Hour record broken!

I've always wished that customers would believe me when I tell them that lighter is not necessarily better... and now I have this story to use as an anecdote.

A relatively unknown time trial specialist who rides for the Acqua e Sapone team, Ondrej Sosenka broke the world hour record today in Moscow. He broke the record using a 7 pound rear wheel! His total bike weight was 21.5 pounds... a far cry from the 16 pound hill climbing machines winning the Tour de France.

Though it takes a little more effort to accelerate a heavier wheel, once it's up to speed it actually takes less effort to keep moving at that speed. Since there's no elevation change in a velodrome, light weight is a non-issue.

So here in the 817 where the climbs are short, heavier wheels may slow you down a bit on the hills, but will make up for it by being easier on the flats. A 7-pound wheel might be a bit overboard, but definitely save your money and buy a sturdy, handbuilt wheel instead of the latest gee-whiz superlight. We guarantee our custom built wheels against spoke fatigue for life. Try getting that kind of guarantee from any of the big wheel manufacturers (whose wheels are robot-built and therefore poorly tensioned)!

Click the link below to read more about Sosenka's brilliant ride.