large rockets on it for a very short lived amount of fun haha.


Well ~$5000 is around the good carbon fiber range IIRC. Cervelos are known to be way up there in the $10,000 range for their time trial bikes where all weight is shaved to a minimum.

With bikes it's always the lighter the more expensive. A $1000 bike normally is a decent keeper bike but IMHO once you leave the $2000 range it's either about the material difference or weight. On the wheels thing it's got to be the lightest material in there to cut down some rotational something. I don't know much in the wheels field thus my asking on the 2-3" in the wheel thing.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

If you are going to ride cometively/a hardcore rider, then I'd say they are worth it. 

I've cycled cometitively both road (rode Spec Epic Allez/Look C/F) and mountain (Yeti/Fischer and tinkered w/Look M90 C/F) in the late 90's. Back then, wrt road bikes, I preferred clincher/inner tube vs tubular as tubular still had issues, especially w/tubular glue not sticking well and I've rolled quite a few off the rim taking a corner too hard...hence moving off to mountain as it satiated my craaaazy riding style...LOL!

I can't answer to what new and cool is out there in the bike world but just my experience back in the day and still dream of hitting the road with my, now old school, Look M90 hardtail and forks. Not enough time in the day...sigh


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## hojimoe (Mar 7, 2008)

wtac said:


> If you are going to ride cometively/a hardcore rider, then I'd say they are worth it.
> 
> I've cycled cometitively both road (rode Spec Epic Allez/Look C/F) and mountain (Yeti/Fischer and tinkered w/Look M90 C/F) in the late 90's. Back then, wrt road bikes, I preferred clincher/inner tube vs tubular as tubular still had issues, especially w/tubular glue not sticking well and I've rolled quite a few off the rim taking a corner too hard...hence moving off to mountain as it satiated my craaaazy riding style...LOL!
> 
> I can't answer to what new and cool is out there in the bike world but just my experience back in the day and still dream of hitting the road with my, now old school, Look M90 hardtail and forks. Not enough time in the day...sigh


hehe I still have my trek Y3 from grade 7! we bought it huge because it cost $1300 back then, over 10 years ago now...damn! Though it has survived being t-boned by a mercedes  my luck however wasn't as great, still suffering MCL problems

back to the topic at hand, 
I wouldn't put that money down unless if you're going to ride competitively


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

LOL...I've wrapped quite a few mountain bikes around trees and the last bigge accident was a double hum-dinger on one trip...both being cut off by dumba$$$ drivers.

1) got cut off by a cabbie and didn't have time to hop the curve and body surfed the sidewalk

2) hitting a parked icecream truck headon @40km as I was late for work @Aquarium Toronto Eaton Centre

Where's the *"EPIC FAIL"* tag to put on this post...LMFAO!!!


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Nah I would not be dropping that on the Zipp wheels unless I was doing TT. Normal light Mavics would be good and a good fit on the bike. Been wanting a Litespeed full titanium with carbon subparts full customs but that is expensive as if you want any work done on titanium my understanding is you have to flood the room with argon gas (IIRC to remove immurities in the room) before working on it. Not to mention upper $7000+ for something like that and it does not even include pedals or seat. >_<;


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## tebore (Jan 3, 2010)

Here's my take on bike parts. I'm not going to pretend I keep up with the trends anymore. I used to build up my bike till it was stolen now I just keep a cheap bike for commuting. I'm talking a few hundred bucks uber cheap. 

If you're not a racer or super dee duper tiptop shape, the super premium parts aren't worth it. You shave a few oz here a lb there it costs you a couple hundred to a couple grand. You might as well just put extra effort in to your commute to shave 5 minute, make the commute in to a work out and loose those OZs and lbs off your butt. All that excess weight on the bike just adds to the resistance/cardio work out. Hell deflate your tires a bit to loose that spare tire. 

That said I'm not against getting parts that are known to be reliable and aren't crap there's a difference from say a decent set of aluminum rims and crappy steel that'll rust because the grade of metal was crappy. Or say getting a gear set that would be $50 more but is made with better tempered steel and is slightly lighter. But when you start talking about shaving 2oz for a $500 gear set because it's CF and not titanium you gotta stop to think.


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