Carbon wheels

gregwari
gregwari Posts: 230
in Road buying advice
Does anyone own either of the below, looking for a user review as I'm looking at potentially buying a new set for my Domane. I'm an average speed rider, live in the Chilterns so mainly rolling bills with some flatter sections. Looking for something that will climb well and be fun on faster sections, plus I'd be lying if I said I wasn't being swayed by the looks....

Zipp 302 clinchers (1645g, 45mm rim depth)
Fulcrum Wind 40 clinchers (1555g, 40mm rim depth)
Any other recommendations gratefully received.. Budget is £900ish

Currently using Fulcrum racing zeros, fancy something different but will keep the racing zeros for wet winter riding.

Comments

  • shortfall
    shortfall Posts: 3,288
    Handbuilts from.either The Cycle Clinic or Spokesman wheels. Both well within your budget, fully rebuildable and will be easier to source spares for as and when the need arrives.
  • joe_totale-2
    joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    edited April 2020
    shortfall said:

    Handbuilts from.either The Cycle Clinic or Spokesman wheels. Both well within your budget, fully rebuildable and will be easier to source spares for as and when the need arrives.

    Yep, this. I'd also recommend Wheelsmith who made my carbon wheels which have been fantastic.
  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    I'd have a look at Prime Blackeditions, or for more cash Reynolds AR41s
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • jamieluton
    jamieluton Posts: 30
    I speak not from experience personally but I hear great things about hunt wheels from many folk ive talked to.
  • shortfall
    shortfall Posts: 3,288
    jamieluton said:

    I speak not from experience personally but I hear great things about hunt wheels from many folk ive talked to.

    Hmmm not so much. not that they're bad, but I think they use pretty average components and use a dollop of great marketing to hike the price. Some of the wheelbuilders mentioned build a better product for less money.
  • alwaystimetotorque
    alwaystimetotorque Posts: 226
    Some great deals on Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon currently. Only issue from my experience is any tyre other than Mavic or Hutchinson are an absolute pig to fit and seat. The new Mavic Yksion Pro USt tyres though are actually very good.

    Otherwise I'd also give David at DCR wheels a call
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    Roval CL50 are about 900/1000 now.
    Lifetime warranty, DT Swiss hubs and spokes.
    They weigh around 1400g too.
  • kevin_stephens
    kevin_stephens Posts: 184
    I would save a load of money on the bling factor and get a pair of Cero AR30 wheels, light, fast, look nice and an aluminium braking surface
    https://www.cycledivision.co.uk/wheels/cero-ar30-evo-wheelset-8858
    But if you really want carbon:
    https://www.cycledivision.co.uk/wheels/cero-rc50-carbon-clincher-wheelset-8907
    I want to climb hills so badly;
    and I climb hills so badly
  • yellowv2
    yellowv2 Posts: 282
    kevin_stephens said:

    I would save a load of money on the bling factor and get a pair of Cero AR30 wheels, light, fast, look nice and an aluminium braking surface
    https://www.cycledivision.co.uk/wheels/cero-ar30-evo-wheelset-8858
    But if you really want carbon:
    https://www.cycledivision.co.uk/wheels/cero-rc50-carbon-clincher-wheelset-8907

    Cheap hubs and not that stiff.
    I would go handbuilt, I have Borg 50mm from Malcolm at Cycleclinic which are superb, well within your budget.
  • joe_totale-2
    joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    Carbon wheels are more than just bling, a good set of carbon wheels which are at least 45mm deep are just faster.
    Likewise in my experience modern carbon rim brake wheels brake as well as alloy wheels aside from when it's pouring down with rain when you'd probably not be taking out the nice bike with the fancy wheels anyway.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    Spokesman are very good, but for the money, the Prime Black Edition are easily up there. I run the Mavic Cosmic Carbone pro carbon (40mm profile) and rate them, but the Prime Black Edition (60mm & 85mm) I have on the TT bike are just as good and a lot cheaper. Both sets run as tubeless.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • rwoofer
    rwoofer Posts: 222
    dannbodge said:

    Roval CL50 are about 900/1000 now.
    Lifetime warranty, DT Swiss hubs and spokes.
    They weigh around 1400g too.

