That's How We Roll: Top Picks for Upgrading Your Wheels

If you're looking to upgrade your ride experience, wheels are the biggest change you can make to your bike. It is your connection to the road, the final point of transfer for torque and the only weight that reacts differently to the forward momentum of the bike.

Want to improve your aerodynamics? Want a drastic change in weight? How about upping your average speed? The best answer to all these steps up is wheels.


The problem is, after market wheels can range from $350 to over $3,000. Where to make your mark? What's the best bang for your buck? Here are a few options that get our stamp of approval for good money spent to really get you rolling.

Please Note:

When somebody is looking at wheels, I often tell them, don't look to upgrade from what's on your bike now, look for an upgrade for your next bike. This way, your wheels will gain a longer lifespan because they will be an upgrade that lasts longer than one bike.

Understand the purpose of the wheels you are looking for. If you are predominantly climbing hills, weight should be a higher priority than aerodynamics. If you are mainly in flat areas you may want a deeper profile wheel to cut through wind resistance.

Beat the competition, not your
wallet with the Rapide CLX 60's

The Aero Approach

When you think of a deep-dish wheel options one name comes to mind: Zipp. They are fantastic wheels, but not everyone is ready to spend $2,800. Fear not, Roval is here to help you out. With the Roval Rapide CLX 60 you get a comparable carbon aero profile, with an overall lighter weight and
much better bearings for $2,200. In fact, Rapide CLX's come with ceramic bearings (a $600 upgrade on Zipps, bringing their price to $3400). For a full carbon, aero shaped, ceramic bearing wheel, it's hard to beat the Rovals at $2,200.

For the KOM

The unique 3-sided cut out profile of the
Ksyrium SL S

Want to trade your bike in for a billy goat? Think about the Mavic Ksyrium SL S's instead. The weight and stiffness combination makes Ksyriums feel like they would rather roll up a hill than down. 3D inter spoke milling cuts out any unnecessary weight between the spokes. The Mavic's
aluminum rims have a history of reliability so you won't get stranded on top of the mountain.  Being that this is an aluminum wheel, the price point is a little cheaper to turn your bike into a mountain killer, $1150 (with tires!).


Remember: 

Wheels are a huge step. Don't be afraid to spend some money to get a set that will last you a long time. It is better to save up some money and get too much wheel than buy a lower priced set that is going to make you want to upgrade again.

If you have any more questions about wheels or any other bike-related topic, please come by the shop and let us talk your ear off.

Fun in the Sun

The time has come again, and it seems we are always surprised. Florida summers are other-worldly. If you ever wanted to see what an ant feels like under a magnifying glass, go out on a ride, in Florida, this time of year, with no sun protection. But don't let the heat stop you from getting on the bike. To fend off the giant magnifying glass, here are a few steps that will ensure you have fun and stay cool!

Water is Your Friend!
Step one in your quest for outdoor ability is drinking at least double the amount of water you normally take on a ride. So drink and do it often. A good rule of thumb is that if you are thirsty, or thinking you could use a drink, you should have had a drink twenty minutes ago!

The Camelbak Podium Chill bottle is great for keeping your water cool and refreshing. For more info on the Podium, click here

Up the Electrolytes
When you sweat, it's not just water pouring out your body but electrolytes and sodium. Ignore this loss and you might as well not drink any water. Use an electrolyte/sodium-rich mix to make sure you are adequately supporting your body.
A great tool to make sure you are supplying your body with what you need is the EFS Sports Drink. For more info, click here

Don't Push It
Take more brakes and keep an eye out for shade. Remember, the body can only replenish an average of 1/3 the expended vitamins and minerals. Take frequent stops and forget about keeping your legs warmed up. Give your body time to catch up. If you are the kind of person that prefers not to listen to your body and power through situations until it's too late to recover, wear a heart rate monitor. This way you can ignore your body but listen to the watch!
The Polar FT7 is an accurate and affordable heart rate system. For more info, click here

Protect Yourself
Covering your body is becoming more and more a requirement over a preference. The more we learn about skin cancers and keeping your body healthy, sun screen doesn't always do the required work. Sun protective  garments can be the difference between a successful ride, and going home in an ambulance.
Pearl Izumi makes a great line of sun protective gear that breathes, wicks away sweat and protects from the sun. For more info, click here

Change Up your Schedule
Now that the climate has changed, your riding times may need to change as well. Early mornings and later in the night are great times to ride before it gets hot or after it has already cooled down. You may find that changing the time will give you a whole new riding experience!

There's Always the Trainer
If you have tried to get out and just can't seem to beat the heat, you may want to look for a good trainer. It is not as exhilarating as riding your favorite trail, but it is better than ignoring your bike! Plus there are training video programs that could set you up to impress everyone when you do get back on the road. Check out The Sufferfest that puts you right in the thick of actual pro races!
Blackburn's Tech Fluid is a solid trainer that fits just about any style bike! For more info, click here

Being One with Your Bike: The Bike Fit

Many people spend thousands of dollars in the world of cycling. Everything from $150 bottle cages to $18,000 bikes. If you've got money to burn, cycling is a great fire. However, many riders, both serious and casual, miss a crucial step while they continually advance their cycling experience, the bike fit.

It is a challenge for people to see the importance of a good bike fit. After all, it doesn't make the bike lighter, it's not made of carbon and it cuts into your time during the day. Although understated, how the bike holds your body and allows you to communicate your force to the road are the most important aspects of cycling. 

Like a couple, if there is poor communication between the rider and the bike, the relationship will not work. Not only will the rider be uncomfortable and lose available power but staying in the wrong position for extended periods of time can cause serious damage to the human body. Much like running, if you feel certain pains while riding, you should not stop then, you should have stopped weeks before hand. Any aerobic-based sport is based on repetition. While the rider may be causing pain to a joint, it is too little to notice each pedal rotation until it gets so bad the body cannot compensate for it. The only way to make sure you are not creating these possible lifetime problems is to get a bike fit that takes into consideration your strength and flexibility.

Barry Bonds knows how important a fit
can be

Comfort is Key

Everything I've been saying up to this point can be seen written by many other people. This is where I diverge:

The right position for you will be comfortable.

I know, it seems so simple but for many people this is a mind-blowing concept! Your body tells you how it is doing by your level of comfort and pain. Everybody's anatomy and muscle movement is different and you have to adapt the bike to flow in a comfortable position based on those movements. If you are forcing your
body into a position it does not want to be, entire sections of muscle are being taken away from pedaling and redirected to hold your body down to the "desired" position. Find a place your body is happy and there is just one thing it wants to do, move the pedals.

Body Geometry Fit

Our entire shop is a very big proponent of the Body Geometry Fit method. Within this system, there are three parts, the pre-fit assessment, the actual fit and a follow up appointment. All three points are directed towards understanding your body and changing components to match it. The fit technicians must be taught the process from the Specialized Bicycle Component University (SBCU), an educational program teaching fit techs about the functional anatomy of riding a bike and how to adapt to it.
I could keep talking about it but I would much rather watch Specialized-Lululemon cycling phenomenon, Evelyn Stevens get a Body Geometry Fit.

If you have more questions about what is going on when you ride your bike. Or think you could be more comfortable (and effective), give one of our fit technicians a call here at the shop! (407) 422-5552