Photo: Courtesy of Reynolds
For any cyclist, riding 100 miles (a century) is daunting task. Unlike shorter, 40-70 mile rides, a great deal of preparation must be done for a century. Aside from essential fitness, many other factors must be considered such as proper nutrition/hydration, quality kit, and your best equipment. If you are fortunate and have more than one bike and wheel set, you will without a doubt select the one that is the most comfortable. After all, you will spend between four to six hours in the saddle, depending on your riding group and level of fitness.
I have been fortunate enough to participate in numerous centuries in the past five months. With a personal inventory of four sets of wheels, I have the luxury of selecting the pair best suited for the weather conditions and route profile. My choice for all of those rides has emphatically been the Reynolds 58 Aero wheel set.
Designed more for speed, stiffness, and stability, this wrongly perceived wheel would not, in most instances, be considered a comfortable choice for such a distance. Many typecast these as “racing wheels” and believe they are unforgiving and annoying. I adamantly refute this myth. I have completed eight centuries since late August, three in the past five weeks. In all eight, I rode these and found them to be an exquisite choice. What impresses me the most is their ability to maintain both speed and comfort. Long rides usually have stretches where there is very little stopping and your momentum is constant for long periods of time. The 16 front, 20 rear spoke count allows you to easily maintain this motion. Comfort is a product of the 26.2 mm width of the wheel, making the ride much more forgiving and enjoyable.
Should you be in the market for an aero wheel set that is ultra-versatile, consider Reynolds and the 58 Aero. You may find that you do not need a large inventory of wheels. This pair will stun you with their all-around performance. They are clearly, “A New Way of Thinking.”
-John Cap Capobianco M.Ed.
