Friday, July 8, 2011

Racin’ on a MTB PowerTap… why not?

Giddy.  New disc brake Powertaps wheels came in.  The setup was super smooth.  It’ll be great for tracking power output when training off road… but then I got to thinking.  Why not race on it?

All that technology packed into a bigger hub.  It’s bound to be a significant weight penalty….  well…..

Current:

Bontrager XXX lite carbon rear wheel with disc brake tubeless with Caffelatex sealant  – 1590grams.

PowerTap setup:

Stans Crest rim, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, WB Alloy nipples, Saris PowerTap disc hub tubess with Caffelatex sealant – 1770 grams.

If my mathematical translation from grams to lbs is correct that’s just between 1/3 & 2/5 lb heavier… ridiculously awesome!

So I’ll eat one less bagel before racing that day or carrier 16oz water bottles instead 20 oz water bottles.  Rotating weight is rim & tire, the centering mass doesn’t have the same effect.

Time to put ‘em to use – I might be passing on Miner Revenge this year, but the Chippewa FireCracker might be as good as any to test it at this weekend.  Not to mention Mudrutters or Brownstone later this month.

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