That is the question. Are carbon wheels a viable option for everyday riding? Should carbon wheels be your go-to wheels rather than your just-for-racing wheels? I don’t really race and I don’t own any carbon wheels and I wonder. Granted, every professional is and has been on carbon wheels for many years so it’s easy to think we should be on them too. Brett’s review of ENVE wheels certainly made a case for them, who dosen’t want to go faster, all the time? Frank has raved about how fast his Zipp 303s are since he first put them on his Cervelo. I hefted his Café Roubaix Haleakala climbing wheels and one dosen’t need to heft them as much as hold them down, they are unbelievably light, sub-1000 grams light.
Those wheels are too light for the rigors of the East Maui Loop pavé and potholes, or so I thought. I talked Frank out of using them and he did the Cogal on Zipp 404s and 25mm clinchers. In retrospect, with bigger tires I think he would have been OK doing the Cogal on his climbing wheels. If ultralight carbon wheels are tough enough for that ride then when are they inappropriate? Ambrosio golden ticket aluminum box section rims versus Zipp 303s, let’s see, Boonen just won Paris-Roubaix on the Zipp 404s. That is the end of the discussion. It should be the beginning of the end for three-cross box section aluminum wheels. If Zipp 303s win Paris-Roubaix then when wouldn’t one use carbon wheels?
@chiasticon-
Surprised to see so much talk of carbon wheels for a Cogal; which is, essentially, not much different than a club run. I understand Frank wanting to run them for his climb up Haleakala, since he was going for a PR up a huge friggin’ volcano and I’m sure they certainly helped. But as an every day wheel for a club/social/training ride? At least within the circles I ride in, that’s a good reason to get laughed off the ride (comments would especially come from the local racers). It’s like saying “I can’t keep up with you guys without these wheels!” Or at least that’s how people generally take it.
…but how common is it among Velominati to use carbon wheels on an everyday basis?
On the Cogal ride, out of seven riders there were two people on carbon wheels. On our Sunday club ride there is maybe one user. I see a lot of bikes on the site with drool-worthy carbon wheels. Are aluminum rims old school? Are we being played here or are we all just a little behind the times or are we saving our money for better bike investments?
Strong, light, cheap. Pick two – I’m going to attribute this to Keith Bontrager as it was etched on my Bontrager’s stem cap. I’d like to add a fourth adjective, aerodynamic, but my tiny brain can’t compute how picking two or three might work so cleverly.
Strong
There are not many high end frames made from aluminum anymore. Could the same case be made for wheels? The aluminum box rim may be light but it is not strong unless you lace a lot of crossed spokes on it. I have some 80s Campagnolo Vento deep wheels, aero maybe, not light and the ride is a bit harsh. An unlaced carbon rim may not be lighter than a light weight aluminum rim but it is much stronger.
Light
I’m afraid carbon is going to win here. While a case could have been made for the Ambrosio golden ticket being strong, it is not light. There are some semi-aero aluminum wheels out there that are light but they make me nervous with their low weight limit.
Cheap
Boing! There it is. Strong and cheap is aluminum’s territory. One pays $1100US more for Easton’s Carbon EC90 SLX wheels than the aluminum EA 90 SLX wheelset. 200 grams is the only difference between the two models. If that was the end of the comparisons I wouldn’t lose any sleep over my lack of carbone wheels but there is still one other factor.
Aerodynamic
Carbon wins this easily. The carbon can be a fairing or integral to the wheel’s strength but carbon’s moldability is the future. Formula 1 cars are no longer made of aluminum. Boonen must have saved significant energy on the long paved run-in to the pavé sectors using his Zipps, maybe enough energy to help burn everyone off his wheel later on. @Tommy Tubulare’s Cervelo with Campagnolo Bora deep carbon wheels makes my heart skip a beat. Carbon wheels look badass.
Conclusion
Once again I have no informed opinion having never ridden carbon wheels. Would I love to see my bike looking extremely pro with some deep section carbon wheels? Yes. Would it be very bad to be shelled out the back end of a group ride while riding said wheels? Yes, it would be very bad.
Should my wheels be worth more than the rest of the bike? Who cares. Let’s address @chiasticon’s question, who’s riding carbon and when?
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/j.andrews3@comcast.net/carbone wheels/”/]
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View Comments
@eightzero
Get over it and ask her out already.
@itburns
Thank you! so much more diplomatic than the have vs have not vs fail to pick good dna tired arguments! One question tho- does he have to pull her hair first or not?
@scaler911
Red rims, white spokes, blue hubs. If you don't build them that way, the terrorists win.
@gaswepass
And should I wear my full Lampre kitte?
@eightzero
You lost weight? which diet? Nice work.
@frank ...not doing anything wrong, they fit. but with wheel flex they rub (51cm frame). And that's what I'm saying, why do they show case a frame and fork that isn't actually what it is? You had to change out a good fork just to fit a slightly bigger tire. The longer wheel based / wider stayed frame is a "Mud Frame" you and I can not buy. Some might ride the old RS but that's not and R3 or much of a race frame.
@razmaspaz
The greatest difference between road and rollers is that in the road one's momentum (your body) keeps the bike moving forward and therefore, wheels turning as well. On rollers you'll find that when you stop pedalling you're wheels stop pretty fast from the friction. There's possibly more friction on rollers than on the road as there are three contact points instead of two but it could be the case that there's not enough difference to worry about it.
At speed I'd say a wheel needs at least a little effort to stay in motion even if it's off the ground as the spokes are overcoming some air resistance and the hub bearings are overcoming frictional resistance so if no force is input they'll slow down.
My question to the scientific among the Velominati is: Does a heavier rim need more force input to maintain speed than a lighter rim or is it the case that once both rims are at the same speed it takes the same amount of force to maintain the speed. I understand that heavier rims will require more energy to get them up to speed and that their extra weight means that they have more momentum. (Assume same aero qualities, hubs, spokes tyres etc. etc.)
The thing about climbing is that more gravity comes into play. As I understand it, one is accelerating all the time so to speak.
@Gianni not really. Have you ridden Zipp 202 carbon clincher? Stable, aero, fast, with negligible weight penalty. Try them if you are considering an all around/do-it-all type wheel.
Personally, I ride Shimano C50 Carbon Tubulars. You mentioned dealing with flats,...not with Stans.
http://www.notubes.com/Sealant-C14.aspx
2 ounces of Stans and you'll never have a flat.
@Croupier23
I've never ridden any carbon hoops! I must. Even upgrading my aluminum wheels recently felt much better. I really should have taken advantage of Frank's visit when I could have tried two different carbon wheelsets. The shops here don't loan out such things either and luckily there is not an Enve dealer out here in the middle of the pacific.
Remember Frank's take-home message, "N+1 applies to wheels as well, by the way."
@ scaler911
Fucking hell that baby is looking great! Yikes.
And yes, train heavy, race light - for sure. If you race, that's a great plan. If not, ride what makes it fun for you.
Incidentally, "train heavy" is why I'm having an IPA right now. Just to build up the guns.
@Sluggo
Gotcha. My R3 did require the fd cable to be zip tied to the size a bit for the FMB's which measure bigger than a regular 25mm because they're so awesome. But the Conti 25's required no tie and run fine in the VMH's 51cm R3SL. Strange about the wheel rub, not having any issue with that, but my wheels are all pretty burly.