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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@G'rilla
Maybe this is a huge mistake, but I selected lower count spoke wheels because I think they look better. I'm a Fat Bastard, and have had little trouble with my Neuvation R28 Aeros (which have now been converted to toobless.) 16 front, 20 rear.
Maybe the most important reason Boonen chose the Zipps is the bearings/hubs the specs are pretty impressive. I've read that lots of pro teams get their bearings from Zipp as they're the smoothest roundest bearings on the planet.
I won't bother linking to their site and yes I scooped a set of 101s in a replacement deal from Sram.
Looking to acquire a truing stand, dishing tool, and hardware, then off I'll go to build low(low)-profile 36 and 32 hole tubular wheels. Beginning with a new Athena 36h front hub from Germany (Ebay) won for 11.00 USD and 18.00 USD shipping. Still have an extra pair of Campagnolo Victory Strada rims, but want to begin with a Lambda Strada, Mavic GP4, NISI etc. Once that the wheel building is looking good, then I've kept a 2006 Record 36h front hub that needs a matching rear to build up. Still in love with these classic rims and hubs. And building is a plus.
I'm probably a bad Velominati but I just have 1 bike and 1 set of wheels - cue deep gasp from audience and much muttering and shaking of heads. It's a great bike with a nice set of wheels, Ksyrium SL's. they are light, strong but not aero. But 25,000 k's in I've never had to true them but will put in new bearings next service. Probably get a set of Carbone tubs for crits, local guy builds nice ones for about $800, I can't bring myself to spend $xxxxx on wheels I would use occasionally, must be my Scottish heritage.
@scaler911
Lubed.
Re. the big guys winning spring classic on Zipps, Cervelos etc. Please don't believe that what the pros ride, in spring classics, is what you can buy a the lbs. Regarding wheels and frames bashing over the nasty roads. My 51cm 2011 R3 can't even take a 25mm tire - the stays and the forks suffer some serious tire rub. Never mind a 28mm tire we see them run. For years they would say they were stoke frames only to have it slip out that the guys were on "Mud Frames". Wider forks and a very different frame! I can only imagine how dissimilar those Zipps are to what we can get at the lbs.
I have not ridden a full carbon wheelset, but am very close to buying some - think the Zipp 404s or Enves are very soon to enter my life.
Like others, cannot see the point of carbon clinchers. They seem like a dirty little compromise - and lend themselves to being ridden by arseholes who don't race their bikes but like being seen as fast or cool in their regular bunch. "I dont want to fuck about with tubbies on my regular rides but i want to have carbon wheels". I have the feeling that most alu/carbon clinchers are very rarely called upon to provide aerodynamic benefit because they are invariably ridden by cunts hiding in big bunches going slow. Those are the same sort of areseholes that Gunny Hartman said wouldn't even have the common courtesy to provide a reacharound...
Better off going full carbon tubs for racing and alu clinchers for training I say. My current LOOK came with the lesser version of the Cosmic Carbones - which are alu rims with a carbon fairing sitting on top (the horror) - adding weight and some aerodynamic benefit, apparently. They are heavy, ride like shit and sat unloved at home in their wheel bags until they became training wheels for my TT bike - and yes, i feel dirty riding them. But to be fair, they do look relatively cool until you notice the alu braking surface.
My alu clinchers (for Campy and Shimano bikes respectively) are in the form of Shamals and Fulcrum Zeros (basically the same wheels with different stickers). They are veeery nice and light. I have no way of proving/knowing this, but it seems like the USB hubs on these wheels are something special - they roll beautifully and invariably win our hugely scientific bike rolling comps (when you all roll down a hill, no pedalling and see who gets the furtherest).
@Nate
Strong work my friend, strong work!
I just upgraded my wheelset to Ksyrium SuperLights & thus won't be in the wheelset market for a long time. I'd kind of like to try tubular and I'd kind of like to try carbon, but I'm not really sure I'll ever go that route. Maybe, but I see my cycling time becoming increasingly squeezed in the next few years and both of these options seem like the upside doesn't outweigh the time/possible frustration factor. Who knows though, a mid-life Carbone Crisis is always looming...
I second the carbon clincher vibe. Just a gimmick for Freds.
Tubs, be they crabon or alu should be busted out for special rides: races, epic climbs, etc. I do like the notion of train heavy, race light. I try to compromise a little by running decently light clincher tires most of the time. I ride in mountains several times a week and it's nice to be a little quicker on a climb. My heavy wheels keep things in check.
I should add: "light clincher" is relative. I was rocking some wire bead gatorskins this winter because I got a deal... but 300 grams for 25s is nuts. Glad to be on a more supple GP (not to mention 70g lighter a tire).