OnTheFly Wheel Hire

$2000 just for the fork. Pricing on bikes are just getting more and more insane. I saw the new Cannondale F-Si HARDTAIL pricing at R140k. That means the New Scalpel will be R160k+ Really??

Thanks IceCreamMan. Surprisingly enough the wheels were booked up so quickly for 70.3 and IM this year. 2 weeks before Sold out. So for 2015, the bookings will go as quick as the entries. will bring in more versatile sets next year due to windy conditions.

Getting some nice FATBIKE wheels just for you!!! can't have my competition go faster than me...

Garfield. This is one of the priorities for HED Cycling SA to see if Paul W will include us as an official Race Day wheel Support for 2015. My idea is to have a few Scooters with Wheel Racks on the back and spare wheels. If they do agree to this for 2015, a rider will have support and we will collect the wheel upon bike check out and give back your own wheel. So the more support i get on this from the athletes, the stronger the case will be for me to come to some agreement with them.

So with only a few weeks left before the big day, bookings for Raceday wheel rentals are filling up. Most of the wheels were rented out in the week leading up to 70.3 last month. So best you book your wheels early to ensure you get the combo you want. Rentals Starting from R1299.00 This includes: Continetal GP4000 S tyres and tubes (or similar) SRAM / Shimano Cassette 11-25 ratio (limited availability) Double Padded Wheel Bag Ti Skewers Velve Stenders Excluded: Postage (door to door delivery and return) Drop off point next day after Ironman - to be arranged. We offer 3 options of postage Next day 11am; Next day 5pm, Economy 48-72hr Visit the website to see the various combination and prevent disappointment. www.hedcyclingsa.co.za

Still need to add the tubbies. ordered Tufo tubbies at 160gr each. so total weight of the bike will be 6,09kg

HAHA, Too true too true... Guess the festive spirit is still running/cycling high...

Fabes: Let me know, stock already running low. So seems this could be a good price point.

R999 Launch Special. How does that price sit with you guys?

My advise is go for the Specialized Roubaix tire 23/25 (= 23 running tread with 25 side walls) Bomb proof, absorbs road shock really well, great rolling resistance an corners like a husband caught in the act. Did the Satelite Classic on them with normal wheelset and avg 38km/h most of the way. If you want fast.... Get bigger legs. If you want durable and comfy go with these. Best of all... The are really well priced

HAHA, Stalking is when two people go for a long romantic walk together but only one of them knows about it.

Hi JGR As mentioned, i like to engage with any and everyone who may have questions. through threads like this it gives me a chance to understand the concerns, issues and questions people may have. You ask questions that some won't. So thanks for that. We all learn through this Q&A. All this seems to make the Thread a "Hot" topic. so thanks. more exposure for me HAHA. PS! you should try a H3Deep rear / H3 front on that Trek of yours one day. Awesome combo.

Hi Shebeen Thanks for the note. Yes, that would be the idea. once the wheels are 1 year old, we will then put them out into the market for sale at a lower / used cost. so we can replace the current range with the newest models. We will also then be able to honour the warranty as we know where they have been. We will also offer customers the option to buy a set of wheels they rode at a race. if they liken, they can keep em and we will knock off a little on the price + give them the actual rental cost as a further discount. Cheers

Agreed on this point but also think that it is a very small percentage given the sponsorship involved at those levels. Lets say we have 8 athletes per age group going to worlds. in SA as a "National Athlete representing RSA" you pay for your tracksuit and everything else. I can assure you (from first hand experience) there is little to ZERO sponsorship for our Age Group athletes in SA. Richard Murray (ranked nr 5 in the world in 2013) spent many years trying to get to that level - on his own account with very little sponsorship.

Thanks JGR Ok, won't repost all that stuff. Just some highlights: I don't think we are gonna get into a debate about cars and costs and brands. HED wheels are more expensive than others. and each to his own. i won't diss products from the east, but you don't see them on pro tour teams, wonder why. So i guess it goes back to reputation built up over the years. Reliability and reputability. To break even on a new set of R25k wheels @ R1500 per rental (4 day) = 16.6666... rentals. So for the guy only doing 5 races a year = 3 years + before breaking even. The cost op courier is included door to door.

