The alps best wheels?
markyone
Posts: 1,126
I am off to the French alps sunday for a week and wondering what wheelset to use.
My choice is campagnolo bora ultra 50 tubular which are very light but not sure about the braking and over heating when decending,although the new brake track is very good.
My next choice is campagnolo shamal mille with outstanding braking but don't ride as nice as the bora.
Any input would be great thanks
My choice is campagnolo bora ultra 50 tubular which are very light but not sure about the braking and over heating when decending,although the new brake track is very good.
My next choice is campagnolo shamal mille with outstanding braking but don't ride as nice as the bora.
Any input would be great thanks
Colnago c60 Eps super record 11
Pinarello F8 with sram etap
Pinarello F8 with sram etap
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I am off to the French alps sunday for a week and wondering what wheelset to use.
My choice is campagnolo bora ultra 50 tubular which are very light but not sure about the braking and over heating when decending,although the new brake track is very good.
My next choice is campagnolo shamal mille with outstanding braking but don't ride as nice as the bora.
Any input would be great thanks
Can you take them both?
Ride the Boras when it's dry, and the Shamals if it's wet.
I ride Lightweight Meilensteins in the Alps, but if it's wet I'll grab any old alloy clincher from the van!0 -
Yes I can take both
That's what I will do.Colnago c60 Eps super record 11
Pinarello F8 with sram etap0 -
i'd say alu clinchers with low profile and lightweight but then i happen to have just such wheels.Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
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I am off to the French alps sunday for a week and wondering what wheelset to use.
My choice is campagnolo bora ultra 50 tubular which are very light but not sure about the braking and over heating when decending,although the new brake track is very good.
My next choice is campagnolo shamal mille with outstanding braking but don't ride as nice as the bora.
Any input would be great thanks
Can you take them both?
Ride the Boras when it's dry, and the Shamals if it's wet.
I ride Lightweight Meilensteins in the Alps, but if it's wet I'll grab any old alloy clincher from the van!
What he said ^ the boras will be fine in the dry but you'd much rather have a alloy track in wetOne plays football, tennis or golf, one does not play at cycling0 -
I ride Lightweight Meilensteins in the Alps, but if it's wet I'll grab any old alloy clincher from the van!
Class!0 -
Agree with what everyone has said, less worried about carbon over heating and more worried about wet weather performance. And in the mountains sunny start in the valley can quickly turn into wet at the top.
Personally I leave the carbon stuff at home and tend to take my c24's to the proper mountains. if I had the luxury of taking multiple wheel sets I think I'd still ride the c24's in case the weather changes, but the carbon wheels sitting there staring at me would probably change my mind...
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I'm off to the Alps next week and have a similar dilemma - Zipp 303 or Dura Ace C24 clinchers. I can only take one pair so have to make a decision.
Even though the Zipps are my preferred wheels and I ride them most of the time, taking my C24's seems like a more sensible and safer option.0 -
Descending the Alpe d'Huez on Tour de France day, I was on the brakes a lot as the road was packed.
It was pretty hot too, high 20's.
My front tub (a Veloflex Carbon) overheated and kind of 'bulged' off the rim. Nothing dangerous, I just noticed a 'bump' in the tyre once I got down onto the flat.
I had to bin the tyre, shame as it was quite new.0 -
And it's the time of the year when the weather gets rather more unpredictable. I'd go for the choice of equipment that's going to keep me alive. I've been near friends when they've had blow outs on Alpine descents (both using lightweight inner tubes), and I've been reinforced in my view that safety comes before some marginal gain. When I'm doing 45mph coming towards a hairpin, I want confidence in what's between my legs, as it were.Agree with what everyone has said, less worried about carbon over heating and more worried about wet weather performance. And in the mountains sunny start in the valley can quickly turn into wet at the top.0 -
... I want confidence in what's between my legs, as it were.
