It’s a question that many triathletes find difficult to answer: should you ride with a disc wheel? The answer really depends on the course, the weather and your personal preference. Pro triathlete Cody Beals – who’s known to be very transparent about his triathlon budget and sexuality – shared a nice, and funny, flowchart to help you decide. Although, in the end, he might have geared the answer a bit for his own benefit…
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“One question that I hear all the time is whether an athlete should run a rear disc wheel for a particular course and wind conditions,” Beals writes. “Assuming you want to smash PRs and crush dreams, the answer is almost always ‘disc,'” he continues.
In his blog Beals talks about three factors that help you determine whether a disc works well for you. While a disc wheel helps you optimize your aerodynamics, it is heavy, which can be a detriment if you have to do a lot of climbing. How much wind you’ll have to deal with on the course plays a key role in whether it makes sense to ride with a disc. Too much wind can make it difficult to handle your bike. Lastly, Beals expands on the comfort of a disc wheel.
