The beginners guide to chinese carbon wheels

daniel_b

So are people using the pads that come with these wheels, or are most people buying aftermarket pads?

I see Prolite carbon pads mentioned above, any other suggestions, or alternatives being used to good effect?

I guess decent stopping power has to be near the top of the desires, but aligned with not damaging the wheels either.
Would be very interested to hear what people recommend, as do not want to wreck the wheels in the first few weeks!

Cheers

Dan

amaferanga

Daniel B wrote:

So are people using the pads that come with these wheels, or are most people buying aftermarket pads?

I see Prolite carbon pads mentioned above, any other suggestions, or alternatives being used to good effect?

I guess decent stopping power has to be near the top of the desires, but aligned with not damaging the wheels either.
Would be very interested to hear what people recommend, as do not want to wreck the wheels in the first few weeks!

Cheers

Dan

You can use any carbon-specific pads. Swisstop are supposed to be the best, but I can't bring myself to spend £35 on some brake pads.

joeyhalloran

Hey guys, I have been given a tracking number from carbon zone but it doesnt seem to work, anyone else had this problem?

daniel_b

JoeyHalloran wrote:

Hey guys, I have been given a tracking number from carbon zone but it doesnt seem to work, anyone else had this problem?

The first screen I go to is: http://www.ems.com.cn/english-main.jsp

I enter the tracking reference they sent me, and then the Verification code.
I click Track - this takes me to a new screen, with an 'error' message at the top, and one box that still has the reference number populated, but is askign for another verification number to be entered.

I do so, and click 'Track' and that then gives me the info.

The authentication code is also case senstitive I believe,

joeyhalloran

Thanks, that worked but being on the wrong site didn't help either :oops:

willy b

I'm having the same issue. I somehow got it to work once, but now it wont work again...

When I get put through to the error page it's blank and nothing happens.

joeyhalloran

I went to track my parcel drop down menu rather than putting in the details on the "homescreen"

willy b

Did that as well still got an error message come up on that screen, entered the code in again and again nothing.

I know they were dispatched on the 27th though

joeyhalloran

Try putting the number into parcel force, if they are in england it should work.

willy b

Awesome, done that.

Cleared customs at 13:22 today and delivery in progress. Might just have them tomorrow!!

daniel_b

JoeyHalloran wrote:

Try putting the number into parcel force, if they are in england it should work.

Genius tip Joey

willy b wrote:

Awesome, done that.

Cleared customs at 13:22 today and delivery in progress. Might just have them tomorrow!!

Mine are tagged as 13:22 also, looks like our wheels are travelling in tandem

joeyhalloran

Mine say forwarded for UK processing...whatever that means!

Are you guys going to check them over before signing for them?

willy b

Where abouts in the country are you Dan? Im Assuming they flew into near London somewhere?

daniel_b

JoeyHalloran wrote:

Mine say forwarded for UK processing...whatever that means!

Are you guys going to check them over before signing for them?

yep got that for 13:24.

we are meant to, in the e-mail I received from Carbon Zone it says:

One more important thing:before you endorse the parcel,please do open the package,and check whether the items are dameged during the shipping process.If so,please do refuse to sign for the parcel,the courier wil send back the package to our company.
Otherwise,if you sign for the parcel,then find the items damaged,we are not responsible for that.

Depending on how long they take to come, I very much doubt I will be at home to accept delivery, so will need to go and collect them from my local PO or parcelforce depot - which i guess means I need to open up there and then in the post office, and check them.

Too risky otherwise, as if there are any breakages, I'll be stuffed.

be nice if they arrived on Friday (As I am off work), but if they are already in process, looking like Tuesday or Wednesday, which would tie in from another posters decleration that he received his 6 days after payment.

Does anyone know if you can contact Parcelforce (I assume that is who it will be delviered by) to delay delivery?

willy b wrote:

Where abouts in the country are you Dan? Im Assuming they flew into near London somewhere?

Hi Willy,

I'm in Newbury - mine went to Coventry.

Oh and thankyou to GMB/Willy for the BBB valve extension suggestion, just ordered myself a pair from Wiggle also

joeyhalloran

im in Cambridge and mine also went to Coventry.

Mine still says it is being processed at 13:23...thats interesting. I am hoping I get mine tomorrow as I am away wed-frid. Mine are tubs so need to prep them before riding and would be good if I could do as much of this as possible before leaving on Wednesday.

I reckon the postman might get pretty pissed if I spent 1/2 an hour admiring my new wheels while he stands around for my signature but as you say, worth slightly annoying a postman to make sure there are no problems with the wheels.

willy b

Well i'm in London. It's goingto e race, who'll get theirs first!

Mine are also getting delivered to work! Which is good as i'll be able to look at them all day, might even sneak off at luch and offer them upto the bike.

However downside of this, is that unless the people answering the door downstairs tell me the likelihood is that they'll just sign for the wheels. i'm going to tell them tonight to call me though so I can inspect

daniel_b

I'm quite tempted by these brake pads: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=33388



Not cheap by any means, but should be good you would hope........?
Not 100% sure if they are compatible with 105 brakes though.

