Aerodynamic Wheels?

An email exchange from our resident aerodynamics expert...

"Okay—short answer is that the slower you are, the more valuable aerodynamics become, as the potential for time savings is much greater than if you’re already riding very fast. What complicates this equation a little is that wheel designs are optimized for a band of wind angles and forward speed.

--Say you’re going to average 28-30 MPH; any apparent wind will be more of a headwind than a cross wind, so overall wheel design becomes less important (pretty much any modern aero wheel will test well under these conditions).

--Say you’re going to average 18-20 MPH; any apparent wind will be more of a crosswind than above, so wheel design becomes important in minimizing drag and optimizing lift (positive lift makes you go faster—think of how a sailboard can move faster than the wind)

--Say you’re going to average 12-15 MPH; apparent wind becomes even more important—so much so that you need to factor in wheel design because your forward speed is relatively slow. Every wheel has a point at which it will stall (i.e., a point in which its aero benefits are reduced due to the apparent angle/speed of the crosswind). For slower riders, a 40mm deep wheel seems to work best in front.

For the 18-20 MPH rider, a 50-60mm front wheel should work best

For the 27+ MPH rider, go as deep as possible to take advantage to the relatively shallow apparent wind angles.

So—sure, the aero wheels would be of benefit for you. And remember, excluding *very* rare instances, aerodynamics always will be more important than weight."