Lockdown has curtailed my spending a bunch (not put fuel in the van for months) so looking on the tempting eBay. Where I live rain comes in pretty much any time of the year and I’m a bit of a nervous descender so looking at alloy/carbon wheels.
I keep seeing Mavic Cosmic going for a price that’s palatable. They do have a more V-shaped profile which as I understand is more prone to getting grabbed by the wind. Ebay seller Superteam have what looks to be perfect rim shape (albeit with cheaper hubs).
So my question from people with experience of deeper wheels (of which I have none), would you be looking for the more rounded modern eBay rims or something older like Mavics or Campag Bullets (which a narrower and older still but Campag).
Couple of questions. How much descending do you realistically do? How heavy are you?
Not trying to recommend a brand/retailer to you but, I have found that my current HUNT 50/50s behave really well in the wind and I’m not hugely experienced in deep sections. They have a rounded profile which as you mention, is currently thought to enhance handling.
A team mate of mine, who is a larger chap (83kg) rides older style Cosmics with the alloy braking track and nothing short of gale moves him off line. I’ve never known him to swap the wheels out, regards of the weather or the course. To my knowledge he’s had them for three+ years so they’ve worn well too and his bike takes some abuse!
I’m generally between 67kg and 69kg although have got lighter with increased annual distance but that’s a good range.
I live in the SW UK and ride on Dartmoor a lot, this is pretty lumpy with short sharp descents/climbs. It also has the ability to have all four seasons in a day.
Below is a elevation chart from a sample ride last year.
I have a set of old alloy-carbon cosmic with the v-shaped profile and they are not particularly susceptible to crosswinds. I ride them all year in all conditions without any trouble. They are not particularly stiff either, which helps dampening the effect of crosswinds even more. I’ve recently upgraded the TT bike to a pair of carbon 88s with u- shape and they‘re a different animal. Not unrideable, but you have to be awake in crosswinds.
