Any bike shops have demo wheels / days? Given the higher end cost more than entire bikes would have thought so?

Why do you want to try them out?

The benefits/differences are largely aero/weight/durability/spares availability, none of which you can work out on a test ride.

stiffness, noise – you can work out from a demo ride.

OP – dunno.

I’m not 100% sure but I recall Reynolds offering test rides at Wiggle sportives last year. You had to pre book and pick them up on the day.

You can hire HED wheels, but its quite pricey and you only get a 50% discount off the hire price should you then choose buy a new set.

I want to test ride over my usual loops which i ride daily. I want to use my own tyres/tubes/cassette so it is just the wheels, and i would like to try several brands and types (aero, light weight etc..)

I have a couple of big challenges in mind (like everesting, lejog) where i think wheels will make a massive difference.

I also think i ride enough these days to feel the difference and i’ll use a garmin to compare data (no power but im good at riding to set hr).

Given its potentially a big spend surprised it is not common. I mean you can demo saddles

some distributors and shops will do demo wheels. Its often a case of asking around. Where I work we stock Reynolds, and have a couple of sets available for test- not the whole range though!

ENVE also have test sets, but they are like hens teeth to get hold of.

Buy several pairs then ride them. Decide which you want to keep the put the others in the corner of your garage.

That’s what you’re expecting a shop to do for you. Bit more expensive than stocking a few demo saddles!

DT78 – Member
I want to test ride over my usual loops which i ride daily. I want to use my own tyres/tubes/cassette so it is just the wheels, and i would like to try several brands and types (aero, light weight etc..)

Sorry but you are dreaming if you think you can work out which is faster.

Saddles are as different as iyts possible to be – 100% personal/subjective.

We have a small selection of wheels customers can demo, up to around the £800 level, plus Powertap wheels.

As above, it costs a lot of money and there’s a limit to what we can afford to offer.

OP – what are you thinking of trying?

Cynic Al, I do find you post basically assuming everyone is a numpty and new to bikes a bit tiresome, but thanks for your opinion. In my opinion I will be able to tell differences. I bought my scale based on back to back riding several similar bikes on the same demo loop at the same HR (tyres weren’t changed but I did have the same psi and they were all Ralph’s or Ron’s anyway).

I can tell the difference between my braccianos, rs21s and cosmics on the same bike with all the same kit. They all ride different and there is a noticeable difference in comfort, stiffness and speed.

With regards to the wheels I’m looking to test, it’s the top end mavics/fulcrum/zipp. Basically I want one set that are light for big climbing days, maybe a zero/sls/202 and one set for flatter faster days probably 404/c50.

Reading the reviews everyone has their opinion and rather than shelling out serious money without testing a product (would you recommend buying a bike without trying it?) I’d rather have a go in the real world on the real roads I ride,

Understand it would be expensive to do, but bike brands seem to do it, for similar priced products.

I’m not saying you are a numpty, I’m saying you can’t tell more than feel about these wheels based on what you say about not having a power meter and repeatable test circumstances.

Feel is meaningless I’m afraid apart from the psychological effect.

Again bikes are different – fit etc.

I don’t doubt there will be faster/slower wheels among them but you won’t work it out unless you are lucky, you will need a power meter and probably a wind tunnel.

I don’t doubt you will feel good about whatever you end up buying through this test method, just don’t kid yourself its the best.

I agree it will not be the most scientific of approaches, but it will be a damn site better than buying based on reviews of x vs y on the Internet and what has the biggest discount from your favourite online store…

And re power meter, for sustained efforts I think HR is almost as good, I’ve been training with HR for 3 years. I spend the money I would on a power meter on vo2 testing and coaching plans. Mainly as to start with I had no idea how to use a power meter, and secondly I have a couple of bikes, fitting them all with pms would be expensive.

I’ve got little loops and climbs near me with 3 years of data on and hundreds of reps. I’ll know the difference, especially as what I want to do is back to back testing like I did with my last xc bike rather than just try one wheel set thinking it’s great. I actually preferred the whyte 29c over the scale to ride, but the scale was significantly quicker so that’s what went with, based on the data rather than feel.

Looks like I’m asking for way to much. Maybe the difference is the bike manufacturers pay for the demo bikes and supply them to shops and wheel manufacturers aren’t so keen.

Anyways looks like my googlefu wasn’t failing it isn’t something widely offered. I’ll ask around in my local bike shops and expect to be laughed out of them….

Drovercycles just looked you up, afraid you are a good 350mile round trip for me so a bit too far. Though, maybe if I can’t find anyone closer. What are your demos?

I hadn’t really thought about Reynolds before, and no one I know has them, so interesting they do have demos about.

Well if you are choosing on data over feel them fair enough.

for sustained efforts I think HR is almost as good

If you are right (which I doubt) the differences between wheels are really small, even at 25mph, smaller than your margin of error.

Chapeau for wanting more than shite reviews!