Race wheel rental
Posted on 22. Sep, 2008 in Bike industry
As I learned from writing the Zipp catalog, the technology that goes into modern race wheels is amazing… and the prices reflect that. But now you can rent a $2000 wheelset for 100 bucks from Echappe Equipment. Well, insurance is $40, a cassette is another $10, and shipping is based on FedEx rates. Carbon-specific brake pads add $52 and you probably need ‘em if you don’t already have carbon wheels, which is probably the case since that’s what you’re renting. So it’s more like you’re getting a $2000+ wheelset for $200+ for the first day, plus another $25 per day after that.
Stilll, it’s a compelling option for a lot of folks, especially semi-serious age group triathletes who base their seasons (lives?) around a couple of race days. And if I’d rented some tubulars, I wouldn’t have pinch flatted a third of the way into the Heartbreak Hill GP that I dragged my bike across the country for (see Cat 3 results)