Oh yeh, to be completely superficial, is anyone going to be putting any wheel decals on their shiny new rims?

I'm talking about something like this:


But probably without the 'bicycles' bit.

willy b

Think on your Felt rim stickers would look sweet!

However on my Giant, possible not that good, think i'm going to leave mine subtle. I also expect putting stickers on rims would be a right pain!

philhul

I was out when both my frame and wheels were delivered so they were returned to Parcelforce depot. When I got there I asked to open to inspect before signing and they wouldn't let me. If fact, they wouldn't hand the parcel over the counter until I had signed. Don't know if that is Parcelforce rules or just the Gateshead depot!

joeyhalloran

I have noticed they have a sign saying you are not allowed to open royal mail parcels in the depot!!!

willy b

"00:42 - London Central Depot - Loaded to vehicle for delivery"



Edit:

joeyhalloran

Mine have arrived! couldn't check them over as the postman left them at a place down the road, but when I pulled them out of the well package box I would have signed for them anyway so no loss. first impressions are good, true out the box and very nice looking! (I would upload a photo from my phone but I don't know how!). Since they are tubulars it is going to be a couple of days before I can ride them but I really can't wait!

daniel_b

Nice looking wheels Willy 8) - mine are still out for delivery, but of course they will fail as I opted for my home address, so hopefully will have a card through the door when i get home.

What is the writing/sticker on the rear wheel, at about 10 o'clock as it were.
is it a removable sticker, or do you need to leave it on?

Looks like I may just have to hope the box has protected the contents and sign for it anyway.

Oh, and did you all get two pairs of carbon brake pads...?

willy b

All very well packaged! Parcelforce bloke was quite interested in them lol.

Came with skewers and pads. Funny that my cassette tool hasn't turned up!

Think the sticker is just a warning sticker....

daniel_b

Oh bugger, mine say delivered! Must have left them with a neighbour

joeyhalloran

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60875428@N ... /lightbox/

daniel_b

JoeyHalloran wrote:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60875428@N05/6001134371/lightbox/

Gorgeous.

38/60 or 38/88 is that?

Wondering if I should have gone with s smaller front than rear now :?

EDIT: I see they are 88/56 - looks stunning.

joeyhalloran

i have to say preliminary reports of braking are good! Just went for a little cruise around the block, got them up to some speed which was fun and they performed how I expected (although that could be a mixture of excitement and the short ride) but the braking really impressed me. Brake at least as well as the reynolds I have ridden and they made a big thing of a special layer of something to improve braking. Ok, not as well as an alu rim, but well enough for most.

When I get the tyres glued on (rather than just stock on with loads of pressure) I will go for a proper ride, can't wait now :-D

daniel_b

Right chaps, need a bit of assistance please,

Got home to find they had been delivered two doors up - went to pick them up, and find a pretty mangled box, damaged enough that it would not stand up on it's own, and one part of the wheel, the hub basically (of which wheel I can not remember), had actually pushed a hole through the outside of the box
I think the one that has pushed a hole through is the rear wheel, and the 'large' whole is caused by the freewheel.

The other wheel has also been mashed in a similar fashion, but the hub of that wheel has merely pushed the box out in that area, and has not quite broken through.

Brought them home, and opened them with much trepidation, and on the face of it they seem to be ok, I have gone round and examined the surface all the way around and can see no obvious cracks, and a visual inspection seems to suggest they are still true.

One overly stupid question I hope, do all of your wheels have a few spokes where the round bit before it enters the spoke is bent slightly at a few degrees form the main flat part of the spoke?

I really hope that is the case, as otherwise these are fubarred :evil:

What would you do, would you still trust in these wheels if they appear to be true, or would you be lookig for an exchange?
I have e-mailed carbonzone to see what the score is should that be the route I want to go. I appreciate the wording of their e-mail, ie if you do not check it, it is your responsibility, but in this case, and with most people on here, that option was not available.

One good thing, I hope, is that if I place the wheels on a flat worktop, they will balance on the hub, so that at least suggestes to me that the weight distribution is still even.

I guess the only way I can know for sure is once I get them on the bike and spin them around and see if they do not spin true, I'll be gutted if they do not.

I really hope the damage to the box, assuming the wheels are still true, does not come back to cause issues down the line.

Has taken the shine off them arriving I must say - so a thankyou to whoever took sod all care with the box, hopefully something they order will get similar handling one day.
Clearly the 'Fragile' notices all over the box may as well say 'kick the crap out of me'

I weighed these without any skewers - front is 790, rear is 990,

Oh and finally, what width of rim tape did you use - the one thing I forgot to order.

Is there anything else I can try to do to ensure they are still properly intact, tap the spokes, see if any of them are loose...?

I'll wait to see what you all come back with,

Thanks

Dan (Apprehensive)

philhul

have you considered veloplugs? I couldn't get a tyre on mine with rim tape but could with the veloplugs, and they are lighter than tape. Planet x sell them.

Only problem was since the spoke holes aren't in the middle of the rim I had to use little scissors to trim part of every plug so they would fit. Took ages but worth it in the end.