That might require a different approachleft the forum March 20230 -
Alloy wheelsets every time. Leave the carbon stuff for the flatlands.0
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You also have to remember that if you ouncture a clincher you can just change the innertube. If you puncture a tub then you really ought to glue a new tub on...which means no ride that day or the day after...unless you tape your tubs.
Clinchers for unpredictability and riding away from home is my feeling. I use my Zipp tubs most of the summer, but always put my C24 clinchers on for when I go travelling.Brim Cycling Channel - My YouTube Channel
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clinchers for predictability?
well if you are descending and your front clincher flats and comes off the rim and/or starts slipping round you can predict a really nasty experience, whereas a tub is much more likely to stay in place and leave you with more control and braking
having had front flats on both, i'm much happier on tubs, especially on descents
a small puncture can be repaired fast with tufo extreme, easier/faster than swapping/repairing an inner, but yes, a big one means fitting the spare and then glue a new one on back at base
currently on three weeks hols, with tubsmy bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
Strangely enough, of all the people I have ridden with here in CH, only one used tubs and he was the one who has had a puncture and had to abandon a ride. everybody else uses clinchers without any trouble.
But what do we know? we only ride mountains every weekend
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Just spent the last week doing the Haute Route in the Alps. There were a high percentage of riders who's carbon rims either overheated or simply weren't solid enough for the pounding the wheels were taking. Mavic were inundated daily, providing spare wheels to lriders who's wheels had buckled or had broken spokes, or simply delaminated.
First and foremost, take something solid and robust, unless you have Mavic or a support car on hand to help you out.
http://t.co/9v8J7Z7gji0 -
Just spent the last week doing the Haute Route in the Alps. There were a high percentage of riders who's carbon rims either overheated or simply weren't solid enough for the pounding the wheels were taking. Mavic were inundated daily, providing spare wheels to lriders who's wheels had buckled or had broken spokes, or simply delaminated.
First and foremost, take something solid and robust, unless you have Mavic or a support car on hand to help you out.
http://t.co/9v8J7Z7gji
Or ride with a quality tour company (I can think of one!) that has spare wheels in the van!0 -
clinchers for predictability?
I meant "unpredictability" more in terms of weather and riding conditions. Although I haven't had a problem braking in the wet on my carbon tubulars (even an emergency brake at 40 km/h on a roundabout when a car pulled out in front of me), I still feel an aluminium braking surface is preferable on wet descents. And a week in most mountainous areas does tend to mean unpredictable weather conditions.Brim Cycling Channel - My YouTube Channel
My Strava Profile -|- My Instagram
ActiveBeans - A Veggie Lifestyle Blog0 -
Strangely enough, of all the people I have ridden with here in CH, only one used tubs and he was the one who has had a puncture and had to abandon a ride. everybody else uses clinchers without any trouble.
But what do we know? we only ride mountains every weekend
I don't think I've ever seen any riders local to me on carbon wheels, let alone tubs, at least not outside of racing.BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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Strangely enough, of all the people I have ridden with here in CH, only one used tubs and he was the one who has had a puncture and had to abandon a ride. everybody else uses clinchers without any trouble.
But what do we know? we only ride mountains every weekend
I don't think I've ever seen any riders local to me on carbon wheels, let alone tubs, at least not outside of racing.
Curious to know how you can tell they're on tubs or not, unless you're having a close look?0 -
Descending the Alpe d'Huez on Tour de France day, I was on the brakes a lot as the road was packed.
It was pretty hot too, high 20's.
My front tub (a Veloflex Carbon) overheated and kind of 'bulged' off the rim. Nothing dangerous, I just noticed a 'bump' in the tyre once I got down onto the flat.
I had to bin the tyre, shame as it was quite new.
thats incredible, you d think that as there is no direct contact with the inner and a base tape/carcas any heat build up wouldnt effect the tub? though i use conti competitions, a less fragile tub imo.
