A couple of points:
IIRC correctly the GEL280 weighs 280 w/o the ferrules. True rim weight is closer to 300. Can anyone confirm this?
I would suspect that the freewheel/hub combination weighs more than the freehub/cog combo. Therefore the older set of wheels probably has lighter rims and heavier hubs. The new wheels are the opposite.
Total weight of a wheelset is not most important performance factor. Reducing the weight of the wheel/tire gains the most performance. Many modern boutique wheels give the illusion of light (performance) weight by reducing the weight of the hubs.
Andy Hosterman
<jmoos@urc.com>; "'walter skrzypek'" <wspokes1@hotmail.com>; <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2001 11:46 AM Subject: RE: [CR]Bike technology peaked in the 1984?
> This wheel weight thing has me puzzled. My early '80's DeRosa has Gel
280's
> (tubulars), laced to Ofmega low flange hubs, 32h. (7 speed). My "modern"
> Richard Sachs rides on Mavic Reflex tubulars, 32h Record 9-speed. (1'ST
> generation - they are lighter now). I admit to not having put these
> wheelsets on a scale, but the new ones feel as light or lighter, and have
> proven indestructable especially compared to the Gel 280's.
> BTW, everything about the newer bike is better than the older bike. But,
the
> DeRosa is very pretty. Just not as pretty as the Sachs!
> Richard Rose (Toledo, Ohio)