Aero wheels and wind.

[Baldy]

How strong does the wind need to be before you swap wheelsets?

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Its easing off compared to the last few days but can still expect gusts to 60kph and all cross/tail out and head/cross coming back in.

My wheelsets are 24mm and 58mm and I'm 65kg and 179cm.

I have not ridden the 58's in wind that strong. First ride on them is was 20-30kph cross/head winds and you can notice it at the front. But no problem when you are alone. The races I've done on them have had bugger all wind.

I'm struggling for motivation to race in that wind, even on the 24's.

I dunno, where do you draw the line?

[toolonglegs]

Depends on your weight, rim profile and skills.
TT last weekend in very strong wind. 82mm front gave me a couple of moments at 60kmph speeds when hit by cross winds, but you also have a lot less control tucked down on the extenders. Rear disc was not an issue at all.
On the road bike I would ride an 80mm rear and a 50mm front in nearly any conditions... 90kgs, good skills & blunt rim profile.

[warthog1]

I've got 85mm carbon tubs. Never been windy enough to swap em out. I only have normal alloy rims as an alternative and they make too much difference.
184 cm and 82 kg.

[open roader]

I'm riding on a pair of carbon tri-spoke wheels, 38mm variable rim depth but also 3 very broad high surface area spokes per wheel. In the recent windy past 3 week I've only ever felt the front push in a 54km/hr 90 degree crosswind, all other angles the same wind was not an issue.

So to answer your question I'd say around 50km/hr is where I'd consider swapping these wheels out. 78kg rider........

[greyhoundtom]

Must be my crap bike skills as I have enough trouble controlling the bike with sudden strong wind gusts hitting me, let alone wide rim profiles adding to the problem.

[g-boaf]

Mine are 50mm - they can be a bit annoying in crosswinds. I just try to live with it. But if the wind got really strong, I'd probably leave them at home and put the standard wheels back on.

[Walastik]

Must be my crap bike skills as I have enough trouble controlling the bike with sudden strong wind gusts hitting me, let alone wide rim profiles adding to the problem.

me too. sudden cross wind while descending at 50 plus kmph, I nearly peed on my pants

[Chris249]

The Bureau was reporting gusts to 74kmh on Friday about 20km from where we were doing the NSW Masters state time trial, and that level was sustained across more than one report. At least when it was hailing you could see the gusts flicking across the road towards you!

Lots of people were reporting that their deep wheels were very hard to control, with some good riders pulling out because of the danger. My old-shape Zipp 404s were feeling very flighty before the start and still have wobbles after repairs, so I switched to the 34mm semi-aero alloys which felt heavy and solid but even then I had to get off the aeros at one stage. Of course, the good guys seemed to handle deep rims and even discs with ease, although one current world record holder ended up losing a bit of bark.

Tip for young players - when you are riding close to giant wind farms in early spring, breeze is a distinct possibility!

[qeaou]

Used 50mm carbon clinchers with my heavy weight of 90kg (188cm tall),
up to 20km/h side wind could not touch me much, but on higher speeds at descents, sometimes you experience a burst of 45km/h wind (in some areas), that can seriously affect your safety if you do not expect it.

I have since downgraded to a 24mm rim still very light but super sturdy, but much less aero benefit,
however feel totally confident even at pushing for quickest descents with possible side wind.