Anything better to consider than planetx 82/82 at £300 or 82/101 for £350?

Both tubs, which I’ve never used before but this wheelset will be just for tts and the odd training run.

Bonus question, as I know nothing about tubs, what ones for TTs that don’t cost the earth, reliable and not too expensive.

Even Chinese versions on ebay seem to be a similar price.

Its that or I use my 50 carbone on the front and splurge on a disc instead.

50 carbone on the front and a disc.

You’ve got an aero helmet already?

I’ve a giro attack, not disciplined enough for a proper pointy helmet as I still drop my head when I tire (I’m working on that)

I’d suggest not restricting your choice to tubs. In the tests results I’ve seen published online, good tyres have lower rolling resistance than tubs and they are a lot less hassle.

I’d not go that far. I’d still use tubs for a TT race wheelset.

‘good tyres’ is meaningless and compared to what tubs? A Gatorskin doesn’t beat a Conti Podium.

… and an aero helmet (and skinsuit, if you don’t already have one) will give you far more of an advantage than wheels, even if you drop your head. Wheels help, but they are a relatively small part of the whole package.

Eh? We’ve already done the helmet, keep up.

aero overshoes?

http://www.drag2zero.co.uk/shop/smart-aero-cycling-overshoes/

“Good tyres” just means tyres with lower rolling resistance than tubs.
I’ve seen a couple of tests that showed tyres had the lowest rolling resistance (comparing a range of rubber, including the top end stuff). That was a few years ago, but I doubt the latest racing tyres have got worse.
Lots of people will tell you their tubs “feel nice” but I’ve not seen any concrete evidence to show tubs are faster.

Flippin eck, the OP has asked a question about wheels. Can we just assume he knows all the basic aero stuff. I doubt there’s a single person out there who time trials and doesn’t know this.

“Good tyres” just means tyres with lower rolling resistance than tubs.
I’ve seen a couple of tests that showed tyres had the lowest rolling resistance (comparing a range of rubber, including the top end stuff). That was a few years ago, but I doubt the latest racing tyres have got worse.
Lots of people will tell you their tubs “feel nice” but I’ve not seen any concrete evidence to show tubs are faster.

Sweeping generalisation ahoy! ‘tubs’ covers a range of products, with a range of speeds. There’s a massive overlap between the two. They’re both tyres too, if they’re not tubs they’re clinchers.

I dunno if the fastest tyres are tubs or clinchers, but it’s just wrong to say ‘clinchers are faster’.

Okay, so my current tt setup is Rose xeon with profile clipons, cosmic carbones with conti gp4000s, giro attack shield. Not actually used shoe covers yet, but have soon I could use. No skinsuit but have aero castelli kit which fits well.

I haven’t shaved my legs, as wife has veto’d that.

Working on improving tt position, can hold for an hour now in relative comfort.

Have a training plan, no power meter yet, but that is also on the list.

So, original question Planet X tubs or another (because they are cheap) or a disc (if disc which one)

I would have thought the deeper wheels would be quite a bit quicker. Haven’t done a scientific test of my current wheels , rs21s vs carbones but strava points towards the carbones being a good chunk quicker.

TT Frame before wheels surely?

And definitely shoe covers first!

Is this going how you hoped OP?!

To answer your question, assuming flat roads and light wind then deeper is better. I’d sooner have a disc and a shallower front, but one of those disc covers may be cheaper. Obviously if you’re sporting courses or ride somewhere very windy you may wish to reconsider that.

Frame would be a significant outlay way more than wheels, and I’ve read it doesn’t make that much difference, article in current tri mag says 20secs over40km vs 50secs over 40km on deep wheels (though to be fair it doesn’t state any of the assumptions so likely rubbish numbers picked out of the air, plus it doesn’t do a 50mm vs deeper vs disc which is what I’ll be planning)

Reckon most of the benefit of a specific TT frame over a road one comes from being able to get in a better aero position on the bike. If your position is good on what you have I’d go shoe covers and wheels first 🙂

Ive no idea how they compare in a wind tunnel to a proper disc but you can get a disc cover for a standard wheel for about £150-200, a clubmate has one (raltech i think are the brand) and it seems to work for him

Planet-X Exocet frame is cheaper than the wheels you posted?

