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/”/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@razmaspaz You are wrong.
First, the wheels weigh something - and you have to haul that something up the hill - regardless the weight being distributed around the rim or in the hub.
Second, indeed, objects in motion tend to that unless acted upon by another force. Those forces include, friction @ the bearings, friction @ the road and aerodynamic drag.
So, lighter, more aero wheels with awesome, low-friction hubs will spin up faster and take less energy to keep rolling. Alas, they won't just roll on by themselves.
@Ben
There there. There there.
If you keep repeating it, it will eventually be true.
@EricW
Nah, Fuck that. Flood away. Like this...
@mouse Yeah... I honestly can't tell if I legit don't want carbon wheels or if I've just given in the the VMH's prohibition. Denial is a happy place? There are definitely cheaper ways to get light and aero, though. Throw away some spacers, skip that second beer, and you've got it.
No Carbs here ever, im trying to get skinny. 1st rule of fight cub
@Ben
Actually ... I disagree sorry ..... the sound that hurts my head isnt because I dont like it ... its because I love it and know that they are just out of my reach ... if I had the cash I would get ENVE's and roll on them 24/7 rain, hail or shine .....
I ride in full black classic Rapha kit and by no means am I one of the fastest or fittest in the bunch ...... doesnt make me a douche though ......... just love riding in good/great quality kit ........ same goes for the Carbons ...... if I could ... I would.
No my brain really does hurt .......
I have a pair of mavic open pro's laced up to dura ace hubs. They were handbuilt by a wheelmaker who knew what he was doing and they rock my jocks every day. Heavy, yes, but so strong and fun to ride.
I actually originally had these wheels built to race kermises in Belgium. A few riders racing at the elite kermise level had carbon wheels, but usually the type which is an alloy rim with carbon fairing because the braking is so much better (and I suspect becuase they are more durable). On the whole however the number of carbon wheels I saw compared to back here in Aus was way down and if the race had any sort of significant cobbled section the box section alloys were out in force.
P.S. No riders at these kermises seemed to be slowed down by their un-aero wheels
I've got some carbon clinchers on my Wilier carbon bike, and Mavic Open Pros on Chorus hubs on my steel Merckx. And a set of Campy Eurus clinchers as a backup. I would never ride the carbon wheels on the Merckx, but could ride the Open Pros on the Wilier. I debated long and hard before buying the carbon clinchers. I knew I didn't want tubulars because of the ongoing cost and mess. The time I have for the bike I try to spend riding and adding high-maintenance gear isn't part of that plan. As I debated, I read this article on RKP. It finally pushed me over the edge. I ride 2-3 Gran Fondos a year, so having "race wheels" doesn't make a lot of sense. But I love to ride, so if the carbon wheels add to that enjoyment on a given day, that's what I'll ride. I'm lucky to be able to have the carbon wheels, and I know they aren't a "need" and probably don't make me any faster. But I like them and I'm going to keep riding them any time I reach for the carbon bike.
@Barracuda hmmm, pretty sure I remember seeing a photo of you rocking the fiasco ciclismo kit on the photo comp thread...that's definitely not black!
I do agree with you on the waves of lust that a pair of Enves can produce though...
I'm firmly in the clincher camp. The debate can be fought ad nauseum, but carbon clinchers make sense in much the same way aluminium clinchers make sense: For those who don't want tubulars. A carbon clincher of medium height (303s, for example) will weigh sub-1500g, like highish-end aluminium - and yet bring a very substantial aerodynamic advantage. To everyone. The calculation goes that for a long individual effort - say, a certain 180km ride one may or may not squeeze in his sandwich - a pro might need the aero advantage more, but the 7-hour slowpoke gains more time, overall.
My mother trains and races year-round on Enve 45s laced to DT Swiss 190s. She's had them for three years now and only had one problem, which was swiftly handled under warranty - it means she now has mismatched wheels (Enve used to be called Edge). However, it's a pretty convincing case that, if the older-generation rims stood up to her abuse over thousands of kilometres on rough desert roads, races in the rain and several rides over cobblestones, then the new generation must be good enough for anyone.
My road bike runs Ultegra WH6700s, which may not be light, but they've proved themselves to be stable, enjoyable wheels that hit my perfect spot between too-fancy-to-risk and too-heavy-to-enjoy. Box-section aluminium certainly a place, but racing it not that place.
I train solo on the TT bike which I do most of my racing on, with wheels so heavy I might just crush my feet if I dropped them during a wheel-change. They're neglected to the point that my mechanic nearly offered to replace the bearings for free, but that's fine by me. Because on race-day, I swap them for a (still very humble) set of RC50s, with their whisper-quiet smooth hubs and the latex-tubed Vittorias. I feel faster, nay, I am faster - and that's a critical psychological advantage.