This carbon wheel issue has been burning a hole in my soul for so long. The twin headed snake of thrift and indecision (not such an impressive snake as far as twin headed snakes go) held me at the impasse for years. Having @mauibike commit to all carbon for his lifetime wheelset needs got me hot. Seeing Fabs winning Paris-Roubaix and the Ronde on his Aeolius 5.0 wheels made the fever burn higher.
Maui is a very gusty place to ride and I was loath to own some deep section rims that would be the death of me. Looking pro while getting blown off the road at speed, uncool. Bontrager has the budget to blow on high speed computing and wind tunnels to make sure Gianni is not buffeted unduly. They also use Alpina spokes with plastic inserts so the the wheel should be truable for years.
Ebay is full of people who buy tubular wheels then sell them after very light use (or their first flat tire). Voila, Gianni finally owns Fabooo’s tubular wheels.
The first impression on the first ride was holy smokes, these float uphill. The weight difference was what impressed me immediately. I take off the front wheel when transporting the bike and I still marvel at its lightness. This lightness is also noticeable when cornering and not in a good way. The flywheel effect of a heavier aluminum rim is diminished making the steering, for lack of a better term, whippy. I’m used to it now but for the first few weeks the front end felt less stable.
My wife was quite vexed that I was undroppable on climbs; these wheels were feeling better and better. The improved climbing alone was enough to make me embrace the benefit of carbon construction.
It was during the first descent of Haleakala volcano where the other lightbulb switched on in my dim brain. Unintentionally I was going into every corner faster than usual. My V-meter does not give me data to substantiate the feeling but these wheels are more impressive going down than they are going up. They are fast. When you get off the brakes on a descent the bike just hauls more ass. To add to their list of wonders, they are very stable in gusty crosswinds too. The windtunnel testing was money well spent. Score one for the boffins.
I have not done enough riding in wet weather to have an opinion on rainy day braking. This is my number one bike after all and I’ve avoided the real steep descents if I have a choice.
To address the original question in the original article; can carbon wheels be one’s everyday, go-to wheels? I now say absolutely. These aero wheels are faster in all directions, why would you deny yourself that pleasure everyday. They do cost a huge amount to money new. That is their one massive downside. They can be had reasonably if one looks at slightly used tubulars, what is not to love about that? If one buys the premise that wheels are the most important upgrade to a bike, then buying light, aero, carbon wheels is the way to go.
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@wiscot
My understanding is that rims in the 25mm range are mainly designed to be very lightweight and won't provide much aero gain. 40mm and up give you increasingly better aerodynamics, but have more material in them and are a bit heavier, but also stiffer. There's also crosswind stability to consider, with deeper rims being more susceptible to deflection. The design can mitigate this, with Enve and Zipp in particular using profiling and dimples to improve stability.
Everyone's needs are different, so it's hard to say what's best for you. I think you need to decide what your priorites are, weight-aero-handling, and choose a profile that meets your needs. From what I've read, you won't go wrong with the midrange Enve or Zipp rims, I think Zipp 303s are 45mm, 404s are 58mm, and there's plenty of these in use in the pro peloton. I wish I had some personal experience to share, but sadly not yet. I fancy some Enve 6.7s, but currently lack the required funds!
@Buck Rogers
Everyone who went had an amazing looking bike. everyone.
Bloody hell, King hubs with some ENVE (or similarly understated) rims are giving me a Carbone. But can we steer clear of this talk of discs?
It will probably lead to even more specialization in bikes. Disc brakes for critierium and cross bikes (but different geometry), rim brakes for point to point races where aero advantages are important, and no brakes for the track.
Admittedly, my descent down Mt Erie this weekend had me wanting for something with a little more stopping power.
@Geraint I started off my Tubular Experience with Vittoria Corsa CX. I punctured several of them and my tire fund was getting tapped out. Touch wood, I have had much better luck with Veloflex, which have the same sort of suppleness/ride quality but have better punctured resistance especially if aged 6+ mos. Have a set of Vittoria pave tubs stretching but havent ridden them so can't compare.
@Nate thanks again fella. I've been pleased with the puncture resistance of the Vittoria clinchers, especially the Pave CGs, but I might see if I can pick up some Veloflex in the winter sales. They should be nicely aged by the time I've raised the funds for the wheels.
@wiscot
Depth is part of the equation; profile may be more important. I've ridden a set of Aeolus 7 wheels (deep profile), and in most situations for someone of my, um, stature they'd be great. A little slow to get up to speed, but they flew once they were moving and were managable, albeit with some attention, even in medium gusty conditions.
My wheels are a 35mm profile Aeolus, and they're about as versatile as could be. I've ridden them up/down big passes in Colorado, and they're wonderful for the flats, small rollers and even the few punchy climbs we have north of you in the Fox Valley.
Most of the folks with whom I ride who are on Carbone are on a medium/50mmish profile. I was waffling between that and a 35mm profile like I have now; if I was buying new I'd still be waffling, but when these Aeolus D3 3s came to be available I couldn't pass them by. Perhaps I'm giving up a tiny aero something with 35mm vs 50mm, but I don't race and have no regrets.......... and don't think about going to a higher profile (at least until something new starts getting rave reviews).
Of course, we're talking tubulars. For me carbon and clincher just don't make sense -- unless we're talking disc and I'm not going there yet for road riding.
@Ken Ho
Bugger off, will ya? Heretic.
@teleguy57
It also depends on the geometry of the bike - some bikes are twitchier and more susceptible to forces on the steering axis. A mate recently upgraded his TT bike - went from the previous Speed Concept to the newest. Along with that change, despite logging thousands of kilometres on his Aeolus 9 (and he's got serious handling skills), he felt that the new bike, with a slightly lower position, is less stable with the 9s, and moved to an Aeolus 7 front.
(and as a counter-point, rider weight and wheel depth don't correlate. My mum picks the discwheel and deep front, no matter the conditions. It's always the fastest option...)
@ tessar
Contrary to much belief, a disc wheel is actually more stable in windy conditions, so your Mum knows what she is on about. As for the front, she obviously has mad skillz, and might find little difference between a 50mm and 80mm profile. Bet she rides a diamond too, not a slug.
I gotta say every time I take the HED Stingers off after a race I am a little sad. LOOOOVE to be rolling around on those every day but nope, it just can't be. Not only the expense of the 15-20 flats I get every year (long wet season), but the wearing down of a set of particularly pricey rims at an alarming rate. I train on C24's, they are tough, cheap to maintain and plenty light. Come race day (every weekend), I can put the tubbies on and know they are sweet and ready to roll. Watching the brake track on the C24's disappear through the wet is enough to stop me riding the tubbies daily. They only last me a couple of years and at over double the price of the C24's, I just can't fit it into the budget.