Carbon wheels, worth the buying....

RandG
RandG Posts: 779
edited February 2013 in Road beginners
As a relative newbie just wondering if buying carbon wheels are worth the buying ?

Hoping to do a few sportives through the year, none of that racing nonsense, but by all accounts the wheels on my steed are fairly heavy, so cheap carbons, worth the punt ??

Comments

  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    This has been covered to death. Search is your friend.

    But to save you the bother NO.

    Have you had any issues with the current ones? Do you notice they are heavy?

    They do look nice though, so if that is what you want then spend away.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • RandG
    RandG Posts: 779
    Oh I know it's been covered to death, but if you think I'm gonna hit the search button and then get a million topics with ten million replies and read thru it all, think again my furry friend.

    As for feeling them being heavy, of course I haven't felt them being heavy, but if every review on my bike says they are heavy, then I'm gonna guess that they are heavy, and carbon ones are gonna be lighter.
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    RandG wrote:
    Oh I know it's been covered to death, but if you think I'm gonna hit the search button and then get a million topics with ten million replies and read thru it all, think again my furry friend.

    As for feeling them being heavy, of course I haven't felt them being heavy, but if every review on my bike says they are heavy, then I'm gonna guess that they are heavy, and carbon ones are gonna be lighter.

    Well I am sure the manufacturers will sleep easy tonight knowing that there advertising and marketing have not been in vain. :D

    My point was that if you have not noticed any problem then do you really need to worry about it? If you are enjoying your riding and the bike then what does it matter what reviews say?

    Anyway I am sure your new Carbon wheels wool look ace.
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • RandG
    RandG Posts: 779
    smidsy wrote:

    Anyway I am sure your new Carbon wheels wool look ace.

    :lol:


    Och I need someone to tell me.....don't be so bloody stupid, not encourage me
  • ShutUpLegs
    ShutUpLegs Posts: 3,522
    Go for ones with big logos, makes a massive difference in the cafe stops
  • smidsy
    smidsy Posts: 5,273
    RandG wrote:
    I need someone to tell me.....don't be so bloody stupid, not encourage me

    I have TWICE, you just refuse to see it :?

    But do not worry, you are not alone. Most people end up with Mavic Cosmic Carbones :roll:
    Yellow is the new Black.
  • team47b
    team47b Posts: 6,425
    due to the existential nature of shopping is anything really worth buying? ultimately pointless, futility in the extreme...

    ...unless they have really nice type on them, typography rules! :D


    (I'd buy them first, then ask for opinions)
    my isetta is a 300cc bike
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If you're not racing, then carbon wheels put you firmly in the poseur camp ;-)
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • elderone
    elderone Posts: 1,410
    Personally I,d love some 50mm carbon rims for my defy as I think they look cool.They would be lighter than the pr2 wheels on the bike,but that wouldn,t matter to me.The look is enough to want them.Now actually having the spare cash is only draw back.
    Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori
  • Gizmodo
    Gizmodo Posts: 1,928
    RandG wrote:
    As a relative newbie just wondering if buying carbon wheels are worth the buying ?

    Hoping to do a few sportives through the year, none of that racing nonsense, but by all accounts the wheels on my steed are fairly heavy, so cheap carbons, worth the punt ??
    Last year I fitted new wheels to my bike. My brother bought a brand new Pinarello. On descents he would have to pedal to keep up with me coasting. He then bought new wheels and now he can keep up with me! I can pretty much guarantee that a wheel upgrade to stock wheels will make a big difference.

    But I wouldn't bother with carbon and only do it if you have a disposable income. First upgrades should be the contact points: Tires first, clipless pedals and decent shoes, then wheels.

    Hand built wheels are your best bet. Send a Private Message to Pablo aka ugo.santalucia on this forum, he has built wheels for 2 friends of mine and they are very happy. Or http://www.wheelsmith.co.uk/
  • Hey RandG - how's the training going?

    I think you'll be better off investing in a lighter set of wheels rather than deep section. For the roads you ride round here (he's from the hood ;-)) you should be looking at rims that will help you on the climbs. You should look at the Race 23's from http://www.wheelsmith.co.uk (Stirling based) These'll knock a fair weight off the ones that came with your bike.
  • RandG
    RandG Posts: 779
    Hey RandG - how's the training going?

    .


    :lol: I'll crack the jokes if you don't mind. Thought about taking the road bike out today tbh, then didn't :lol:

    I have however, been out every tues/thurs night on the mtb so at least I've been doing something. Will be interesting to see if the winter mtb'ing makes any difference to my fat arse on the road bike....we'll see soon enough. May do the short reliability trial next week, but only if it's nice and dry.
  • RandG wrote:
    Hey RandG - how's the training going?

    .


    :lol: I'll crack the jokes if you don't mind. Thought about taking the road bike out today tbh, then didn't :lol:

    I have however, been out every tues/thurs night on the mtb so at least I've been doing something. Will be interesting to see if the winter mtb'ing makes any difference to my fat ars* on the road bike....we'll see soon enough. May do the short reliability trial next week, but only if it's nice and dry.

    Hehe, of course it will.

    Deffo get in touch with Derek at wheelsmith, or even better, head over to Glasgow for the Scottish Bike Show at the start of April and meet the man himself. All the wheels he makes will be on show and he's a great guy to chat to.
  • Don't worry too much about the 'those are heavy!' reviews; the stupid obsession with weight in cycling is just that, though you can admittedly do worse than in the wheel department. In this case, carbon wheels might be lighter, but if you go for very deep section rims then the difference may not be very big; depending on how deep your pockets are!

    Unless you are racing, however, I can think of far, far better uses for the money. Quality hubs and lightweight rims can easily make a very light wheelset; provided that you yourself aren't heavy!
  • RandG
    RandG Posts: 779
    provided that you yourself aren't heavy!

    Hmm...Houston, we have a problem :lol: