Can You Climb On Aero Wheels?

If you're in the market for a new set of wheels you're probably wondering whether to go for some deep section aero wheels or some lightweight climbing wheels. But which wheels will make you quicker uphill? We've come to GCN's local 'Test Mountain' to find out whether deep section wheels can improve your climbing speed.
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Leave us a comment below!

[@youriverstraete4986]

2:58 *BLOWS ENTIRE BRAIN TROUGH NOSE*

[@s3cr3td00rindar00m]

Youri Verstraete HAHAHAHA

[@Hertog_von_Berkshire]

And still more intelligent than most of us.

[@youriverstraete4986]

@@Hertog_von_Berkshire when he put on his glasses, there are no limits!

[@ghostBCH]

😂🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@mynameisyasser]

Hahaha

[@mrkickback3105]

I think Hank has found his place as a presenter, looks more comfortable that ever and the lighthearted comedy adds to the group, great video guys well done.

[@sabrinaelkhamissi9440]

Aero

[@juanv8123]

The snot rocket was epic

[@rayekhoury]

Juan V that was the breakfast 🤣

[@ornoth]

Seventeen grams weight savings right there...

[@jbratt]

The slo mo made the shot 🤣

[@sdemjanenko]

Juan V best part of the vid

[@juanv8123]

And it's seamless integration with the music...👌

[@michaelwhitford7755]

Love how they got the background lighting just right on his snot rocket at the beginning of the ride

[@tonyvyse2665]

glad you picked up on that too. executed like a pro.

[@jackdumanat49]

elon musk would be jealous

[@albr4]

they even timed it with the music

[@JustinDoesTriathlon]

If only we had glorious 4k 🤣

[@peterdieleman303]

Jeez haha

[@philipkellett6036]

If you rode those deep wheels on the seven mile bridge in the Florida Keys, in a cross wind, you would need to wear a lifejacket!

[@robbchastain3036]

Or swim with the sharks, yikes!

[@ttmallard]

I'll disagree strongly, with a full HED 90mm front & disc rear it's less drag & a key issue the elliptical shape doesn't steer you like 'V' rims, both sides of the axle are lifting so it's a lot less drag than std wheels. My next try 90x120mm & will test 90x90mm for enduro rides, ymmv.

[@richcole3931]

@@ttmallard Ask Froome how he feels about deep section wheels in the wind.

[@ttmallard]

@@richcole3931 Right, yet it depends on the xsec shape, I rode the rims off the HEDs all winds & weathers including 35mph+ storm gusts, raining or not ~9k•mi before the front was ground down, rear 2k•mi before that's when I learned how fast just the front is. The upper body has way more drag than wheels, in a strong xwind a windward hand on the drops let's it cross the torso vs a pressure front. Vittoria corsa pave clinchers help, ymmv.

[@RobBelanger]

Rich Cole only dangerous when combined with a snot rocket 🤣

[@frazergoodwin4945]

Manon is rapidly becoming an absolute star performer.

[@merc_w0838]

I think this may be GCNs best video. Incredibly funny with Hank and Manon, informative, and beautifully edited with the snot rocket!

[@tombarton7043]

Really enjoyed this video :D lots of fun and good chat between you all 👍

[@markj.a351]

I think I'd be terrified descending on deep section wheels on windy days. Same when using super light / fast but fragile tyres. Mental limitations can be bigger than technical ones for amateurs.

[@travisashimself2356]

I was descending on the 55mm version of those Vision wheels and a gust jerked my front wheel. Stayed up but scared me. I'm a light lad dunno how much that plays a part. But no more on windy days for me with those wheels.

[@s3cr3td00rindar00m]

This pretty much sum it

[@tsurain.6130]

@@travisashimself2356 78 kgs here and got a couple of good scares descending mountains in the Pyrenees on Bullets 50mm as well! Deep sections look amazing and ride amazing but I make sure to at least never go down mountains without the front one swapped for a shallower wheel anymore!

[@Fluterra]

I’m a novice and do it regularly on my 64mm Venge. Not an issue

[@ytwos1]

Not mental at all, just two days ago force 5 crosswinds on a 30 meter high river bridge. The most scared I have been in 2020.

[@mikeymike1792]

I love this new crazy Hank.

[@travisbarnes4802]

"I'm not gonna flog myself...." 310 watts. I just started this sport but now I quit. Bike for sale.

[@scotthamilton1054]

Travis Barnes yea really. I can only do that for 4 min tops but they are genetic freaks over at GCN... the scales are different for those.

[@alananderson5202]

I don't measure anything. No electronics whatsoever. I just want to pedal and enjoy the peace and quiet. I like to push myself to accomplish my goals. It's the journey. I'm almost 59yrs and with persistence and luck I'll ride until I just can't...Just ride.

[@AWMI]

Ah don’t worry about it. There’s always someone quicker. Just remember you’re lapping absolutely everyone who failed to get off the sofa!

[@Methodical2]

@@AWMI And that's a whole lot of people, too.

[@s.c.7370]

If you train seriously, 310 watts is a joke for 10 minutes. The pass year I was able to do an average of 250w for 30 minutes. Now I can easily do 300w for the same time. Note : I am 135 lbs.

[@brentnicol6391]

Great job but the 6 seconds differwnce was that snot you let loose at the beginning of the second run.🤣🤣👍👍👍great job.

[@TheTubaEmporer]

Hank is the cheerleader we never knew we needed and the one we can’t live without

[@davidterraza889]

Im the only one that is impressed about ollie effort???? 310w for 20 mins!!! You are a beast ollie, the 1 hour challenge will be a succes!!! Cheers!!!!!

[@SiegA776]

he needs to do 400 watts to beat Eddy

[@davidterraza889]

@@SiegA776 you are wrong, if he use the same eddie kit and bike maybe he need to do 400w, but with the actual aero kit and bikes, he needs to do at least 310w for 1 hour.... go ollie go!!! Smash it!!!!

[@ConsciousBreaks]

Well strictly speaking, he did 310W for 9min two times. I'm guessing he got to take a break in between.

[@JoaoMarques-nr6eh]

Very nice and funny. Thanks mate. Cheers from Brasil.

[@martmeister]

I was in tears most of the video. Nice one. 👍

[@dwaynerandolph3565]

I’m a 6’0 Ft. 220 lLB.cyclist here in So. California. I use YoeleoSports 88mm wheels & there’s a segment on Strava called Hill of houses,a short but steep climb and I beat my riding buds up this section all the time. These guys are 160 pounders who I dispatch every time on this segment in which I’m proud to say! The newly U Shaped carbon wheels being made by most wheel designers cut wind drag significantly compared to the old V Shaped wheels. So 88’s are my weapon of choice whether it’s the Hills or flats.

[@j-zymarz]

great video.. really helpful.... thanks a lot

[@richardandersen9259]

Its always great watching this show. Dan (our superhero) please note: the GCN dudes and dudettes you have are just perfect presenters. Cheers...

[@RossTheNinja]

1:20 Ollie went full Yorkshire

[@SiliconEngineer]

We need a video on snot rocketing techniques. That was sublime from Ollie!

[@sustainf]

Answer: Campagnolo WTO 45’s. Very fast & no problems even on windy days.

[@kiverrussell8369]

The answer for the enthusiastic, non racing amateur - lose body weight and save your money. The longest climbs in the SE of England takes me 8 minutes or so flat out, I could save all of a few seconds with expensive climbing wheels, which pales in comparison to me shifting the"Christmas" weight...and that pales in comparison to me just getting fitter and not worrying too much about weight!

[@mitchellsteindler]

Very insightful. You should publish a paper about it.

[@albr4]

if you're going to buy one or the other, then it's for sure deep sections. They'll make you go far faster on flat/downhill compared to the tiny saving you will get using lightweight wheels on a short British climb.

[@scotth3354]

Kiver Russell yes, but... losing weight and riding aero wheels are not mutually exclusive.

[@albr4]

@@scotth3354 I think he's only talking about lightweight wheels, not aero wheels. The key to being fast on a road bike is having a lightweight rider on an aero bike.

[@carnsoaks1]

talk about half a drink bottle and a second spare tube, for goodness sake

[@ChristoNorman]

One of the best gcn videos in recent times

[@cheesyanne6986]

Pro-riders used the deep section Campagnolo Bora rims on mountain tracks already in the 90s. My AX-Lightness wheel-set weights 1290g and consists of a 55mm front- and a 80mm backwheel. No problems going uphills, but I've had some dangerous situations going downhills caused by sudden sidewinds. You yourself once used the 50mm Lightweight Obermayer wheels for an uphill race and for hobby cyclists it seems as if 50mm rims might be the best allround-solution in general.

