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New wheels, wow! Now a ?
I recently picked up some ENVE 7.8 from a buddy and all I can say is WOW!
Now it's got me wondering though, what is it about the wheels that makes them feel so great? For reference, I was on some older (2015) Reynolds attack (48mm?) with PowerTap hubs from Performance Bike (likely cheap spokes). The Enve's feel so much better as soon as I hop on the bike, i.e. not only at speed. So what is it about the new wheels that make them feel so much better. Is it the rim construction (material, dimensions), better hubs (DT Swiss), better spokes, or the combination of all three? Also for reference, same tires Conti GP4k 25mm on both. Of course the tires fit much better on the wider ENVEs. The only thing I can compare the feeling to is like a new pair of shoes that fit really great. They feel great all the time (slow, fast, cornering, etc). I can't afford more ENVEs for my other bikes, so I'm wondering what the secret sauce is. If I look into another set of cheaper wheels, do I focus on the rim, hub, spokes, or does it take a 3 to make a good wheelset? Thanks. |
#2
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Chisholm's Custom Wheels Qui Si Parla Campagnolo |
#3
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Absolutely; the wheel is truly the sum of its parts.
Since you were using the same tires, you are probably feeling the effects of wider rim (and how it impacts tire shape as you noted), slight aerodynamic advantage due to greater rim depth and more modern rim profile, and difference in how these wheels transmit road imperfections compared to your previous ones. And placebo effect of course That said, give these some time for the placebo effect to wear off and reassess. I am sure they are great wheels, but feel doesn't always translate into quantifiable long-term performance gains. |
#4
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takes all three, but i would say that the 4th is a solid build. a wheel with good, even spoke tension that is dead true and round will definitely "feel" better than one that is sloppily built, even with the same hardware.
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http://less-than-epic.blogspot.com/ |
#5
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great wheels...My eve 3.4s are the fastest I own.....but don't discount new tires as part of the equation of what you are "feeling"
Enjoy the ride
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#6
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I've never really gotten that 'feeling' before when buying nice new carbon wheels... Oh well for me... I still like them tho!
The one thing I most certainly notice is the stiffness. And that was one of the reasons, of many, I go with tubular on deep carbon wheels. They are VERY stiff and tubulars help soften the blow. I think a lot of the changes we feel are in out heads and maybe some of it has to do with other factors. They are incredibly light too so I'm sure that factors in. I think I notice the lightness particularly when out of the saddle and throwing the bike around. |
#7
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It’s a placebo, remember how fast you could run when you got new sneakers in 4th grade?
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#8
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Thanks for replies so far. I think I've got about 5 rides on them so far so I'm sure I still have some of the "new wheel" placebo going on. When I went from the stock wheels that came on the bike (2017 Allez Sprint) to the Reynolds I definitely felt an improvement. The feel when going from the Reynolds to the ENVEs completely transforms the bike.
I don't think comparing the ENVEs to the Reynolds is a fair comparison and that's not what I'm trying to do. If I knew how good these wheels would feel, I would have upgraded a long time ago. My main problem now is I want the same feeling on all my other bikes!! |
#9
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Please define "better" because your "better" might be someone else's "worse". What difference do you feel between your new and old wheels?
Think of my experience with aero wheels vs 32 hole Open Pros on Ultegra Hubs: they were a bit faster downhill in the 35-42 mph range so that was "better" but they were too sensitive to sidewinds when I rode along the coast so that was "worse". Overall I decided giving up a couple of MPH at speeds I rarely achieved anyway was better than frequently fighting crosswinds on many rides. |
#10
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How do you like the sounds of the ENVEs versus the Reynolds?
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#11
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Quote:
From a speed perspective, they definitely feel faster. I think the rim profile, bladed spokes, better hubs, and better build compared to my old wheelset all contribute to this. I most definitely like that they feel faster, but it's the overall feeling of being connected to the road, and the confidence that inspires I'm most impressed with. |
#12
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It's almost funny that you ask that. I've heard some wheels that make a whooshing sound when you're pushing it. If my 7.8 do that, I'm breathing to hard to notice
As far as the braking, the textured brake track makes a sound (low volume) that sounds like a jet engine running up (the tone/pitch, not volume). I actually love the sound. Time will tell if I tire of the sound. It's near perfectly flat here though, so not much braking. |
#13
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Over the years
Many articles on best value and performance upgrade always seems to start with wheels,
have fun, the only other upgrade that is cheaper to improve performance and speed is to lose 10 pounds,
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The Fleet Colnago C60 Hors Categorie SN# HC-54-265 |
#14
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No, can't remember.
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#15
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Quote:
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=211467
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