Power Tap wheels

I have no idea what to tell your regarding your wheel selection question but I did what to say, well done on the weight loss!

Jman said:

[font=Times New Roman]Hello All[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]I am new to biking, never rode when I was a kid other than to deliver papers. Now I am 55 and overweight and trying to correct that (not my age but my weight :p ). I have been lifting and doing cardio – lost a bunch of weight but till more to go. Bought a Cycle-Ops 300PT (indoor bike with power tap) in late Dec and after about 25 rides I have gotten to 3*15 at 215W and the next day 1*20 at 202W. I like training with power – it motivates me. Even read A.C.’s book. [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]So I bought a road bike – Roubaix Pro with Dura-Ace 20 spoke wheels. I posted a note here asking if the wheels will hold up under my now slim 250lbs (yeah right! 😉 ). Consensus was: NO. [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Will the Power tap SL with Mavic Open Pro 32 spoke wheels be OK? [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]If not, and I go with the Power Tap SL, what wheels will be ok with the PT?[/font]
TIA

I am 195lbs. I have the open pro with PTon my road bike and I beat the [censored] out of it.( Max watts output/sprinting is all I do.) I had www.wheelbuilder.com build me a PT wheel for my track bike, and both have held up fine. Tell him your requirements , he will set you up .(ps try not to use them in the rain)

What is the problem with rain? What will happen?

Billsworld said:

I am 195lbs. I have the open pro with PTon my road bike and I beat the [censored] out of it.( Max watts output/sprinting is all I do.) I had www.wheelbuilder.com build me a PT wheel for my track bike, and both have held up fine. Tell him your requirements , he will set you up .(ps try not to use them in the rain)

Jman said:

What is the problem with rain? What will happen?

Based on my experience, you'll be ok in the rain. The SL has much better moisture sealing than the PT Pro because the electronics are further inside the hub; the seals were a problem in the first run of SLs, but the current SLs have improved seals. Saris tested the improved design by riding samples while having other employees soak the hub with a hose. I had mine out in some severe downpours last summer and everything was fine. As for wheels, I think you will be fine with Open Pros. For what its worth (and one data point is not great) my original SL wheel was built up with a DT Swiss rim, and even though I only weigh 138-140lbs, it developed fatigue cracks. I just had it rebuilt with an Open Pro, because in general that's a bomb-proof rim.

What he said🙂 I have both sl and pro. I just stay out of the rain with both. I heard the SL is water tight though. Richard at wheelbuilder has built wheels for heavy track sprinters like Jamie Staff. He well hook you up, and wont rip you off. Its the only thing he does. I am just a customer and live on the east coat. He is in Cal.

Thanks to all of you for your input

Just a little note, if your primary goal is to burn fat and lose weight, you might want to try and target slightly easier but longer rides that rely more on fat for energy then carb's, like in the range of your zone 1 power levels, 3 or 4 hours can have more of an impact than an hour at zone 2 or 3, and give's you the added bonus of the endurance trainning which is always valuable and helps create a great base for you to develope, basically killing two birds with one stone, cause when when you arrive at your desired or target weight, you'll already have a great endurance base built up.

To answer your question, i'd agree, the higher spoke count Mavic Open rim would probably be your best choice.

BTW, have you looked @ the ergopro? I'm considering one as I'm starting to race track and would like power on my track bike. Plus the ergomo seems to have built in support for TSS/IF/NP which would be fun to have while on the bike. Thoughts?

The ergomo seems like a good value compared to srm. I have a pt pro on my track bike. It helps me alot as I dont live near a track

Billsworld said:

I am 195lbs. I have the open pro with PTon my road bike and I beat the [censored] out of it.( Max watts output/sprinting is all I do.) I had www.wheelbuilder.com build me a PT wheel for my track bike, and both have held up fine. Tell him your requirements , he will set you up .(ps try not to use them in the rain)

You know Bill, sometimes when I read your posts, I think I am looking at something I wrote. 😄

"I have the open pro with PTon my road bike and I beat the [censored] out of it.( Max watts output/sprinting is all I do.)"

lol. yeh my open pro wheel doesn't like me. None of my rear wheels ever liked me. Must be trued after every 30 miles or so. A powertap trispoke would be sweet.

palewin said:

Based on my experience, you'll be ok in the rain. The SL has much better moisture sealing than the PT Pro because the electronics are further inside the hub; the seals were a problem in the first run of SLs, but the current SLs have improved seals. Saris tested the improved design by riding samples while having other employees soak the hub with a hose. I had mine out in some severe downpours last summer and everything was fine. As for wheels, I think you will be fine with Open Pros. For what its worth (and one data point is not great) my original SL wheel was built up with a DT Swiss rim, and even though I only weigh 138-140lbs, it developed fatigue cracks. I just had it rebuilt with an Open Pro, because in general that's a bomb-proof rim.

The only problem I had in the rain with my powertap was the connection witht the computer head on the mount. I think those wires get wet and it messes it up.

velomanct said:

You know Bill, sometimes when I read your posts, I think I am looking at something I wrote. 😄

"I have the open pro with PTon my road bike and I beat the [censored] out of it.( Max watts output/sprinting is all I do.)"

lol. yeh my open pro wheel doesn't like me. None of my rear wheels ever liked me. Must be trued after every 30 miles or so. A powertap trispoke would be sweet.

Whoever is building your wheels doesn't know what they are doing.

If you've ever ridden a trispoke, you would not be thinking it's stiff.

Woofer said:

Whoever is building your wheels doesn't know what they are doing.

If you've ever ridden a trispoke, you would not be thinking it's stiff.

wheels built by: powertap, colorado cyclist, and the LBS(good mechanic). After a month or two, they all started getting loose spokes.