Yer it’s just a Chinese carbon mould job, but will allow a better position and will save more time than deep yob wheels over already aero clinchers surely

It’s not just the cost of the frame though is it? If I was prepared to give up the road bike as a donor (which I don’t want to) it would be new bars, shifters as well, prob a few other bits and bobs. This will be my first ‘proper’ season, I just played at it last year. If Im still keen at the end of this season I plan to get a dedicated bike, hopefully second hand which are often flogged without wheels.

Position on my road bike is pretty good I think, well it’s comfortable, hopefully I,lol be able to lower it as I get more used to it

Apologies if I didn’t explain myself clearly.
The two reports I have seen published tested a range of clincher and tubular tyres (including premium racing tyres). It was a clincher tyre model that produced the lowest rolling resistance in both tests. Of course I’m not saying that “all clincher tyres are faster than all tubular tyres”. You can get a slow tub and a fast clincher, and vice versa. What I’m suggesting is that the very best clinchers have a rolling resistance that is just as good, or even better, than the best tubulars, and they are also a lot more convenient to use.

So I’m just suggesting that it’s worth considering clinchers as well as tubulars for TT wheels. My choice would be clinchers for speed, convenience and overall cost (once you factor in the hassle of tubs).

and they are also a lot more convenient to use.

Once you’ve got them glued on they really are not a faff. Gluing really isn’t much of a faff either. And time trialling, you hardly ever see a DNF due to a puncture.

What I’m suggesting is that the very best clinchers have a rolling resistance that is just as good, or even better, than the best tubulars,

There was a study a while ago. And I think Tony Martin did a few races with clinchers a while back too. I think the entire pro peloton are back on tubulars now. They’ve got their pick of top end tyres and wheels and they pick tubs. Pretty much any club or open TT is the same.

And tub wheels are typically a bit cheaper and lighter than clincher equivalents.

Once you’ve got them glued on they really are not a faff. Gluing really isn’t much of a faff either. And time trialling, you hardly ever see a DNF due to a puncture.

And if you use tape like this they are not even a faff to fit. Takes about ten minutes.

Glue is pretty simple. Never used the tape. Is it a PITA to remove?

Not at all. It delaminates as you remove it so ultimately, if you are swapping tubs a lot and refitting them then you’ll get a build up on the tub itself. But the rim doesn’t get swamped with it.

Derek at Wheelsmiths recommended it saying it works really well and is a lot less faff.

I race in standard dist tris and local 10-25-tts, got a giant trinity and picked up some planet x 82/101s last year, I was new to tubs then, the tubs really are no hassle to mount, ive used tape but will move onto glue as ive been told this can reduce crr, the wheels were a upgrade from the alloy 42mm ‘giant’ wheels the bike came with. The 82 front can be a handful in the wind and a bit of a personal choice whether your confident enough to ride with them and keep tucked in unfortunately the slab sides of the planet x do get effected by cross winds more so than a more expensive brand that have more technology plowed into the shape of the rim, personally I can’t afford them hence the planet x, since ive had the planet x ive ran a diy plastic cover on the back to convert it to a ‘disk’ I like em and think they were a good investment, yes I bought them to go quicker but also bought them because I like the look of them (not going to put somthing that looks like dirt on my bike am I 🙂 ) personally now ive been racing for the year on them I think my money would of probably been better spend on a disk especially as you have a decent 50mm front all ready,
as for cheap bit decent tubs, I buy mine from planet x (again) when they have there offers on picked up some vittoras corsa cx21x700 front an 23 for the back, the rims arnt wide an a 21mm front should hopefully cut thru the air better which think I got the pair in a december sale for around 40-50quid ….which is a downside of tubs they usually aint cheap, yes some clinchers may roll better with latex tubes but yourll be paying thru the nose for them too …..sorry to waffle on just trying to get all I can think of across so to re cap …happy with mine but looking back id go 50-disk

I picked up a pair of PX 50s in the sale.

