You’ve wanted a new set of race wheels or a bike for a long time. For months you’ve dreamed of making the purchase, but that pesky electrical bill kept getting in the way.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, the day finally comes. You’ve padded your bank account with just enough money, and you’re ready to buy. You go to the website, add the product to your cart, and just before you hit the confirm order button, you freeze.
All the sudden you second guess everything. Instead of following the sound advice given to you by people you trust, you wonder. Is that over-opinionated guy on the forum right?
In the end, you go another season without making a decision. If this sounds familiar, keep reading.
Learn To Focus On What Matters
What 99% of athletes should be worried about are what I like to call “Large Magnitude Changes.” Large magnitude changes are responsible for most of the benefits you gain by purchasing a product.
Focussing on the finer details, what I like to call “Small Magnitude Changes,” is likely a waste of time. Small magnitude changes will only deliver a fraction of the benefit received by a large magnitude change.
If you are worried about the small stuff, you’ll likely spend another season riding your old bike or wheels. And why? Life’s too short not to enjoy the ride.
Large Magnitude Changes
When it comes to wheels, the most significant change you can make is switching from training wheels to race wheels.
Using our latest data our FLO 64 AS and FLO 77 AS wheelset is 6 minutes and 40 seconds faster in Kona than a set of Mavic Open Pro wheels.
Focusing on changes of this magnitude makes sense.
Small Magnitude Changes
Here is where people start to lose sight. Let’s say you can’t decide between a front front FLO 64 AS and front FLO 77 AS. As a result, you haven’t bought wheels.
What you’re forgetting is the time difference in Kona between these two wheels is one second. Yes, one second.
Moral of the story, focus on the six minutes, not the one second. Don’t let indecision over one second keep you from saving six minutes at your next Ironman.
What Brand Is The Best?
These large magnitude and small magnitude changes aren’t unique to FLO wheels. The same can be said for any reputable brand selling race wheels.
In my opinion, and in the opinion of others, the difference between brands is a small magnitude change.
Wind tunnel studies have countless variables. It’s next to impossible to design the perfect test. Enve could be faster than Zipp or FLO in one study, but slower than both Zipp and FLO in another.
What’s important to understand is getting race wheels is 99% of the battle. What brand you choose ultimately comes down to what is best for YOU.
If your team gets a sweet deal on Enve wheels, you should probably buy Enve wheels. If you want well-designed wheels, affordable prices, and the ability to call the owners on their cell phones, FLO wheels might be for you.
For more information on how to buy wheels, check out our Race Wheel Buying Guide.
Make Smart Decisions And Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
This logic applies to far more than wheels. If you buy a bike that tests slightly faster instead of a bike that fits, you made the wrong decision. If your hydration is super aero, but you struggle to take a drink, you missed the point of this article. Sometimes, what appears to be slower actually makes you faster.
Focus on large magnitude changes and don’t stress over the small stuff. Instead, spend time doing what you love, riding your bike.
Co-founder at FLO Cycling. Jon manages the day to day operations and acts as the lead engineer for all FLO products.