Carbon Clinchers for Regular Use ?

kingrollo

Can carbon clinchers be used for regular use ? - I don't mean all year round - just maybe for the few hot summer months

danowat

If you don't mind trashing an expensive pair of wheels with the day to day grind, go for it!

peejay78

agree with the above post.

if you have money to burn, and the marginal gains make a difference when riding to work/the shops/on the club run, then go for it.

personally, i keep mine for races.

MaxwellBygraves

They are no more likely to break than shallow, alloy rimmed wheels. They just cost more to replace if they do break. And if wheel breakages were really that common we'd all be riding low end wheels.
I'm fine with using mine in summer, just avoid winter use; conversely I don't use mine for racing as I perceive the risk of crashing much higher in a race than on a solo or club training ride.

Monty Dog

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

They are no more likely to break than shallow, alloy rimmed wheels. They just cost more to replace if they do break. And if wheel breakages were really that common we'd all be riding low end wheels.
I'm fine with using mine in summer, just avoid winter use; conversely I don't use mine for racing as I perceive the risk of crashing much higher in a race than on a solo or club training ride.

Based on what evidence? Because I could argue strongly the other way based on experience - I know numerous examples where a pothole has totalled a pair of rims that an alloy rim would simply has shrugged off or you may have had a slight ding in the top of the rim. A couple of times I've ridden 20 miles home on a flat rear - wouldn't even fancy doing that with a carbon tubular rim.

MaxwellBygraves

Monty Dog wrote:

MaxwellBygraves wrote:

They are no more likely to break than shallow, alloy rimmed wheels. They just cost more to replace if they do break. And if wheel breakages were really that common we'd all be riding low end wheels.
I'm fine with using mine in summer, just avoid winter use; conversely I don't use mine for racing as I perceive the risk of crashing much higher in a race than on a solo or club training ride.

Based on what evidence? Because I could argue strongly the other way based on experience - I know numerous examples where a pothole has totalled a pair of rims that an alloy rim would simply has shrugged off or you may have had a slight ding in the top of the rim. A couple of times I've ridden 20 miles home on a flat rear - wouldn't even fancy doing that with a carbon tubular rim.

Well, it's interesting you say that. I am 90KG, have busted several pairs of alloy rims (one literally fractured in half) yet use my carbon wheels everyday (by that I mean every training ride, so several times a week) so I could say 'I know numerous examples where a pothole has totalled a pair of rims that a carbon rim would simply have shrugged off'.

Clearly that's anecdotal (so was your reasoning) but I don't like the way everyone tries to see things in black and white; much the same way that I think you'll agree that not every carbon frame is 'better' than an aluminium frame just because it's carbon - a good frame and a good fit is worth more than any one material.

The bottom line, for me, is that a good wheel is a good wheel, regardless of the material. Go potholing with any wheel and it's liable to break.

kingrollo

I suppose I should have been more precise with the question. I actually meant to include wheels such as Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL - Which have an Alu rim but carbon fairing.

peejay78

i have a set of 1100g carbon wheels with an 80kg rider limit.

i tend to use these very sparingly, and only when the road goes uphill.

bianchimoon

kingrollo wrote:

Can carbon clinchers be used for regular use ? - I don't mean all year round - just maybe for the few hot summer months

Come the spring my carbone sl's will be on for al rides for the duration of the summer and autumn, that's what they were bought for

mostly harmless

I think we need to look back to the oracle of Pez

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=6007

and in particular

Carbon Wheels. Carbon wheels are for racing! Never under any circumstances should they be brought out on a training ride. Training wheels should be strong and heavy with lots and lots of spokes. Carbon wheels say to the group, I’m not strong enough to do this ride without my $2,000 feather weight wheels. If you have the money to tear up a carbon wheel set on the road, then you’d be better off spending it on a coach who will get you fit enough to keep up with the group ride on regular training wheels.

To be cool, ride with Bontrager flat proof tubes. They’re about four-times as heavy as regular tubes and they just about double your rolling resistance. To be Euro-cool, don’t tell anyone you’re riding with them. It’s enough to know for yourself that you can keep up with those weenies even on a 22-pound bike. And please, no deep dish carbon clinchers. Carbon wheels are race wheels and clinchers are for training. Tubulars are the only way to go on your carbons.

jim453

peejay78 wrote:

i have a set of 1100g carbon wheels with an 80kg rider limit.

i tend to use these very sparingly, and only when the road goes uphill.

Where do you stash them when it's flat? Trailer?

peejay78

i hide them at the side of the road, in a small wooded copse, often marked by a shrine to the virgin mary.

they are tubs anyway, so not relevant to the OP. and i only use them for hillclimbs. nothing else.

bianchimoon

kingrollo wrote:

Can carbon clinchers be used for regular use ? - I don't mean all year round - just maybe for the few hot summer months

They're your wheels, use 'em when you want. Look after them well and they'll look after you. Having said that i draw the line at using them at night in the winter, that's when i tend to hit most potholes.

acidstrato

+1 for theyre yours, people can warn you but not tell you what to do.

the way i see it is they'll cost you more to replace than a set of RS20s or askiums

cougie

How deep ? I'd not fancy deep rims when its this windy.

MaxwellBygraves

cougie wrote:

How deep ? I'd not fancy deep rims when its this windy.

You're right. I'm a fan, but wouldn't ride them in wind like this. Keep it to 50mm max usually anyway, gusts can catch you on any day.

I'm not even going to bother quoting the drivel quoted from that website above. Complete rubbish. I'm all for open debate but that really is alarmist crap.

Incidentally, I would never buy wheels (alloy or carbon) with a weight limit, even if I was well inside it. All my carbon and alloy wheels have no weight limit.

Said it before and will say it again, a good strong wheel is a good strong wheel regardess of material.

Wappygixer

I say buy whatever makes you happy.
A set of normal wheels can cost more than some carbon wheels.
My current wheels would cost about over £650 to build and I only ride for pleasure.
If I could find some decent carbon wheels that I could replace rims I'd do it, thats the only down side but that does also go for any factory build wheelset too.

Lagavulin

Oh dear me. I don't race. Best stick my DA's on fleabay. There's a Christmas present down the drain :roll:

trailstar

what happens to carbon rims when ridden in horrible dirty gritty winter roads.. i would imagine when braking with all that silt/grit on the rim it would just be like sandpaper to carbon?

MattC59

kingrollo wrote:

I suppose I should have been more precise with the question. I actually meant to include wheels such as Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL - Which have an Alu rim but carbon fairing.

I've got a pair of Bontrager Aeolus 5.0 wheels, alu rim with carbon fairing, and I use them as summer wheels. I use the stock Bontrager wheels in the winter.

To be honest, I got the Aeolus wheels at an extremely good price, whilst I was after new wheels, I probably wouldn't have spent the full retail price on them just for day to day use.

I've not had a single problem with them, and anyway, they're your wheels use them when you want to