Will my carbon wheels make it when climbing and DESCENDING?

dileno

I'm off to the Norway mountains in 3 weeks time to do 940 km in a 7 day stage race called Viking Tour.

I've got a very nice set of carbon wheels with a 38mm profile. No alu brake surface, just carbon, with of course carbon specific brake pads.

Here's the thing - going uphill with these will be no problem, they're great, light clinchers weighting in at 1360 grams for the pair. However, going downhill, I start to worry. Particularly if it's wet. Carbon wheels doesn't brake as well as alu surfaces wheels.

But will my carbon wheels make it? We will for instance descend 1500 height metres in 17-18 km. That might inflict a lot of wear on the brake pads? Will it be safe?

Cheers

Yossie

If its dry I'd say it will be safe as houses. In the wet though .... gulp.

StageWinner

I'm guessing the Pros don't switch to Alu rims on rainy race days, so you should be fine in the wet. Just give yourself extra time/space to brake!

colsoop

I don't think you will have problems but take spare pads and avoid long periods on the brake levers.

Check them at the end of each days riding too.

Monty Dog

StageWinner wrote:

I'm guessing the Pros don't switch to Alu rims on rainy race days, so you should be fine in the wet. Just give yourself extra time/space to brake!

Bollox! - clearly you've never raced in the very wet or been paying close attention to pro races in the rain because you'll find the vast majority switch to aluminium rims in the pouring rain. I've raced in the pouring rain with carbon wheels and even on moderate descents, handling can be 'interesting'.

The OP doesn't state whether his rims are tubulars or clinchers either which can be a big factor. Some makes of carbon clincher are notorious for inner tube failure due to their ability to deal with heat build-up and whatever you do, don't use latex tubes with carbon clinchers. With tubulars, they probably offer improved safety, but obviously changing a punctured tub in the pouring rain is not to be relished if faced with a 10km descent in the wet with a barely tacky tub!

Given that it's Norway, there's a high probability of wet conditions and with very long and technical descents, I'd stick with aluminium rims purely from a safety aspect.

rolf_f

He does say they are clinchers.

I'd have thought that the potential for high winds might be a factor worth considering too - ie low profile better.

dileno

Thanks for all the answers, peeps!

I'm going for a ProLite Bracciano with CX-Ray spokes, 1420 gm with good breaking :-) A friend of mine is coming to the rescue.

Cheers!

Yossie

Monty Dog wrote:

StageWinner wrote:

I'm guessing the Pros don't switch to Alu rims on rainy race days, so you should be fine in the wet. Just give yourself extra time/space to brake!

Bollox! - clearly you've never raced in the very wet or been paying close attention to pro races in the rain because you'll find the vast majority switch to aluminium rims in the pouring rain. I've raced in the pouring rain with carbon wheels and even on moderate descents, handling can be 'interesting'.

The OP doesn't state whether his rims are tubulars or clinchers either which can be a big factor. Some makes of carbon clincher are notorious for inner tube failure due to their ability to deal with heat build-up and whatever you do, don't use latex tubes with carbon clinchers. With tubulars, they probably offer improved safety, but obviously changing a punctured tub in the pouring rain is not to be relished if faced with a 10km descent in the wet with a barely tacky tub!

Given that it's Norway, there's a high probability of wet conditions and with very long and technical descents, I'd stick with aluminium rims purely from a safety aspect.

Exactly - beaten me to it. "Interesting" is the perfect term to use in this context.

Agree 110% - carbon rims are awful in the wet, even with Swissstop.

Any chance that you can take spare wheels and pads with you to enjoy carbon when you can and them switch over the night before a stage when you know its going to be wet? Or too much of a fag?

Don't worry about pad wear - stick a new set in before you go andthey will be fine.