Bike Wheels & Tires: Speed Improvement

 

So my bike, a KHS Flite 300, came with Kenda Kontenders and Quasar Q2 wheels. Professional reviews gave decent marks to both, but I was curious as to how much difference upgrades. Were we talking 0.1mph or 1.5 mph?

 

I started doing some internet research, learned about rotating weight vs static weight, the coefficient of rolling resistance, etc. It lead me to conclude that the benefit would be much more than 0.1 mph.

 

I  made three changes:

• Lower handlebars on stem - improve aerodynamics
• Bought Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheel - reduce rolling weight. The alternative would be a more aerodynamic wheel that isn't necessarily lighter. Even though I live in a flat area, where a more aero wheel might be more preferred by many, since I am a bigger guy, a low-weight wheel would offset my disadvantage when I am on hills.
• Bought Mavic Griplink/Powerlink tires - reduces rolling resistance

 

Overall, I reduced the weight of my bike from 23lbs 5 oz (w/o saddle bag) to 21lbs 8oz, a drop of 1 lb 13oz!

Results
At my race in May (15 miles), I rode at 16.8 mph. In June (10 miles), it was 19.3 mph. I would say 0.5 mph was due to the lowered handlebars, 0.5mph were due to the shorter course and training in between races, and 1.5 mph was due to the wheels and tires.

 

Reference:
http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-1503651.html
http://www.biketechreview.com/tires_old/images/AFM_tire_testing_rev9.pdf