I can't say I'm impressed with the performance of the wheel cover.
- I don't think it gives me any more speed - if it does, it's negligible. (I had one stretch over 20 mph, but I was working for it with a heart rate over 160 bpm).
- It adds weight.
- It was a pain to put on and it's difficult to access the air valve now.
- It flares a bit by 2 or 3 of the screwholes which I'm sure doesn't improve the aerodynamics.
- It interferes with the rear brake (which is still usable but rubs, even after I adjusted it).
- I'm concerned about the screws working loose (I could buy extras and some Loctite, but...).
- It's fairly delicate - it already took a couple divots on the rim when I ran over a piece of metal today.
- On the plus side, it didn't seem to have too much sail effect laterally when trucks, etc., went by - I did feel a little sway a couple of times but winds were only 0-11 mph today. Not sure what it would do in higher winds.
Plus I got a friggin' flat on the front tire out on the road after running over said piece of metal (yeah, that's the big glitch about mile 17 - after which I just rode home slowly). At least I hadn't changed that tire for the new one yet.
I'll file off the divots and try it again Friday, but after that unless I have an impressive workout then I'm taking it off. Just not worth the uncertainty in how it will handle on race day (since I don't have an extra wheel I can swap out for it easily, and removing the cover itself is a big job involving the removal of the cassette).
3 comments:
Thanks for the write-up. I had wondered how well those worked. Will be interesting to see how you like it over the next few more days.
Yes, thank you for letting us know. I was thinking about possibly getting one but have never seen one for 650 wheels. Now I'm not so sure. Look forward to hearing more about your experiences with it.
qpThanks for sharing that. Been wondering about those.
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