1) Hilly vs. Flat course
2) Road Quality
3) Bike Handling skills
So, taking those things into account, I have already decided on what wheels I will pull out of the quiver for IMMoo (yes, there are cows in Wisco').
I will be running a Zipp 1080 rear wheel and a Zipp 808 front. Here is my logic:
1) This is a hilly course, more specifically, about a 40 hill course. Therefore, although I love running a disc rear, I am going to take advantage of the weight reduction going with the 1080. Also, because the 1080 front is significantly heavier than the 808 front, I decided to drop some "aero" and go with the lighter wheel. Compared to my 2010 race wheels (Zipp 900 disc and 1080 front, both clinchers), going with the 1080/808 tubular will drop more than 2 lbs. off the weight of my bike and that is HUGE
2) The road quality up in Wisco is pretty good, except for a lot of chip asphalt. Although it is smooth (compared to Boston), it does create a lot of rolling resistance. Because of this, I am going with tubular wheels (tires that are glued to the rim) because you can run higher pressure. This will help cut down on the resistance and run a bit smoother.
3) Bike handling is a strength of mine. In my home town, I was riding on very windy and twisty roads, so learning to corner/descend/climb was very important. With 16 years of road riding under my belt, I take advantage of this whenever I race. Tubulars are ideal for this since they corner better than clinchers and roll faster.
Deciding on my wheelset, even this far out, is important so it is one less thing to worry about. And, dropping that much weight off the bike is phenomenal. Tri bikes are not light and using the wheels to keep the weight down is excellent.
That is what I got for today! Pretty much just logging miles and having fun riding the CX bike in the mud.
Hope everyone is having as much fun as I am!
Cheers,
J
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