Trying to upgrade...

sith64

...my wheelset.

So I've been looking for a new wheelset for a while now, as an upgrade to my stock DT Swiss P1800 spline (about 1670 gm.) ones I've actually had nothing to complain about so far. I'm now just trying to get the overall weight of my bike down and get some aero gains while I'm at it.

After doing a lot of online research and going through all of the wheel manufacturing brands I know, I've started to look into imported (that is, Chinese) carbon clinchers.

I've come across a wheelset of 'Farsports' and one of 'LightBicycle'. From both companies I haven't heard all too bad experiences about their wheelsets.

Farsport 38mm:
https://www.wheelsfar.com/38mm-x-23mm-c ... x-ray.html (link is external)

LightBicycle 45mm:
https://www.lightbicycle.com/U-shape-45 ... tible.html (link is external)

For this wheelset I chose a Novatec hub, Sapim spokes and a Shimano freehub body.

Does anyone have any experience with carbon wheels from above manufacturers? Any experience on the Novatec hubs that are used with the FarSports wheelset?

Should I take the gamble and go for it? Any other suggestions? I ride non-disc, would prefer a clincher tyre and the region where I live has an abundancy of potholes and relatively small hills (say 0,5 - 1km climbs up to 10%) that I like to tackle.

lemonenema

the novatec hubs are good, ive got some on a wheelset now, no problems and spin nicely
Sapim spokes, all good
Carbon rim, Ive got a 50mm one on my rear wheel, but with an alloy brake surface, ok it adds a fair bit of weight but I get reliable braking.

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with either wheelset, my choice would be the wider rim. What I would suggest to you is to read up on carbon clincher rim braking and if youre ok with that then go for it.
Dont let anybody tell you 'I wouldnt trust cheap chinese carbon etc' they wont have had any experience of using them nor know anyone who has had a fatal accident with them, theyre just being negative.

Also worth reading up on weight vs aero for wheels
What ive understood of it is that aero is always better so weight is not as important. Regarding aero wheels, the depth is not as important as the profile, so a wider rim allowing the tyre to be straight sided rather than bulb shaped, and a depth of 30-40mm for the front is ideal. the rear is less important in general riding but does play a factor in side winds. Spoke shape and count plays a smaller role than manufacturers will lead you to believe.

lemonenema

I see youve got a fair few replies on road.cc also, hopefully both forums will help you decide.

mrb123

Personally I'd slightly favour the Bitex hubs over the Novatec but others may disagree. They're probably much of a muchness.

The Light Bicycle rims with the grooved graphene brake tracks look interesting but they work out a fair bit more expensive than the Farsports ones by the time you factor in delivery.

k3vinjam3s

Gonna hijack this thread a bit as im in same boat as OP although im a heavy rider at 90-95kg. Ive been looking at all the suggestions both here and on road.cc. the options seem to be something built to spec in china although as im heavy im unsure on these regarding warranty etc. The other option is something in uk for peace of mind regarding warranty. So far im leaning towards a uk seller listed on road.cc called moriarty wheels which are rebranded china rims but at a fair price. Problem is i cant compare these to similar rims on light-bicycle or farsports as i dont know what im looking for. These are the uk wheels so would like some more educated folk having a look at these and telling me if they are any good.

https://www.moriartybikes.com/m-series

Many thanks

sith64

Thanks all for the replies, I haven't really gotten the time to reply yet.

I'm feeling to just go for the LightBicycle rims, customized with a DT swiss 350 hub instead of a Novatec though, in the hopes of it lasting longer and outliving the rims so I can have them replaced. I particularely feel more attracted to LightBicycle because I asked them a question about warranty and refund, which, they seem to have a nice crash replacement service and a full refund if you don't like the product. I didn't get that answer from Farsports.

lemonenema

Personally Im going to hold off on getting a nice carbon wheelset until I get a bike with disc brakes, that way I can spend more on them as the rims wont wear down and aside from accidental damage then they should last a lifetime.
Im not sold on carbon rim brake clincher rims personally

sith64

lemonenema wrote:

Personally Im going to hold off on getting a nice carbon wheelset until I get a bike with disc brakes, that way I can spend more on them as the rims wont wear down and aside from accidental damage then they should last a lifetime.
Im not sold on carbon rim brake clincher rims personally

I definitely understand that. The reason I'm okay with carbon clinchers with rim brakes that I'll eventually have to replace, is the idea that I only recently (1,5 years ago) bought my new bike. I'm planning on using it for as long as it lets me and since it has no disc brake compatibility I'll just have to go with rim brakes.

lakesluddite

k3vinjam3s wrote:

Gonna hijack this thread a bit as im in same boat as OP although im a heavy rider at 90-95kg. Ive been looking at all the suggestions both here and on road.cc. the options seem to be something built to spec in china although as im heavy im unsure on these regarding warranty etc. The other option is something in uk for peace of mind regarding warranty. So far im leaning towards a uk seller listed on road.cc called moriarty wheels which are rebranded china rims but at a fair price. Problem is i cant compare these to similar rims on light-bicycle or farsports as i dont know what im looking for. These are the uk wheels so would like some more educated folk having a look at these and telling me if they are any good.

https://www.moriartybikes.com/m-series

Many thanks

I would have agreed with you about a wheel seller being in the UK for piece of mind, but one just has to look at the fortunes of people who have ordered wheels from UK based Zuus. You then realise it's not always best to 'buy British'. This isn't to say this Moriarty brand is the same, but they do just look like generic carbon with decals stuck on. Not that this is bad per se, and the prices look great value.

Personally, I would recommend the Prime brand from Wiggle/CRC (I can't see them going bust any time soon).

cycleclinic

Had a look at the moriarty link. the hubs are definatley bitex and the price of c/ £400 for a wheelset is quite low.

The delivery time of 4 weeks probably means the wheels are build somehwere in china. There is no mention the wheels are built inhouse. It is possible to buy wheelsets for $300 and then they could be sold for £400 per pair. They would be ordered in from china as there is no stock in the u.k (hense 4 weeks). The wheels would be a off the shelf offering too. I know this as I am offered stuff like this on a daily basis.

they are cheap though. Cant comment on the QC of the rim or the build itself.