$2500 for bicycle wheels

And you guys thought car racing was expensive?

Wife and I do triathlons at the local recreational level. Wife is more serious that I am but its still just another hobby. For us its just an excuse to stay fit. We have friend who is really serious about it and has done the Iron Man several times. He's planning to drop around $2500 for two aero bicycle wheels. Sure they're made of carbon, light as a feather but as fragile as egg shells. He's thinks that they're a great bargain since with bicycle aerodynamics they'll save a few minutes off his 12 hour Iron Man time. LOL!!

And I'm bitchin' because the 15 x 6 Minilites I'm looking at are about a grand for a set of four. At least he doesn't have to spend money on his engine. :-)

I'd rock those.

Oh and for expensive, try sailboat racing

You'd expect anything motorized to be more expensive. Not always the case.

They aren't fragile. Really.

As for perspective there are cycling tires priced north of $200 each with a 20 km lifespan. Continental Olympic. But when it matters, it matters!

However, with a 12 hour time I am sure you friend could make a lot of gains elsewhere. But on the upside, it could be dope! At least S B R'ing are healthy activities.

Bikes can get very expensive. I ride myself and have spent at most $600 for a bike. What some people spend on parts or bikes themselves can sometimes make your eyes pop out of your sockets. All to shave off a couple seconds or a couple ounces as well. Oh, and a racing bike you would see rode in the Tour De France can go upwards in the neighborhood of $15-20k!!

At least at the Tour de France someone else is paying for the bike...

Yeah zipp tubies are actually some of the stoutest. they're a bit like buying a porsche. Pay retail, get proven speed.

Where are you guys?

I bought some generic bladed-spoke aero wheels off of ebay for $100. They're heavy, but I'm told I'll feel a difference over standard rims w/ round spokes. At the very least, they look cool.

I'm far too inadequate a cyclist to merit $2500 wheels. I don't even merit a $2500 bike (I think I have about $900 into it and $650 into my restomod '84 Trek).

Pretty badass, though. The technology in the high end of cycling is pretty staggering.

I figure I could buy ten very ride-able bikes for 2500 bucks.

I have been down that route. My last mountain bike (which got stolen) was filled with lightweight titanium goodies... I only hope it was stolen by somebody who cared what it was and not some kids looking for a mountainbike to trash.

funny, I know some guys that spend that much on a motor for their r/c cars.

A dirt bike buddy got into MTBs big time, he sold his CR250 to buy parts. He had it in a shed behind his mobile home, the MH park's grounds crew was using a riding mower which fired a rock or ?? into the shed, damaging the fork, front disc brake (!) and rim. He wound up having to sue them to get the bike fixed. That's when I discovered he had over $5K in the bike.

I'm sorry. $5000 bike + mobile home =

1988RedT2 wrote: I'm sorry. $5000 bike + mobile home =

Yeah, that doesn't compute. Kinda like a 25 year old who still lives w/ his parents but has a $38k car.

That said--a stereotypical roadie has a $6k bike and a $3k car.

Rotating mass is a big thing when you make less than 2000 watts haha!

Ive raced on american classics and they really do make a big difference (especially when accelerating). With sewups Id only consider them race day setups, but my old man used to train on them haha!

They are really stiff and strong but they dont roll away intact from potential crashes like other conventional aluminum rim wheels.

I paid less than that for an entire Porsche!

Still not impressed though. Big money doesn't come out until you hit water (boats), but if you really want to blow some dough like there's no tomorrow you need to look to the sky (race planes).

gamby wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: I'm sorry. $5000 bike + mobile home =

Yeah, that doesn't compute. Kinda like a 25 year old who still lives w/ his parents but has a $38k car. That said--a stereotypical roadie has a $6k bike and a $3k car.

Yeah, it was all I could do to keep a straight face when he was whining.

Wifey and I are triathletes too. We've got three, maybe four bikes in the basement each worth more than our '95 Legacy. I used HED3's for my tri's. Bought 'em used, sold 'em for what I paid for them after a few years.

PeterAK wrote: Wifey and I are triathletes too. We've got three, maybe four bikes in the basement each worth more than our '95 Legacy. I used HED3's for my tri's. Bought 'em used, sold 'em for what I paid for them after a few years.

How did your HED3's hold up. Back when I used to race a bit I saw a pair of Rev-X blow themselves to smithereens on the street and I have been riding aluminum wheels since. Bit scared of carbon on wheels with carbon spokes

wearymicrobe wrote:

PeterAK wrote: Wifey and I are triathletes too. We've got three, maybe four bikes in the basement each worth more than our '95 Legacy. I used HED3's for my tri's. Bought 'em used, sold 'em for what I paid for them after a few years.

How did your HED3's hold up. Back when I used to race a bit I saw a pair of Rev-X blow themselves to smithereens on the street and I have been riding aluminum wheels since. Bit scared of carbon on wheels with carbon spokes

Spinergys and anything else should not be mentioned in the same sentence. One I was riding detonated so badly it was difficult to detangle those "spokes" enough to get it off my bike.

While $2500 for tri wheels is steep, at least you can generally expect them to last.

I typically spent around $600 for DH racing wheels... and had a second set for as back-ups. When racing DH, rims were considered 'expendable' items.

I paid more for the rear shock for my old Intense M-1 (custom Avalanche w/ ti spring) than a set of Koni's for the VW would cost.

Wow, and my $250 Dimond Back was a giant step up from the wal mart bikes I grew up on...

Those $15k-20k Tour bikes equate, roughly, to an F1 car.

I spent $250 on my last "beater" project, and I'm still enjoying riding it too much to start the project. I put new bar tape on it, replaced the skewers, cleaned up the seatpost and stem.

Picked up a '51 Indian Princess for $40. Project is stalled a bit, but just needs the wheels cleaned up and then everything reassembled. I probably have more into that one than I wanted to, but I don't think I'm much over $100. While this project waits for me, it's hanging from the ceiling.

I have 11 bikes in the garage: 2 classic roadsters, a DD (SUV/Crossover), The Wife's Crossover, a dirt-track racer, a "parts-car," the unassembled "resto" project, and various kids' bikes. Oh yeah, and two actual, non-metaphorical cars.

If I tried to do with cars what I do with bikes, I'd need a country estate and a tow rig.

Ha! I just packed an 18' box truck floor-to-celing with bikes/parts & brought them home yesterday - and I feel I overpaid at $80! Though I have already recouped $65.

I have 20+ here ready to ride, though I wheel & deal bikes on the side. A few are keepers though.

Grassroots Cyclesports????

For that price I hope they come with a hooker and a plate of blow.