Not sure how many of the Triathletes on here has ever been to World Champs. I raced my first World Champs in 1994 as a Junior. I have done 8 in total. As a Junior athlete, my folks weren;t in the position to buy me the best equipment + send me overseas to race. Although i was ranked Nr1 Junior in SA Duathlon, i didn't have the best equipment. So one of the reasons why i started this business is also to offer those parents and athletes the opportunity to rent the best equipment (not spending an additional R20 - R30k on wheels) for Worlds. So keep that in mind, that some athletes are good enough, but can't afford to have it all in one year. It just opens up more options for them.

Hi JGR Ok, think some of the questions were answered in the new thread posted. But let me answer the questions from this one.

Hi @JGR Here are some comments reply to your thread: The Wheel rental is more aimed at those who: 1) don't wanna spend R20k - R30k on a set of wheels (cause that's what the high end wheels go for now a days). If you are willing to rent im sure you are ok to buy second hand which are a fraction of that price, lest not forget our friends in the Chinese carbon thread Sure, but again, why would someone buy a Merc or BMW (German) vs a Suzuki (Chinese - i think). If you have to compare apples with apples, the likes of ZIPP, HED, ROLF, LIGHTWEIGHT etc spend far more testing and R&D on their products that actually has some true facts about advantages in the aerodynamic spectrum 2) for those who only plan on doing 2 - 5 big races a year. if you calculate the cost of a rental vs buying at R20k, you can rent for 3 years to make up the same value. 5 big races a year would mean they are pretty serious and if they can afford 5 races they could probably afford wheel True, but not every race has the same profile. why stick to one type of wheel when you can customise your set up for that race profile?? 3) for the guys (like @Face Plant) who wish he had a different wheel just for that one day. I raced Trirock durban and thought " a Disc would have been perfect for this day" but i don't wanna buy a disc for 1 race a year. What ever happened to not trying something new/different on race day (or do you get them for more than 24hrs?) ​normal races you actually have them for 4 days. IM and 70.3 you will have them for more than 7 days before the race. so ample time to get the setup right. What about the people who have never used a disc - what would be the advantage of using one for the first time in a race? a Disc is more reserved for those who can push their bikes at 35km/h or more. at this speed you will have more of an aerodynamic advantage and actually cut through the wind fast. just like a windsurfer. 4) how many wheels are for sale on the hub at less than 50% of what they paid for them. the wheels are only 1 - 2 yrs old. people upgrade or are just not happy with a set. look at the how much you lost. if you rented the wheels. then no risk in loss and also you can have the newest tech available. These are the 2nd hand wheels I referred to - im confused as you say you don't get much for second hand but saying acquiring wheels is expensive? What i refer to here is if someone went out to buy brand new wheels at R15k+. When they try to sell them after a few riders, they end up losing more value (like driving a new car of the showroom floor). We replace the wheels every year with the latest new models. so you can be assured that you always have the newest technologies to ride on. So all in all, the guy that ends up buying a set of wheels is the one racing more often than not. Look at IM SA with 2500 entries. A large % of the field will be first timers, not sure what equipment to buy or just bought a bike with no extra cash to spend on R20k wheels. Is this a fact? Lets say it is - it is more likely a first timer is just interested in finishing if they are on a budget Only speculating, but i hear all the time of first timers doing the race. I'm of the opinion that yes there are many who want to finish the race only, but some really want to race to perform their best. There is a demand for it. it's not for everyone, but it is a great opportunity to test different equipment before buying. This would be the most value imo Not a bad idea but I think the pricing needs more research - or perhaps consider renting them for 2 weeks to give the person ample time to get used to them Total rental period would actually be 12 days (Friday to the Tuesday after the race)

Fortunately we offer a 54mm, 60mm, 75mm and 90mm deep rims. It is always good to go for a combo too. Wind will affect the front wheel more than the back. I did Im 2012 on a set of 85mm wheels. the descent was quite ........ interesting to say the least

