Braking on carbon rims. Advice please!

BikerGroveish

Brakeless wrote:

BikerGroveish wrote:

Mercia Man wrote:

The last time I was at the top of Ventoux- a year ago - I walked around the bikes to see what wheels people were using. There were hundreds of bikes. I only spotted one carbon wheel. I think that says something.

That’s generally been my experience as well.

Strava shows your biggest climb as 879ft. Did you drive up there?

I never take my phone / Garmin abroad, never have never will.

imposter2.0

BikerGroveish wrote:

Brakeless wrote:

BikerGroveish wrote:

Mercia Man wrote:

The last time I was at the top of Ventoux- a year ago - I walked around the bikes to see what wheels people were using. There were hundreds of bikes. I only spotted one carbon wheel. I think that says something.

That’s generally been my experience as well.

Strava shows your biggest climb as 879ft. Did you drive up there?

I never take my phone / Garmin abroad, never have never will.

Tell us why?

cougie

It's called GPS for a reason...

mike1-2

Brakeless wrote:

BikerGroveish wrote:

Mercia Man wrote:

The last time I was at the top of Ventoux- a year ago - I walked around the bikes to see what wheels people were using. There were hundreds of bikes. I only spotted one carbon wheel. I think that says something.

That’s generally been my experience as well.

Strava shows your biggest climb as 879ft. Did you drive up there?

Aside from laughing at people calling out liars, my contribution to this thread is this:

I learnt the hard way, used to drag my brakes a lot, Burst two tubes in one descent of a mountain on my first Pyrénées trip. Just got back last week, descended the Tourmalet with short sharp braking before each corner. Once you have confidence in yourself and your handling skills that you won’t lock up and disappear down the side of a ravine it’s like a revelation. Much better all round.

Matthewfalle

Imposter wrote:

BikerGroveish wrote:

Brakeless wrote:

BikerGroveish wrote:

Mercia Man wrote:

The last time I was at the top of Ventoux- a year ago - I walked around the bikes to see what wheels people were using. There were hundreds of bikes. I only spotted one carbon wheel. I think that says something.

That’s generally been my experience as well.

Strava shows your biggest climb as 879ft. Did you drive up there?

I never take my phone / Garmin abroad, never have never will.

Tell us why?

because his mum won't let him.

#cadenceking

paul2718

If a carbon rim overheated a tube and popped it, why would the same thing not be likely with an aluminium rim in similar conditions? Unless the carbon softened and deformed, in which case I would imagine the wheel is a write off because it won't return to form.

I would expect a carbon rim to get hotter on the surface when actually braking but cool faster, and conduct less heat to the interior. Perhaps I'm wrong. Fits with the 'finger on the brake track at the bottom of Alpe d'Huez test' though.

shimanobottombracket

I dont understand why people need to brake on the descents. I get a kick out of going like **** down them. Really getting every last mph I can. I work harder going down many hills than I do going up them in my pursuit of top speed. If the weather is windy, the road is windy or populated by animals like some are then what I said doesnt apply.

mike1-2

ShimanoBottomBracket wrote:

I dont understand why people need to brake on the descents. I get a kick out of going like **** down them. Really getting every last mph I can. I work harder going down many hills than I do going up them in my pursuit of top speed. If the weather is windy, the road is windy or populated by animals like some are then what I said doesnt apply.

No hairpins in your part of the world then?

shirley_basso

Basically I don’t have the balls or confidence. I’m getting better but still relatively slow.

I’ve only ever gone down Broomfield in Richmond park once or twice without braking - that’s how much of a wetter I am.

meanredspider

I know that carbon rims were banned from a US endurance race (CA I think but don’t recall) because of rim failures. I’ll see if I can find the reference.

For fun:

https://youtu.be/OlZvFPdLulI

ETA - reference to events banning carbon clinchers here in BRs own article about the test

https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/art ... est-51474/

I’m sure I’ve read about the clinchers being banned from Volagi too

Certainly heard tyres popping when I was doing AD6 - no idea what sort of rim brakes they were.

thegreatdivide

meanredspider wrote:

I know that carbon rims were banned from a US endurance race (CA I think but don’t recall) because of rim failures. I’ll see if I can find the reference.

It was one event in 2012 and the internet, as usual, went into overdrive with utter boll*cks for facts.

It's now 2018.

meanredspider

thegreatdivide wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I know that carbon rims were banned from a US endurance race (CA I think but don’t recall) because of rim failures. I’ll see if I can find the reference.

It was one event in 2012 and the internet, as usual, went into overdrive with utter boll*cks for facts.

It's now 2018.

You’re right about the dates but the facts were pretty accurate. I was in touch a lot with the founders of Volagi at the time (because it was soon after I’d bought mine) and they are keen endurance bike racers. I heard about it from those guys because they were planning to do a couple of events on their own carbon wheels but were stopped from doing so - despite Volagi bikes running on discs.

And not everyone is riding around on 2018 carbon rims

davebradswmb

Shirley Basso wrote:

"MF would suggest he go to some big hills and learn first"

What if these don't exist where you live and your first encounter is in the mountains?

Most people in the UK live within striking distance (i.e. less than a couple of hours drive) of some decent descents, it is surely worth taking a day out riding in some hills before potentially spoiling your cycling holiday that you've waited all year for.

I don't live quite that far from hills, but I will often drive an hour to the Peak District to get my climbing fix.

shirley_basso

davebradswmb wrote:

Shirley Basso wrote:

"MF would suggest he go to some big hills and learn first"

What if these don't exist where you live and your first encounter is in the mountains?

Most people in the UK live within striking distance (i.e. less than a couple of hours drive) of some decent descents, it is surely worth taking a day out riding in some hills before potentially spoiling your cycling holiday that you've waited all year for.

I don't live quite that far from hills, but I will often drive an hour to the Peak District to get my climbing fix.

Really? I can't think of anything worse than getting into the car for an hour just to ride my bike, although concede if it's part of a longer trip away.

I spend my time between Cambridge, London and the New Forest, about as flat as you can get and I wouldn't really say that Surrey Hills count as most of those descents are dead straight! First trip was to smaller Grecian hills last year and Pyrenees this year. Just took some Zondas. I'm sure in time I will take my Zipps, but I doubt it makes any meaningful difference. I definitely improved thanks to some great tips from a friend who is ridiculously quick downhill, but still plenty of room to get better, as I usually completely mess up one or two corners on the way down.