Carbon Wheels- Why?

autobahn

Stupid question - I took part in a few Cat 4 races this year and am still very green & learning the ropes.
I noticed a lot of other riders had deep-set carbon wheels on their race bikes and I would of been in the minority with none. My wheels are I though good - Campag Eurus
Do these carbon wheels really give you an advanatge? What exactly do they do that ordinary wheels dont?. Ive noticed that they cost as nearly as much as good bike.
Do you not need to go over certain speeds for them really to work? Is it just about bling? Do they work on a hilly course?
Sorry for all the questions

markos1963

Unlikely to be of any advantage in a 4th cat race as you all end up riding together and any break never seems to last. Aero wheels only have an advantage in solo situations such as a long break or in a TT. Campag Eurus are more than good enough for road racing

SLX01

Strange then that the pro peloton all have deep carbon rims in races that rarely have solo break aways??

Monty Dog

Sponsorship - it's easier to get your brand noticed when it's writ large on the side of a pair of wheels - more tricky to notice when the rim is only 20mm high.
For the majority of riders using them, carbon wheels merely have a placebo effect, particularly judging the number of folks tooling-around sportives with carbon wheels going at 16mph in the vain hope that it will make them faster.
The other thing to bear in mind for Cat 4 racing is that carbon is not that resistant to impact damage. Eurus are good, reliable dependable wheels perfectly suited to club racing.

Peddle Up!

SLX01 wrote:

Strange then that the pro peloton all have deep carbon rims in races that rarely have solo break aways??

As they are all adrenaline junkies it must be for that "kick" when you get a good blast of side wind.

SLX01

Why do track sprinters use disc wheels and deep rims when most of the time they are going at walking pace and only sprint for the last 100m then?
To suggest top teams will have slower wheels with the associated handling problems just to have more advertising space is ridiculous.
Most riders cannot afford many sets of wheels for climbing sprinting etc so yes no doubt people on sportives do use deep carbon rims at 16mph.I have done sportives on my deep carbon rims at 18mph but I have also done races on them at higher speeds.

Kona21

They look good i think is your easy answer 8)

They may be more aero and stiffer but do they make use of these advantages racing at that level....

SLX01

Kona21 wrote:

They look good i think is your easy answer 8)

They may be more aero and stiffer but do they make use of these advantages racing at that level....

You could use the same logic for wearing lycra kit.

racingcondor

A decent set of light, stiff wheels will give you an advantage (even if it's 75% psychological) as they will feel like they corner on rails and accellerate easily. Most carbon wheels fall in that category (excluding the occasional 1800g+ set).

From my days as a Cat 4 I'd say that there are never more than 10-15 people capable of finishing in the top 5 and for them positioning is by far the most important factor.

A lot of the reason is that people want nice things and have the disposable income to buy them. I'm not complaining though, the more people buy things the more economies of scale make it cheaper.

Wrath Rob

SLX01 wrote:

Why do track sprinters use disc wheels and deep rims when most of the time they are going at walking pace and only sprint for the last 100m then?.

Because for that sprint, the most important thing is going faster than your oponent. At the speeds the track riders get up to, minimising the drag and maximising your speed is the most important thing. Plus they have no side winds to worry about so a full disk isn't a liability. Of course, track riders do other events like the team persuit, 1km TT and the like where you need to go as fast as you can for more than 100m, so being "aero" is even more important.

MattC59

I've got a set of Bontrager Aeolus 5.0 ACC wheels, admittedly I got them at a rediculous price, but the main reason that I have them is then look ans sound great
They also ride really nicely, but let's be honest.......... vanity is king !

SLX01

Wrath Rob wrote:

SLX01 wrote:

Why do track sprinters use disc wheels and deep rims when most of the time they are going at walking pace and only sprint for the last 100m then?.

Because for that sprint, the most important thing is going faster than your oponent. At the speeds the track riders get up to, minimising the drag and maximising your speed is the most important thing.

Good you agree they are faster then!

oldwelshman

SLX01 wrote:

Wrath Rob wrote:

SLX01 wrote:

Why do track sprinters use disc wheels and deep rims when most of the time they are going at walking pace and only sprint for the last 100m then?.

Because for that sprint, the most important thing is going faster than your oponent. At the speeds the track riders get up to, minimising the drag and maximising your speed is the most important thing.

Good you agree they are faster then!

They are not much use on a sportive and they do not offer any advantage in bunch racing as they are heavier on climbs and you get morebenefit from sheltering correctly.
On the track it is different story the speeds in a sprint are well over 40mph so the flywheel and aero effect come into play, You will not get this in bunch races unless in higher paced races.
If you look at track bunch racing not all riders use carbon frames and deep section or disc wheels,but for sprint, pursuit and TT events they will nearly all use disc or deep section.
Personally I think in UK the roads are so crap the deep section are too stiff and uncomfy and the braking is absolutely crap on them so you end up using a lot of brake pads if bunch racing, especially if it rains.

whyamihere

SLX01 wrote:

Strange then that the pro peloton all have deep carbon rims in races that rarely have solo break aways??

Most pro races have a break away at some point in the stage/race. It may not be a solo break, but if you're with 4 other riders, you're (theoretically) riding at the front 20% of the time, with your aero wheels having an advantage. As a result, a pro going out without them is as good as saying "I'm just going to sit in the bunch today lads, if you want to attack I'm not going to follow". It's bad psychologically.

In a 4th cat race, every break is chased down. The pro peloton will generally let breaks go, generally planning to catch them back in the last 40-50km. There is a LOT more scope for pro riders to be riding on the front of the pack and getting advantage from their funny wheels than 4th cats.

There is also the issue that the pros are, again theoretically, at the peak of their physical fitness, and can take full advantage of extra tech. A 4th cat would probably be better off spending the money on a coach, or a nutritionist, or just saving it and training a bit harder, while working on their race craft.

markos1963

SLX01 wrote:

Strange then that the pro peloton all have deep carbon rims in races that rarely have solo break aways??

If you look at this years TDF nearly every stage(apart from TTs obviously) had a break of over 100km