[@richaw6689]

Well done Ollie.. great team effort. Interesting test.. I was about to buy some shallower section wheels because I have been riding exclusively on deeps for 2 years and the wind has prevented me from going out up on the tops this winter.. the Zipps look good and I'm light, so no great aero disadvantage on the downs... AND I notice Hank has a whisker or two, no doubt attempting to emulate the current GCN beard trend. Beardy bikers! Are you still there Manon?

[@Floenth]

Nice video GCN!

[@AlexRochette]

Impressed that you could chat while pushing 310 W! Very promising for your hour attempt! 👏👏👏

[@singlespeedchronicles7640]

James's presenter skills get substantially better Everytime !!!! Nicely done 👍

[@MggW]

Great video! Interesting, and funny. But do it again on a big climb where with more than one rider to reduce the experimental error. And maybe also do the descent to see if that really does balance out the time differences.

[@biketrybe7071]

Love Mannon's sarcastic beeping and Ollie's snot rocket. Keepin' it real.

[@lauf2322]

Merci pour le test!

[@AriestocrataStudio]

2:58 watching it while having my food. hilarious!

[@CalebKerr]

I like this video because I have deep section wheels that I always use and it validates my decision to get them.

[@danielwade1339]

Great video and I dig the music on this episode!

[@samalvarezcaswell5975]

Lads love the new frame size, perfect for new phones, dont think that that went un noticed

[@kakihara111]

Got a Propel and wind is the reason why they put in a shallower wheel at the front. Makes total sense to make it more practical in real life situations.

[@darrendewsbery8239]

I need Hank cheering me on up the hills 🤣🤣

[@vernefits1953]

Excellent video

[@dollarize6412]

I feel like I’m gonna chunder watching that rocket launch 🤣🤣

[@pucciodrummer7544]

great video :) !!

[@joegrossi4457]

Nice technique on the snot rocket, Ollie!

[@billinhouston3291]

Nicely ridden, Ollie. Like you say, it's within experimental error. If you push harder on the steepest bits, and take it a little easier on the flatter bits, then you end up with a faster time with lower average watts. Nearly impossible to control for on a hill this length. Great to see Manon out as the boys super-athletic little sister. And having Hank as the guy who just wants to cheer for SOMETHING seems pretty natural.

[@CycoWarriorx]

Good Gawd man, that wasn’t a snot rocket, that was a missile... Ollie, you been saving that thing??

[@Thracium]

Thank you!

[@andrewdeck7945]

I appreciate the attempts to make the video a bit more funny!

[@philiptaylor1811]

Side wind good point. Riding in strong winds last couple of days getting pushed sideways must add some distance and slow you down. but they do look good

[@andreschlegel4861]

So, did Manon really check out Ollie's behind before saying:" You're fine Ollie"?😂

[@jan0482]

This video looks like a typical group project, Ollie, Hank and Manon are given the task to do a video, and Manon and Hank form a complott against Ollie. He has to do the hard work while they cheer him and give random comments. Love it

[@samuelmundula2216]

I'd be very interested to see how 50mm depth wheels would have stacked up compared to those two.

[@1958vintage]

Well done, Manon, Ollie and 'Hank'. Someone was asking where the 'Test Mountain' was. I know you guys like using the Mendips, and the brief descending clip was Cheddar Gorge. Was the climb itself up New Road from Draycott up past the Gliding Club? (For those who don't know the area, Draycott is on the Cheddar-Wells road on the south side of the Mendips.) I must say, Ollie's 310W for over 9 minutes was pretty impressive anyway.

[@Sanchobananas]

maybe ive been watcing too much THE Office, but this felt like the same show but with bikes for some reason hahahah good stuff

[@ralphbennetsen2688]

In Vancouver and Calgary wind and hills seem to affect me the most. And if you consider that most of the time is spent climbing, or in a cross wind or a following wind, lower rim weight and better rolling resistance works best for me and my trusty Pinarello... I love the feeling of acceleration dancing up a climbs.

[@Whiteknuckleadv]

The snot rocket had me dying. So unexpected. Nice touch

[@MrBJPitt]

No one else mentioning 310 watts for almost 10 mins done fairly comfortably for Ollie. Maybe he will be up for that hour record now.

[@JamesDownes]

2:58 that snot mix 😂😂😂👌

[@migueljorgefurtado]

Unfortunately the test was conducted using two different types of tyres (continental and pirellis) so you cannot be sure the difference comes from the aerodinamic profile difference or from the tyres.

