Hi - A relatively new rider (level 15), and along the way spent all my drops on these two setups:
Climbing: Cannondale Evo + ENVE SES 3.4
Aero: Canyon Aeroad 2021 + Zipp 808
Which combo would make the best all rounder? From various descriptions, my guess is that it’s the Canyon frame with the ENVE wheels, but I wonder if that’s so.
I do realize that in my case it would make no actual difference - I’m a weak rider, I don’t take long rides, and I don’t race. But it would make a mental difference (#gearhead), and it’s part of the fun.
Hi @Mike_Rowe1, thanks for responding. Yes, I looked at those and some others as well, and that’s how I ended up buying the two setups. Basically, for climbing I bought the lightest frame and lightest wheels; and for aero it was fastest frame and fastest wheels (all given what I could afford with available drops). But I couldn’t find anything as comprehensive about the different combinations of frames/wheels (and in particular the ones I have). I know it’s a fine-grain question that’s not likely of general interest.
I’m sort of the same. Sometimes the best setup isn’t the quickest in my case… I occasionally ride some different bikes because I like the look of them ( mega screenshot nerd here )
I’m a climber and the fastest up the Alp in my world is the Tarmac Pro and Meilensteins, but I just don’t like that forced red paint job on the Tarmac Pro, so sometimes I go for the SL7 or Aeroad 2021 ( even the Buffalo and Safety Bike rarely, but you really don’t want to do that )
Thanks everyone for all the helpful replies! I hadn’t seen either of the articles @Tim_Camden_C and @Twoshihtzu suggested - both directly relevant and very interesting.
I particularly liked the scatter plot; it’s the best direct comparison of setup combos I’ve seen. And (nice surprise), if I’m reading the chart correctly, my aero setup (Aeroad 2021 + Zipp 808s) is the best all rounder available at my level (just as @Zee_Kryder said), and furthermore that - unless I manage to get the Tron first - the best all rounder upgrade path is to stick with the Aeroad and shoot for the Zipp 858 or ENVE 7.8.
And @BooX - sometimes the paint job is motivator for me too; basically I’m up for anything that increases my mental FTP!
Before I got the Tron bike, I preferred the 454 wheels to the 808 or 858 because I felt they were quicker and more responsive on rolling hills.
There maybe a difference between the feel for lighter or heavier riders.
What I don’t like about the Tron bike is the rider never sits up in the draft.
My Allrounder at that level was the Speci Alez Sprint with the 404 wheels.
Now I use the Cervelo S5 with DT-Swiss Wheels a lot, or with 454.
But it doesn’t really matter that much, if you don’t race.
It’s just a few seconds over a really long route, so it’s more subjective than anything else.
Take the bike that you like the most, even if it’s the Buffalo or the Vintage Steel Bike
One thing for sure, there are so many variables that change depending on the rider and the route, not to mention variables hidden in algorithms, that there’s no right answer - just probabilistic answers. And, to @Bench 's point, for most Zwifters the differences are so little that they’d be almost impossible to measure, let alone notice.
Yeah, my avatar complains continually when I choose it; says it makes his back sore for days. Especially when we’re riding an event with a lot of newer riders that go out on MTB’s when they should be on TT bikes…
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