First time tub user. No problem fitting them with tape, done a handful of rides on my TT bike since and all is well.

I’m just building up confidence with tubs. Will be using them for tri’s and TTs this year. Happy so far.

I will probably get some deeper ones next year, or maybe a disc rear and move the 50s to my road bike.

I got some Conti Comp tubs for about £36 each from Pro Bike Kit I think, in the sales and with Top Cash Back.

I couldn’t find anything to get near them fr the price.

Re your original question, I’d go for the deeper ones for just TTing. Or maybe try to get a disc and run your 50 front. I’ve heard the Raltech disc covers are pretty good too and fit PX wheels. Lots of options really.

Don’t mess about with the Planet X wheels, they’re not particularly fast and the front is a right handful in winds. Get yourself a Hed 3 for the front with a 20mm tyre or tub, and a Raltec disc cover for whatever rear wheel you already have. Faster setup than the Planet X wheels, and should be doable for the same money.

If you use tubs, glue them. Tape = Crr losses. That said, many of the fastest guys in the UK are now using clinchers, very similar rolling resistance for the top end tyres, and the smoother transition between rim and tyre could be worth a few watts.

But first, buy a skinsuit and shave your legs. Potentially more watts saved there than with a wheel upgrade!

20mm tyre or tub

The 1980s called, they want their incorrect technology back!

My experience with tubs: built up some lovely Mavic GEL330s, flatted on first race, a 10.

Still regret not keeping those 270gm PX rims tho!

The tubs (only Sprinters) did ride beautifully, a significant comfort bonus I’d take over tiny RR gains.

I’m not calling it into question, but where does the idea that taping a tub, rather than gluing it, increase rolling resistance come from?

My retro TT bike came with a pair of Zipp 440 rims laced with bladed spokes onto Dura Ace hubs. You could pick up a used pair of this vintage for about £250 with tubs. Mine run 19mm Open Corsa CX. TT wheels hardly get ridden. I’d looked used, personally.

Quick wheels…..and tubs

…and not an aero bit in sight.

They ain’t quick slowjo

GT I think there are some losses in the slightly higher volume of the tape, someone has researched it IIRC.

…and not an aero bit in sight.

Well apart from her back which is parallel to the ground!

apologies….she seems to have a cover over her spare tub too!

😀

She was such a force of nature. It boggles the mind that her 12 hour record still stands, even now, with the massive developments in aerodynamics (which over 12 hours should give you a huge benefit) and the current crop of female talent we have.

Not playing down her record in the slightest, but have any of the “current crop” actually had a go? It’s quite an unfashionable event really isn’t it?

I think that’s the point Nick, I don’t think they have tried but that’s kind of what surprises me. You’re right though, I don’t think either the 12-hr and even less so the 24-hr events are particularly popular or fashionable either with women or men. I was out of the road scene for so long I don’t know whether the BBAR is still the big goal for UK time trailers as it was when I was originally racing on the road. If it is then you need a 12 and a 24 result to win it.

I can understand the reticence of undertaking a 12 or 24, I mean for the love of god they have to be incredibly hard events to complete let alone break a record on.

But at the same time, you could argue that the current crop of female talent would be honouring Beryl Burton’s achievements by trying to break it; as in ‘this is something worth trying for and she was someone worthy of my best efforts’.

I think Dame Sarah Storey should give it a go!

Numbers are on the up at the 24hr time trial our club hosts.

BBAR is still the big goal for UK time trailers as it was when I was originally racing on the road. If it is then you need a 12 and a 24 result to win it.

BBAR for men is 10, 25, 50. 100, 12 hour. No 24 required.

Still very much going.