[@robbchastain3036]

That was fun and the results make sense, thanks Ollie and Manon and Hank. And as always, Ollie blinded us with aero--later on, you'll go faster with aero wheels, so there, they're better. And I gin but aesthetically, while some bikes with fat tubes and thick rims absolutely rock, I tend to prefer the svelte look with slender tubes and rims. Something classic about that, I guess.

[@ExtremeScampi]

Hank is gold in this video 👌🏼

[@polsifter]

Ha ha ha ha ha. Nice one. Hope you two went back for Manon before hitting the pub!

[@TheHondamayhem]

It'd be great to have an ask gcn section on the app. I was out today and following a pre set route on my wahoo. Id be interested to know what ppl do when they are on the good old English back roads and then come up to a road closure? I had to divert once and ended up cycling miles to get around the diversion.

[@AriestocrataStudio]

2:57 is where the wheels blow! Epic. 😱

[@scotthamilton1054]

I switched from climbing to only 40s and it took a while to get used to the unstable nature of the deeper dish. I feel anyone that rides anything deeper is jeopardizing their own safety out on roads that aren’t closed courses. Eventually the variables could align in a dangerous unfavorable combination eg crosswinds, car, tired wobbly rider grabbing fuel. I swap to the climbing wheels if windy. “But they look cool” This ain’t a joke or a fashion statement . We have to remain safe out there. A lot from the viewing audience me included don’t have handling skills of the pros these are designed for. Even Froome got seriously screwed up from a crosswind with deep dish-lost an entire season/ almost died. You ain’t going much faster laying there bleeding out.

[@lwittrock1]

Nice job everyone!

[@philipk4475]

Hank was hilarious in this video

[@rikkiola]

Wheel stiffness is also a factor. Bora 50s are only around 50g heavier than 35s yet noticeably stiffer which helps when climbing. 40 - 50mm definitely the sweet spot for all round riding

[@Thiaspeed]

I ride Dt swiss ARC 1100 dicut 62mm wheels. Sometimes I think about getting shalower wheels for special events like "l'étape du tour" but then I realize that I won't gain that much and my bike will not look that cool anymore. I'll stay with my deep section wheels !

[@xGshikamaru]

310W for 9' is not too shabby Oli seems like your hour of power training is paying off good job!

[@akdrn3624]

I just climbed Mount Kintamani (Bali) 34km +1450m with my Canyon Speedmax with DT Swiss 80mm wheels.

[@sanestflexican]

2:53 new ringtone unlocked 😂

[@maartends6051]

I think it depends on the gradients, how flatter it is how faster you’ll ride, how more efficient deep section weels will be

[@joakimlann1873]

I'm glad that I have the metron 55, best of both worlds.😉🤣😂

[@crbondur]

Hank knows it's not a race, but shouting, "Go Ollie! Dig in!" at 5:35 is just Hank preparing for Ollie's hour attempt. After all, if you're going to perform well, you have train.

[@SioLazer]

Ollie gets creative with training for the hour record!

[@denisspratt926]

The 202s are a bit heavy to be called climbers wheels though. Corima MCC WS+ are 1120 gram for a wheelset. So they are 250 gram lighter. The difference would probably be bigger with those.

[@Ninja_Revenge]

Shallow (

[@mro4056]

That snot rocket had to affect the testing.

[@adonisbagaporo9298]

Nice sound. Kind'a like a Jedi wheelset. 😁

[@fabianwylie8707]

Good bike by the way lads 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♀️👍

[@seven772]

Hank comedy never fail to make me laugh. It's like he done it naturally

[@ricksnyder6318]

In a sport where marginal gains mean everything, GCN presenters are quick to dismiss a relatively large time difference. The shallow rims were 1.1% faster at the same power as the deep rims. To put this in perspective, the same percentage time gain over an hour climb amounts to 39 seconds. Most Grand Tour mountain stages have numerous climbs of that duration. Over three one hour climbs the shallow rims would save 117 seconds or 1:57. A one minute fifty seven second improvement in a single mountain stage from shallow rims is a huge difference over the deep rims. It is pretty clear that GCN doesn't stand for Good at Checking Numbers.

