Can you build wheels with carbon rims?

BigSpecs

I am a (very) novice wheelbuider (one fixed wheelset so far) but I am keen. I lust after deep-rim carbon wheelsets but I am put off by the price. I was wondering whether it was possible to build your own? and would this save a few bob? Is there an art to it? or any special techniques required? Is it harder than building a regular, alloy wheel?
Thanks for any tips,
Col.

redddraggon

Yes you can if you can find the rims, but they are still pretty pricey, and you probably wouldn't save much over a factory wheel.

Monty Dog

You can buy rims - try www.wheelsmith.co.uk - but because of their construction, they are less tolerant of imprecise trueing and tension adjustment and so require a fair level of skill from the wheelbuilder. The rims are from Gigantex, same as those used by Planet-X, HED and a number of others.

dennisn

FWIW www.fairwheelbikes.com sells Edge carbon rims. This is stateside so
can't say if that will work for you. Anyway, be sure to bring your billfold loaded with credit cards. They ain't cheap.

Dennis Noward

mackdaddy

I'm pretty sure Planet x sell all the bits needed to build up your own wheels with thier pro-carbon rims. They used to, but I can't check for you becasue my browser is playing up and won't let me open a different window. :oops:

Monty Dog

P-X have some 50mm carbon rims for £128 - which is pretty reasonable

BigSpecs

I had a look at that but the old tubs vs clincher argument comes into play...
I have no experience of tubulars. Do folk ride them any time other than races? They just don't strike me as being too practical, although I guess neither are 50mm rim carbon wheels...

dennisn

BigSpecs wrote:

I had a look at that but the old tubs vs clincher argument comes into play...
I have no experience of tubulars. Do folk ride them any time other than races? They just don't strike me as being too practical, although I guess neither are 50mm rim carbon wheels...

Ya got that right. That argument can last forever. Best I can advise on that is the
"conventional wisdom" today seems to be clinchers for training and a set of tubular
wheels if you race. There is a third option called tubular clinchers. See www.tufotires.com . for a view of these. I use them and also regular tubular tires.
Really like the tubular clinchers. No problems. Doesn't seem to be much talk about them
on this forum for whatever reason.

Dennis Noward

Smokin Joe

Don't know about your part of the world Dennis, but they cost a fair bit more than top quality clinchers over here.

dennisn

Smokin Joe wrote:

Don't know about your part of the world Dennis, but they cost a fair bit more than top quality clinchers over here.

Never looked on them as overly expensive as compared to regular clinches. They seem(to me) to come in a variety of prices and quality. I would have to say though ,that I do spend more on tires than the average rider and less on bike frames and high end, flashy, bits. Steel bike(Gios), DA components, no carbon that I can think of, build my own wheels(nothing overly fancy). That kind of thing. I really do like the ease of tubular clinchers and in my old age "ease" is what I'm into. And the tires give me very good service. Sometimes it seems that I'm the only person in the world using them. Everyone who notices ask me about them and says, "sounds good", but they don't switch. Oh well.

Dennis Noward

aracer

dennisn wrote:

Really like the tubular clinchers. No problems. Doesn't seem to be much talk about them on this forum for whatever reason.

No advantage over standard clinchers IMHO, with some of the disadvantages of tubs - that and they're tufos, which don't roll very well.

balthazar

dennisn wrote:

I really do like the ease of tubular clinchers and in my old age "ease" is what I'm into. And the tires give me very good service. Sometimes it seems that I'm the only person in the world using them. Everyone who notices ask me about them and says, "sounds good", but they don't switch. Oh well.

Dennis Noward

I've just never understood the point of these things. The benefits they describe on their website allude to problems that don't exist – most bizarrely, rim wall frailty. I think we all know by now that tubular "feel" is mythology, so what's left? A really difficult to repair tyre?

Still, you like them, so let's know! What is "easier" about them, in your opinion?

BTW, pictures of your bike anywhere? Steel Gios sounds lovely

dennisn

balthazar wrote:

dennisn wrote:

I really do like the ease of tubular clinchers and in my old age "ease" is what I'm into. And the tires give me very good service. Sometimes it seems that I'm the only person in the world using them. Everyone who notices ask me about them and says, "sounds good", but they don't switch. Oh well.

Dennis Noward

I've just never understood the point of these things. The benefits they describe on their website allude to problems that don't exist – most bizarrely, rim wall frailty. I think we all know by now that tubular "feel" is mythology, so what's left? A really difficult to repair tyre?

Still, you like them, so let's know! What is "easier" about them, in your opinion?

BTW, pictures of your bike anywhere? Steel Gios sounds lovely

As for the tubular clinchers I have less flats with them than regular clinchers, they are easier to install(requires no tools) and remove(quicker to change), you can run very high pressures in them, they stay on the rim if you flat(just like glue on tub's), no rim tape is
required, there is no worry about pinch flats(they are tubeless), and you don't have to worry about the inside of your rim having burrs on it and causing flats.
I also like their tubular tires as they seem to mount on rims straighter than other brands
i.e. they don't get those little "wiggles" in them(if that makes any sense).
I would post pictures of my bike but I'll need to get my 10 year old nephew over here
first,with his digital camera, and then have him show me how to post that kind of stuff.

Dennis Noward

balthazar

dennisn wrote:

As for the tubular clinchers I have less flats with them than regular clinchers, they are easier to install(requires no tools) and remove(quicker to change), you can run very high pressures in them, they stay on the rim if you flat(just like glue on tub's), no rim tape is
required, there is no worry about pinch flats(they are tubeless), and you don't have to worry about the inside of your rim having burrs on it and causing flats.
Dennis Noward

Well, fair enough; I'd demur on the importance of some of those reasons, but it's still more than Tufo themselves managed on their website - perhaps you should write their copy! Thanks.

dennisn

balthazar wrote:

dennisn wrote:

As for the tubular clinchers I have less flats with them than regular clinchers, they are easier to install(requires no tools) and remove(quicker to change), you can run very high pressures in them, they stay on the rim if you flat(just like glue on tub's), no rim tape is
required, there is no worry about pinch flats(they are tubeless), and you don't have to worry about the inside of your rim having burrs on it and causing flats.
Dennis Noward

Well, fair enough; I'd demur on the importance of some of those reasons, but it's still more than Tufo themselves managed on their website - perhaps you should write their copy! Thanks.

I like them for the ease of handling. Like I said before, I may spend a bit more on them than
regular tires but I'm not into expensive bling so it all works out. "aracer" said something about rolling resistance being worse than regular clinchers, and that MAY be true, but
I'm just out riding and not racing so it's a moot point(if it's a point at all).

Dennis Noward

craigenty

I think carbon rimmed clinchers become expensive when someone on the front forgets to point out a 2" deep pothole.