Wheels are definitely a good place to start. Even Mavic Aksium Wheelsets which run around $250 can give you a lighter / slightly aero wheel.
Put some 25mm lightweight tires on them, and only use them on your fast rides. You will likely feel the difference, especially if there is a lot of climbing involved. Can you post the full spec of your bike? Hard to suggest when you have no other info... Cheers, Sean --- On Mon, 4/26/10, MichaelH <mhech...@gmail.com> wrote: From: MichaelH <mhech...@gmail.com> Subject: [RBW] Re: Speed Up My Sam To: "RBW Owners Bunch" <rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com> Date: Monday, April 26, 2010, 12:40 PM Well that's a pretty heavy rim & tire combo. Remember it is the wheels you have to accelerate, so weight taken off there will yield the most benefit. I'd consider a second set of wheels. If you can afford it White Hubs, Open Pro rims, 32 spokes with some Michelin 25mm tires. That will help you accelerate when you need to stay with the group, and will be zippier going uphill, which is where you are probably loosing the pace. Ride with your current wheels every day and switch to the lighter ones for longer events. Michael On Apr 26, 12:21 pm, "Darin G." <dbg...@mac.com> wrote: > Rims are Mavic A719s on Deore XT hubs. > > Don't know that I'd lower the bars as the comfort over distance of > this setup is incomparable to anything else I've ridden and is what > convinced me I was through with the Roubaix. > > D.G. > > On Apr 26, 10:17 am, cyclotourist <cyclotour...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > Don't know if it'll give you ~2mph , but I'd ditch the JB Blues. Either go > > with Greens, or better yet Grand Bois Cypres 31s. Those are the nicest > > rolling tires I even ever had the privilege of using. I found them too > > delicate for day in and day out use, but I think they would shine on the > > events you mentioned. > > > If it won't compromise comfort over distance, maybe lower your bars 1-2 cm > > from where they are as well. Speaking of bars, maybe go narrower to get a > > little bit less drag. > > > You mentioned 36 spoke, but what kind of rim? I'd recommend 28 hole > > Velocity Aeroheads if you really want to go all out. Those plus the > > Cypres... you'd be set (maybe). > > > Have fun! > > > On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 9:10 AM, Darin G. <dbg...@mac.com> wrote: > > > Alright, this will probably sound un-Rivish,...please don't pick my > > > bones over. I'm new to this type of bicycle. > > > > I need my commuter/tourer Sam to go faster, if possible. I have a > > > slate of century rides and a 200 km brevet lined up for the summer and > > > I'm being dropped by my riding companions who are significantly less > > > fit and heavier than I am, but are riding zippy road bikes (including > > > my old Roubaix). I'm about 1.5 to 3 mph slower over the same course > > > than I was on "road bike." I've never been a racer but I really don't > > > want my centuries to take 7 hours and I don't think I can make up the > > > difference with pure horsepower. I'm planning on a second bike to > > > take on this duty, but that will be at least a year away. > > > > So, where would this group look to speed up my Sam? Wheels? Tires? > > > I'm riding 36 spoke wheels with Jack Brown Blues. And if it just > > > can't be done, tell me so and I'll practice smelling the flowers until > > > I can come up with the appropriate tool for the described job. > > > > D.G. > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<rbw-owners-bunch%2Bunsubscrib > > > e...@googlegroups.com> > > > . > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > > -- > > Cheers, > > David > > Redlands, CA > > > "Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something > > wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym." ~Bill Nye, > > scientist guy > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > > For more options, visit this group > > athttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
