Is the difference in the ride between Grizzlys and Andras all that noticable?
Hi Zero!
SJS Cycles lists the 26" 32-hole Grizzly as weighing 490g. They list the same size Andra at 735g. Put another way, a Grizzly weighs ~66% of one Andra.
While I haven't ridden Grizzlys and Andras back to back for comparison, I have ridden 700C rims that differed by a like amount.
What we're talking about here is rotating weight, and the effect of rotating weight becomes more pronounced the further is it placed away from the hub. There isn't so much difference in steady-state riding and once one is up to speed, the extra weight almost acts like a flywheel. However, you'll really feel the difference in stop-start cycling and in cases where there are frequent changes in speed (think: Rollercoaster hills, up-down-up, or while commuting with lots of stop-starts away from traffic signs and signals at intersections, and "sporty" riding or racing). In those cases -- yes! -- you
really feel the difference. The whole bike feels less responsive, harder to spin up to speed, and a bit "dead" feeling with the heavier rims.
Remember, though, the rims aren't the only factor in this equation. There's tires and tubes to consider as well, and they're even farther away from the wheel axis (hub/axle). A person can mitigate some of the difference of heavy rims by running lighter tires and/or tubes when conditions allow, saving the heavier-duty versions for full-on tours and the like. The best way to determine the effect in terms of rotating weight is to add-up the rims, tubes, and tires for each combo and then compare to see how much difference you end up with overall.
When all is said and done, a light pair of wheels will transform a bike positively, and a heavy pair...will transform it as well -- more in some conditions than others. If you ride at a pretty steady pace with few starts/stops, the difference in feel can be almost nil. If you have frequent start-stops or changes in speed, you'll really notice it. It goes without saying that if one prefers to ride in a sporting fashion, then the difference can be huge.
The extra weight in an Andra comes from two things: 1) The thick central rib that serves as a gimbled spoke well and 2) thicker rim sidewalls. Each of these serve to make the Andra a longer-lived, heavier-duty rim, but it may be overkill for less than extended global touring. Don't forget -- CSS sidewall treatments can make the CSS Grizzly effectively as long-lived (or more) than a plain Andra with only machined sidewalls, but at greater financial cost (£70.00 vs £29.99). That might not pencil out in every case, and also reports of poorer wet-weather braking for the CSS can require some juggling of pads to find the best working combo in individual cases for riding in heavy downpours.
I weighed the factors for my needs and chose the plain Andras for my Nomad. If the CSS-treated rims had as-good wet-weather braking, I would surely have chosen that route for the longer service life. Between the CSS Grizzly and CSS Andra...now that's a harder choice! I might well have gone for the CSS Grizzly and saved a considerable amount on rotating mass for a livelier feel when riding unladen. As it is, if I wish to recover some sprightliness, I can always fit some smaller diameter 26x1.5 skinwall slicks and ultralight tubes and be in almost the same place as a lighter rim fitted with a heavier tire (and -- thanks to less pneumatic trail due to the smaller profile, a change in handling as well).
Hope this helps.
Best,
Dan.
