Disc wheels should only be allowed on TT bikes

Disc wheels should only be allowed on TT bikes because it looks better but also it will add value to the tron bike because as of today dt Swiss arc dicut 1100 combined with several frames just make the tron bike obsolete

Nah. We can put disc wheels on road bikes if we like. Even GCN did a video about it at the weekend.

The Tron has value because it looks so different and it’s a sign that someone has completed the 50,000m challenge. Loads of people ride it even if it isn’t the “best” in terms of lap times. The differences are small, and for most people it’s not the thing that wins or loses them a race.

Obsolete it ain’t.

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Happy to have combinations that are faster than Tron.

It means that you see a few different bikes rather a swarm of tron bikes.

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I don’t think the Tron bike is obsolete, and I certainly don’t think it needs any more value added to it.
I’d also be perfectly happy if disc wheels were TT only as long as the performance was replaced by non-disc wheels. I just don’t think it’s good to have one stand out best bike, variety is better.

Ideally I’d like to see the performance of the bikes and wheels exactly match the star ratings so that people can pick and choose from a variety of different bikes without taking a performance hit, however minuscule the difference might actually be.
I’d keep the Tron as a top tier allrounder with its performance exactly equal to a number of other top tier allrounder frames paired with top allrounder wheels.

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You can’t unring this bell… now that people have disc wheels on their road bikes and like it, the number of people pleased by your proposal would be far exceeded by the number who would be displeased. I can already hear the roar of “you nerfed my Venge” comments. It would not be a smart move for Zwift, and I’m guessing there is no chance they will consider it.

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The only people displeased would be the ones that don’t have a tron but are above level 39. The tron can be vailable if you put a bit of effort into it before the arc 1100 dicut becomes available at level 40

I earned my tron at level 37, so much hard work went into it but I quickly leveled up to level 40 and now when I check zwifterbikes.web.app and see all the cheap disc wheels being faster than my tron I am a bit disappointed

Disagree, I purchased the disc wheels before all of the levelling up malarky and when they cost a fortune, why should I have to give up something I earned and bought and paid for because of someone else’s likes and dislikes

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Rather than just restricting disc wheels, I’d much rather everyone in a race or TT were issued the same wheels, or issue everyone in a specific pen the same wheels.

Likewise for frames.

Allowing anyone to pick anything gives level 39+ riders a significant marginal advantage over relative noobies.

The Canyon '24 is a good race frame unlocked at level 10, but at ~1.1M drops, it will be much quicker to reach level 17 and get the Scott Addict.

Until a few years ago, you could buy the Zipp 808s at level 6 iirc, now they are unlocked at level 25.

I’ve checked zwifterbikes.web.app and for almost as courses, except pure climbs, the pinarello dogma f 2024 with the arc 1100 dicut is the best choice according to zwifterbikes.web.app often by quite a big margin over other wheelsets. Which I think reduces the need for strategic choices.

This is why neutralized frames is sometimes requested; but also actually used once in a while and in some series.

I think part of the issue why it will never happen is because some companies are willing to spend a little more marketing money to make their bike the best on Zwift… but that’s a big assumption; but I doubt we’ll see anyone from ZHQ step in and say anything otherwise as well; so take this comment with a grain of salt, as it can go both ways.


TT’s though…

I guess it’s a bit the same issue we have IRL, if you want to call it an issue (I don’t think it really is personally, but I’ve been level 100 for over a year now).

But a TT series using road bikes, and more hilly terrain might be interesting; guess that’s basically what Hill Club was though; which was cut.

All you’d be doing is reshuffling the deck chairs. There would still be a Fastest Combo, so why does it matter what that combo is? Tron, Pinarello, blah blah.

Why do you want the Tron bike to be the fastest? Why does that matter?

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Big hill early on where you plan to escape, use a faster wheel, plan on sticking in a group with big climb at the chose a climbing setup etc

No, I get that. But banning disc wheels from road bikes won’t change the basic issue. You have to make those choices you’re talking about as things are now. Taking away discs would just be crowning a different setup as the top all-arounder.

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Pet peeve (apologies in advance for drifting off topic:

I think it was Mech Isle Loop where there was a meaningful choice to be made btwn a gravel bike and a road bike. In a 4 or 5 lap race if you could hang in there on a gravel setup you could take a last lap flier once you hit the dirt (and then the climb) and then desperately try to hang on over the closing stages on tarmac. I tried it once, but left the attack too late and got caught. And also because I’m old and slow, obvs.

I’ve not tried it since they made dirt roll faster. I suspect it wouldn’t be a remotely viable tactic any more.

I liked the old bike swap/bike decision days too. Racing up the Makuri temple climb was a good time for a gravel bike IME.

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They listened to the jungle h8rs :-1:

Kids these days

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Not completely

It isn’t paved… yet!

As is is currently without disc wheels there is no ultimate setup, the best setup would depend much more on strategy (though the tron would be a pretty good allrounder)

I disagree. Take a look at that excel sheet floating around, where you can plug in frames and wheels and get it to tell you which combo is the best for a given route. Without disc wheels, it’s the Tron every time outside of routes that go up the Alpe, Epic KOM, etc.

There would be no difference in the problem, you’d just be lopping the current top off the current pyramid. Making 1st place worse just makes 2nd place 1st place.

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They can just put in the shortcut tunnel to ADZ and then that discussion is over.

Although it already is - if a friend or pro rider is on ADZ you just join them, do U turn roll to start line and then begin the lap.

It’s what I do when I’m short of time but still want to do ADZ and be done in under 1 hour.

It would be much easier if you could just start at the turn off for ADZ.