As for wet weather braking, i d say my last carbon tubs c/w Reynolds blue pads, were better in the wet than alloy rimmed clinchers.
to the OP, you take what your happiest with, its you riding not us bunch of no it alls 0 -
Another one recommending alloy rims for the mountains. I've used 50mm carbon tubs in the Alps, and have had problems with the tubulars rolling slightly on the rims. It's happened when I've used both Tufo and Jantex tape. I was probably dragging the brakes to build the heat up, but I've lost confidence in them where there are big descents now. Great for the flat and going up hill, just not down with my braking technique, or lack there of. I also had a nasty experience when descending at speed and a gust of wind hit the front wheel just as I was about to brake for a corner, knocking me off line and nearly over the edge. Another reason I've lost confidence in the deep section carbon rims in the mountains.
I've never had any problems with tubulars on alloy rims, but they've been glued on, and I guess the heat dissipates better. For most of my riding I use alloy rims with tubeless tyres, and again never had a problem. Descending the Stelvio recently, I stopped to take some photos and the rims were too hot to touch, but no problem for the tubeless Schwalbe Ones.
Also worth remembering that there are no flints out here, in the Jura or Alps, and with the roads generally being in a better condition than in the UK I get far fewer punctures than I do when I ride over there. In fact I've never had a flat when using tubs, tempting fate, but they wear out first.0 -
Indeed, punctures are a rare thing over here.
A group of us descended Weissenstein Süd yesterday, which is as good a braking test as you could wish for. All on alloy clinchers, no drama. Alloys all the way in the mountains.0 -
Curious to know how you can tell they're on tubs or not, unless you're having a close look?
Nearly everyone seems to ride the ubiquitous Ksyrium and Aksium wheels around here. I'm not sure there is a tubular version of either.
I wondered what local climber David Polveroni uses, Schwalbe tubeless on Ryde Pulse Sprint rims. Nice wheels.BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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Curious to know how you can tell they're on tubs or not, unless you're having a close look?
Nearly everyone seems to ride the ubiquitous Ksyrium and Aksium wheels around here. I'm not sure there is a tubular version of either.
I wondered what local climber David Polveroni uses, Schwalbe tubeless on Ryde Pulse Sprint rims. Nice wheels.
Well I see you're in the Alps, and Mavic's based in Annecy, so maybe they're getting good deals!0 -
A group of us descended Weissenstein Süd yesterday, which is as good a braking test as you could wish for. All on alloy clinchers, no drama. Alloys all the way in the mountains.
I've only descended that one once, in the wet, my hands and forearms were cramping up from pulling the brakes for so long. 5km at about -12%? I'd consider disk brakes if I rode that one regularly. Much more fun going up
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I have only done Weissenstein nord and that is tough enough!
Mind you, me and a few others are talking about doing the 'ring of fire' loop: Solothurn-Weissenstein-Gänsbrunnen- Welschenrohr-Balmberg-Solothurn. we'll be removing our saddles to save weight because we won't need them.
Have you done the Balmberg pass? it is even steeper than Weissenstein, an absolute horror show.0 -
I haven't ridden the Balmberg, yet. A couple of weeks ago I went over the Schwengimatt from Laupersdorf. I got lost and ended up at a mothballed army base at Hellchöpfli with a big gate across the road, 8.4km at 8%, more than 100 extra meters on the Weissenstein. Back on topic, I was glad I was running light alloy rims with tubeless tyres.0
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Curious to know how you can tell they're on tubs or not, unless you're having a close look?
Nearly everyone seems to ride the ubiquitous Ksyrium and Aksium wheels around here. I'm not sure there is a tubular version of either.
I wondered what local climber David Polveroni uses, Schwalbe tubeless on Ryde Pulse Sprint rims. Nice wheels.
I did the alps this year on just those tyres and rims - good combination and lots of grip. Totally confident coming down in the wet too. The rims are nice and stiff for climbing but very light.0 -
You can over-think this stuff. I'd avoid carbon clinchers. Otherwise anything will do.
Ideal of course is tubulars, rims irrelevant. But that's true from a riding pov for all applications.
Paul0