[@rikkiola]

Spot on, and the more accurate reason pros don't use very deep wheels (unless they were taking about flat only stages)

[@collax2613]

Pros are going faster so more aero drag so even less difference. Then when you look at tdf climbs, you will rarely see an average gradient of 10% or more. Then you have to take into consideration all the energy saved on downhill and flat sections. I could see deep rims beeing faster for pro even uphill unless the stage end with a really steep climb.

[@ConsciousBreaks]

They rightfully dismiss it because as Ollie mentioned, it could easily be within the experimental error. Ollie could have stood up more for one ride versus the other, increasing his drag, or the wind could have shifted. I think Ollie's conclusion about the deeper section wheel is fair because, like he said, that difference can easily be made up many times over on the descent and flat sections. Also, 11% is relatively steep, and perhaps at around 7% there would be no difference at all. So unless you're just doing hillclimbs, I would say that a deeper wheel is just downright better.

[@jonathanzappala]

Same power is the goal, but I’d recommend finding a steady climb and do each run in the same gear at the same cadence. That will equalize the speed, so you see the power difference instead, also making the run steady. Your run required an uneven power, so averages could be the same but the power delivery on the hill might not be. Of course not every hill out there is steady so the uneven grade test is still a practical condition.

[@yahyabaali7886]

Hey, would you make up the time difference back on the descent?

[@melbournecyclingsegments7510]

I recently did a power based comparison of my c60s on a local climb and they climbed as well as the aluminium ones. Oh I guess it's the same video on my channel 😜

[@Floenth]

Question: what would you reckon be the time when adding just the 400 grams weight difference (in your bidon f.e.) and using the shallow rims? This would focus on just the aero difference.

[@TomPuzzle]

Dragging along an extra 400 grams would require about 1 Watt (=400 grams * 9.81m/s^2 * 1km/h) and cost around 2.5 seconds on this climb. The 6 second difference that they're seeing cannot be explained by the difference in weight of the wheelset (but is likely explained by other factors, such as using DIFFERENT TYRES or pacing the climb differently - even for the same average power how you divide that power along the climb can have a significant impact).

[@warlook102]

Zipp 202 are incredibly flexy, so if you would try some stiffer pair of wheels the time gap could be even bigger :)

[@lawrencepaulo1795]

Your bike is *SHARP*

[@henrylay4098]

pheww i am glad i ordered myself a pair of campy bora ultra 45 for my cervelo Caledonia di2!!

[@normanzielke6108]

You should have included some of the serious stuff like Lightweight Gipfelsturm (1015 g) or Ax-lightness Ultra 25T (790g).

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

At weight parity, aerodynamic wheels would outperform the semi-aero ones by a much greater margin than that they lost by in this test. It would be interesting to see how they fare against non-aerodynamic wheels of equal weight to aero ones with identical tyres. I imagine, the aero wheels might win then by at least half a minute.

[@saveriodipoce2201]

Gentelmen with all respect to GCN.I have both wheels ,i would not even attempt to climb any hills over 3/4% with deep section wheels If the results in times are what you have shown.You should try full disc wheels front and back.You do it in 9 minute 3 seconds.I wish you all the luck climbing the Zoncolan,Mortirolo with those 1770 Gr.wheels

[@robertkee7534]

A bit of a 1/2 test. Surely the faster descent speed and that depends on course profile might ofset that on the climb.

[@Trevor_Austin]

The formula for drag is 1/2.Rho.V^2. Low speed equals low drag. Chopping grams will make a bigger difference.

[@joffbrown]

you 3 are really doing great for the channel please keep it up

[@stephanusfranz6893]

Love those white and blue shoes. Where can I get those?

[@razorree]

how they brake?? carbon surface with rim brakes, how does it work in damp conditions ?

[@emfi1022]

cobra spit at 2:57 by olie was amazing

[@michaelvrbanac6923]

Guys, light hoops can be the difference between hanging on and getting dropped. Also, light hoops respond quicker when attacking or responding thereto. Finally, when riding in a pack, the lighter hoops are easier to control, and there really isn't a disadvantage unless you are attempting a breaking away. Deep wheels definitely help in that case. One problem with deep wheels is the noise. Other riders can hear you coming when you start cranking hard. No surprise attacks.

[@johncarter1223]

I wonder how much deep section wheels matter if drafting behind someone or would it be better to have lighter climbing rims to accelerate against attacks?

[@seancarm1]

nice test! where you using the identical tires and pressures though?

[@cycliststrainingpartner8877]

Tyres were different