Hi Guys Thanks for all the feedback and comments (Negative and Positive). Remember this is the very first time a service of this kind is offered in South Africa. It is a well proven concept in leading Tri markets of the world. So surely the business will adapt to the local market as time goes on. BUT we have to start somewhere. Here are some facts to keep in mind. 1) Think of car rental. Why would a Group A car be cheaper than a Group C car. Well its because the one offeres "more" than the other. Both will get you from point A to B (which is the main idea right) 2) Insurance. in RSA no insurance company will insure "Rental Products". Even Car rental companies are self insured. So the onus is on you to either add them to your insurance for that weekend or to take this risk that if they are damaged or stollen, you will be billed for the value. The wheels will be shipped in a padded wheel bag to help protect them. 3) As much as i would love to make these wheels less than R500 for a rental, it would not be feasible. I need to cover the cost of High end market wheels + still make some money. As much as i love the sport i'm not a charity Org. The question is, if i make it R500 bucks, all those who negatively comment will have a negative comment about R500. if it was Free, they would have a negative thing to say about Free product. 4) If we have to compare pricing 1 to 1 with the US rental, i would have to ask a higher price than them, because i still need to pay import freight and Taxes on them. So they actually cost more here than in the US. But alas i charge less - due to our market. 5) Tires and cassettes are not included as standard purely because there are such a big variety of ratios that we just can't cater for everyone. 6) The Duration of rental. Usually this is a 4 day rental. so delivery will be made to you on the Thursday/Friday and collected again on the Monday/ Tuesday. but because with IM and 70.3 many travel a few days before and return few days after, i brought out this 2 x race special. so you will actually receive the wheels 1 week before. It gives you time to set up and test ride the wheels the weekend before. 2-3 week rentals just don't financial / business sense for my part. we only have SO many weeks in a year. 7) Wheel options lastly, most athletes will have a really good idea of what wheels will work best for them. They will know if they can handle certain conditions or not. thats why we have so many options to chose from. the stronger guys will rent deeper wheels and those looking for a faster shallower set up can then chose that option. I take all comments in consideration, so thank you for the feedback. The price may not be right for everyone, then again i don't think i will ever have the right price and also the amount of stock for everyone. Cheers

Hi That is exactly why i started the business. I raced TriRock and wished i had different wheels. As for the price, check out what they rent wheels for in the US, UK and Oz. they rent wheels at R1800 + per race. So at this price, it is still relatively cheap if you take into account the cost of having stock, and importing them. Think about it, at R1500 for a set of wheels. is still cheaper than buying them and using them for one or 2 races a year.

The Wheel rental is more aimed at those who: 1) don't wanna spend R20k - R30k on a set of wheels (cause that's what the high end wheels go for now a days). 2) for those who only plan on doing 2 - 5 big races a year. if you calculate the cost of a rental vs buying at R20k, you can rent for 3 years to make up the same value. 3) for the guys (like @Face Plant) who wish he had a different wheel just for that one day. I raced Trirock durban and thought " a Disc would have been perfect for this day" but i don't wanna buy a disc for 1 race a year. 4) how many wheels are for sale on the hub at less than 50% of what they paid for them. the wheels are only 1 - 2 yrs old. people upgrade or are just not happy with a set. look at the how much you lost. if you rented the wheels. then no risk in loss and also you can have the newest tech available. So all in all, the guy that ends up buying a set of wheels is the one racing more often than not. Look at IM SA with 2500 entries. A large % of the field will be first timers, not sure what equipment to buy or just bought a bike with no extra cash to spend on R20k wheels. There is a demand for it. it's not for everyone, but it is a great opportunity to test different equipment before buying.

Wayne, why is it weird?? Makes sense for those who can not afford to buy wheels let alone 2 different types. It is massively popular in the US and UK for people to rent wheels for race day. Btw, who is Dipslick?

Race Day Wheel rental IM special - From R999.00 OPTIONS Available JET 6 SET (60mm) JET 9 SET (90mm) H3Deep Rear / H3 Front H3 Front / H3 Rear Carbon Tubby set Combo's JET 6 Front / 9 Rear JET 6 Front / HED3 Deep Rear (90mm) JET 6 Front / JET Disc JET 9 Front / JET Disc H3 Front / JET Disc All Wheels are Clincher with Aluminium Brake surfaces. So no need to change the brake pads. Door to Door postage & collection R450 extra. (48 - 72hr delivery) Delivery 1 week before the race. (12 day rental in effect) Wheel sets include: - Tyres & Tubes - Cassette (If available) - Ti Skewers - Valve extenders - Double padded wheel bag Limited stock available