Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL...or?

parajba
parajba Posts: 95
edited March 2011 in Road buying advice
Hi everybody,

I would need an advice.

I'm planning to sell my Zipp 404 tubs because they are too much hassle. I would like to replace them with some deep rim clinchers with alu braking surface and alu spokes for reliability. I have another wheelset (which I'm planning to keep - Fulcrum Racing 1).

How are the Mavic Carbone SL? Are they a step back even compared to my other wheelset (the Fulcrum Racing 1)? Am I better off by just selling the 404 tubs and using the Fulcrum Racing 1?

As background info: I do mainly UK sportives (20/25 each year), I don't race yet, will try the occasional race this year, I'm 69kg for 5'10''.

The 404 tubs are incredibly light and fast, but the fear of puncturing and not being able to fix the tub/hassle of learning how to deal with tubs is a problem. Otherwise I don't have any real issue with the Zipp 404 tubs, they are fantastic. Well, yep, perhaps the braking performance could be a bit smoother. I do have always with me a bottle of Vittoria Pit Stop and never punctured a tub, but if it happens...don't even want to think about it.

Thanks for your advice and experiences,

Comments

  • Strada Wheels
    Strada Wheels Posts: 38
    If you can afford to, keep the 404s for racing and use the Fulcrum 1s for everything else.
    Strada Hand Built Wheels
    www.stradawheels.co.uk
  • weapons
    weapons Posts: 367
    Why the need for deep sections? I would have thought a light shallow rimmed wheel like dura ace 7850 cl-24 would be better suited for sportives, which are usually hilly. Cosmic carbones will feel sluggish climbing compared to a nice light rim.
  • parajba
    parajba Posts: 95
    Thanks both for the kind replies...

    Yes I can afford the 404, I should then keep them I guess...
  • on-yer-bike
    on-yer-bike Posts: 2,974
    I have Bora One tubulars and used them all last summer. Did the Marmotte, Dragon Ride and a few other sportives on them and quite a few club TTs. I always carry a spare tub or two. I have had two puntures one from a massive pothole which wrote the tub off (and would have a clincher as well as buckling the wheel). However I changed the tub in the time it would have taken to change an inner tube. The wheels are much lighter than nearly all alu clinchers and I just love riding on tubs.
    Pegoretti
    Colnago
    Cervelo
    Campagnolo
  • Down the Road
    Down the Road Posts: 949
    Carbone SL is THE wheel to own

    As fast as any carbon wheel and almost weigh the same. Clincher tyres are FASTER than tubulars and have been for about 10 years. They are also lighter.

    PS they are also significantly cheaper. Wish I'd never sold mine
    Racing is life - everything else is just waiting
  • parajba
    parajba Posts: 95
    on-yer-bike wrote:
    I have Bora One tubulars and used them all last summer. Did the Marmotte, Dragon Ride and a few other sportives on them and quite a few club TTs. I always carry a spare tub or two. I have had two puntures one from a massive pothole which wrote the tub off (and would have a clincher as well as buckling the wheel). However I changed the tub in the time it would have taken to change an inner tube. The wheels are much lighter than nearly all alu clinchers and I just love riding on tubs.

    Thanks for the reply...A few questions....

    What spare tub do you carry? What brand/make? Do you carry it in your pocket? I guess it's pre-glued? How safe is to race on a tub that it's just been put on after a puncture? I thought you had to wait 24 hours for the glue to bond with the rim properly.
  • Down the Road
    Down the Road Posts: 949
    If properly glued a tub takes 20 min to remove.

    Can you race on one you have just stuck on. - No Chance you can stagger home and even if you can change it in 1 minute you are 750m behind a road race by the time you get going again.

    Tubs are used by the pro teams ( about 75%of them) because you can still ride on a flat until the car catches up whereas a clincher you have to stand by the side of the road and wait for the car. They ALL train on clinchers
    Racing is life - everything else is just waiting
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Down the road I'm sorry to contadict but for the sake of balance, the Cosmic SL is not a light wheel, clinchers are not lighter than tubs (add on the tube weight), you can race straight away on a taped on tub and it takes seconds to remove and the pros do train on tubs. Apart from that I agree completely :wink:
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • Karl2010
    Karl2010 Posts: 511
    Get yourself some decent tyres for the ZIPPs like Conti GatorSkin.
    When fitted make sure there is plenty of pressure in the tyre, 100psi at least.

    The Carbones are about 500g lighter than the ZIPPs.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Down the Road wrote:
    If properly glued a tub takes 20 min to remove.

    Can you race on one you have just stuck on. - No Chance you can stagger home and even if you can change it in 1 minute you are 750m behind a road race by the time you get going again.

    Tubs are used by the pro teams ( about 75%of them) because you can still ride on a flat until the car catches up whereas a clincher you have to stand by the side of the road and wait for the car. They ALL train on clinchers

    20 minutes my arsenal.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • parajba
    parajba Posts: 95
    Karl2010 wrote:
    Get yourself some decent tyres for the ZIPPs like Conti GatorSkin.
    When fitted make sure there is plenty of pressure in the tyre, 100psi at least.

    The Carbones are about 500g lighter than the ZIPPs.

    I'm using Conti Comps. Very happy with it. Front and rear pressure is 110PSI. That's my sweet spot.

    But the Carbones are about 500 g heavier than the Zipps.

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