I have never ridden a trispoke, perhaps it's horrible.

velomanct said:

You know Bill, sometimes when I read your posts, I think I am looking at something I wrote. 😄

"I have the open pro with PTon my road bike and I beat the [censored] out of it.( Max watts output/sprinting is all I do.)"

lol. yeh my open pro wheel doesn't like me. None of my rear wheels ever liked me. Must be trued after every 30 miles or so. A powertap trispoke would be sweet.

The one Wheelbuilder built for me is solid as a rock. The open pro is fine for most riding, its not so happy with lots of tourque(standing starts). Cant really complain though cuz its not mad for that

Krazyderek said:

Just a little note, if your primary goal is to burn fat and lose weight, you might want to try and target slightly easier but longer rides that rely more on fat for energy then carb's

This is a fallacy: the type of fuel oxidized during exercise plays no role whatsoever in determining how much weight you do or do not lose. All that matters is energy balance, i.e., how many calories you expend versus how many calories you consume. Riding easier may allow you to ride longer and thus expend more energy overall (if you've got unlimited time, that is), but it won't necessarily result in greater weight loss - in fact, the published scientific literature indicates that weight loss due to exercise alone (i.e., not exercise plus dieting) is only likely to occur as a result of high intensity training (which happens relies more heavily on carbohydrates, not fats, for energy).

NOTE: My research interests have never involved weight management/obesity, but nonetheless the subjects in the several training studies that I have done have routinely lost ~1 kg of fat, despite being 1) young, healthy, relatively lean men, and 2) constantly reminded to consume enough calories and in particular enough carbohydrates to support their training. What apparently separates these studies from others in the literature that have not observed weight loss in similar individuals is the training load. Quite simply, the training protocol that I've used is much more rigorous than is usually the case, and more comparable to what an endurance athlete might perform versus somebody who is just working out for health and fitness.

Jman said:

[font=Times New Roman]Hello All[/font]

[font=Times New Roman] [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]I am new to biking, never rode when I was a kid other than to deliver papers. Now I am 55 and overweight and trying to correct that (not my age but my weight :p ). I have been lifting and doing cardio – lost a bunch of weight but till more to go. Bought a Cycle-Ops 300PT (indoor bike with power tap) in late Dec and after about 25 rides I have gotten to 3*15 at 215W and the next day 1*20 at 202W. I like training with power – it motivates me. [/font]

Good for you, Jman! Until recently I'd never recently considered the impact that accurate, affordable powermeters might have upon any one other than competitive cyclists, but you seem to be on the leading edge of a trend...in fact, just this past weekend I encountered somebody who was teaching Spinning-like training classes using the Cycle-Ops 300PT. So, if quantitative feedback about your performance ability helps motivate you to exercise, that's fantastic! Just don't let the powermeter coax you into pushing yourself too hard or too fast, such that you get sick, or worse (I assume that you've been cleared by your physician to engage in strenuous exercise?).

[font='Times New Roman']Yes, I have been cleared by the DR. I had reached 328 lbs at 5'8", was taking 2 types of blood pressure medicine, was borderline diabetic and had high cholesterol – I think I was headed for very bad things. I couldn’t go on the treadmill for more than 5 minutes and got very winded walking up a flight of stairs. After about 2 years of working out I am at 250, no longer have to take any medications and have no symptoms. My average workout is 1.5 – 2hrs. I can exercise at a HR of 150 for 30 mins which is above my AT of 143 (tested at U of I). But, you are correct that I can let the power meter push me too far – I’ll watch it 🙂 . [/font]
[font='Times New Roman'][/font]
[font='Times New Roman']BTW, I really enjoyed your book, well written and easy for a layman to understand. The book and the 300PT have convinced me that the power meter is the way to train and reach my 2005 goals of riding a century and losing another 50lbs.[/font]
[font='Times New Roman'][/font]
[font='Times New Roman']Thanks[/font]

acoggan said:

Good for you, Jman! Until recently I'd never recently considered the impact that accurate, affordable powermeters might have upon any one other than competitive cyclists, but you seem to be on the leading edge of a trend...in fact, just this past weekend I encountered somebody who was teaching Spinning-like training classes using the Cycle-Ops 300PT. So, if quantitative feedback about your performance ability helps motivate you to exercise, that's fantastic! Just don't let the powermeter coax you into pushing yourself too hard or too fast, such that you get sick, or worse (I assume that you've been cleared by your physician to engage in strenuous exercise?).

Jman said:

[font=Times New Roman]Yes, I have been cleared by the DR. I had reached 328 lbs at 5'8", was taking 2 types of blood pressure medicine, was borderline diabetic and had high cholesterol – I think I was headed for very bad things. I couldn’t go on the treadmill for more than 5 minutes and got very winded walking up a flight of stairs. After about 2 years of working out I am at 250, no longer have to take any medications and have no symptoms. My average workout is 1.5 – 2hrs. I can exercise at a HR of 150 for 30 mins which is above my AT of 143 (tested at U of I). But, you are correct that I can let the power meter push me too far – I’ll watch it 🙂 . [/font]

[font=Times New Roman]BTW, I really enjoyed your book, well written and easy for a layman to understand. The book and the 300PT have convinced me that the power meter is the way to train and reach my 2005 goals of riding a century and losing another 50lbs.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman]Thanks[/font]

Congrats on the results.

Jman said:

[font=Times New Roman][/font]
[font=Times New Roman]Will the Power tap SL with Mavic Open Pro 32 spoke wheels be OK? [/font]

Another rim to consider is the Mavic CXP 33. I believe it's a little stronger than the Open Pro and when I was asking questions about my own Power Tap wheel build, a number of people said it would be a good choice. No problems with it thus far.

Try searching the forum for "CXP 33" - I think the rim is often suggested for slightly heavier riders.