    Mine weigh just over 1500g which is what they are quoted as. CLX50s are at the 1400g mark. Where have you seen them at £900/1000?
  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,498
    I've got CL50 now with disc brakes and very happy with them so far.
    I can also recommend Reynolds - I had assaults on my previous bike with rim brakes and they were great.
  • Darius_Jedburgh
    Darius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    edited April 2020
    I seem to remember reading a note of caution about Roval wheels. it was something like they are not fully UST compatible, so if a tubeless tyre deflates it will not stay locked to the rim. Could be problematic.

    Has anyone else come across this, or am I mistaken and thinking of something else?
  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,498
    That has been my common experience and one of the reasons I went back to tubes. If a tubeless tyre deflated while on a ride, all of mine would pop off the rim and there was no way to reseat it with a hand pump.
  • Darius_Jedburgh
    Darius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    Thanks. The Rovals do look good, but as I run tubeless that is a feature that is not welcome.
    Back to the drawing board...or tubes.

    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    edited April 2020
    rwoofer said:

    dannbodge said:

    Roval CL50 are about 900/1000 now.
    Lifetime warranty, DT Swiss hubs and spokes.
    They weigh around 1400g too.

    Mine weigh just over 1500g which is what they are quoted as. CLX50s are at the 1400g mark. Where have you seen them at £900/1000?
    My CL50s weighed 1452g out of the box with rim tape on (Rim brake ones). Specialized's website says they weigh 1465g. The disc version is 1515g.

    They are £999 at Certini and £985 at Websters Cycles (I bought mine from Websters)
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    FrankYates said:

    Thanks. The Rovals do look good, but as I run tubeless that is a feature that is not welcome.
    Back to the drawing board...or tubes.

    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.

    I use the S-works turbo tubes and S-works Turbo tyres in 26mm.
  • Darius_Jedburgh
    Darius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    dannbodge said:

    FrankYates said:

    Thanks. The Rovals do look good, but as I run tubeless that is a feature that is not welcome.
    Back to the drawing board...or tubes.

    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.

    I use the S-works turbo tubes and S-works Turbo tyres in 26mm.
    Thank you.
  • joe_totale-2
    joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    FrankYates said:



    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.

    Latex tubes on a rim brake carbon wheelset strike me as a very bad idea as latex is a lot more sensitive to heat build up on the brake track than butyl and carbon is less effective at dissipating heat than metal.

    Obviously with a disc brake wheelset this shouldn't be an issue.
  • dannbodge
    dannbodge Posts: 1,152
    FrankYates said:

    dannbodge said:

    FrankYates said:

    Thanks. The Rovals do look good, but as I run tubeless that is a feature that is not welcome.
    Back to the drawing board...or tubes.

    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.

    I use the S-works turbo tubes and S-works Turbo tyres in 26mm.
    Thank you.
    The Rovals are tubeless ready by the way fwiw
  • Darius_Jedburgh
    Darius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    dannbodge said:

    FrankYates said:

    dannbodge said:

    FrankYates said:

    Thanks. The Rovals do look good, but as I run tubeless that is a feature that is not welcome.
    Back to the drawing board...or tubes.

    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.

    I use the S-works turbo tubes and S-works Turbo tyres in 26mm.
    Thank you.
    The Rovals are tubeless ready by the way fwiw
    Yes, I'd seen that, but unlike the Mavics they don't appear to come with tyres supplied. So if I've to buy tyres, and there might be problems on deflation I might revert to tubes.

    Of course, I live on the west coast where the wind blows in from the Atlantic virtually unchecked, so am still weighing up if 50mm might just be too much rim. We have had very few wind free days since last August!!!
  • singleton
    singleton Posts: 2,498
    FrankYates said:

    Thanks. The Rovals do look good, but as I run tubeless that is a feature that is not welcome.
    Back to the drawing board...or tubes.

    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.

    I'm running Vittoria Corsa 28mm with latex tubes.
    Mine are disc brake though. I believe that latex tubes are more heat sensitive, and the combination of carbon wheels and rim brakes can generate a lot of heat.
  • alex222
    alex222 Posts: 598
    Farsports is my recommendation. Spec to them to the price you want to go up to.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,744
    edited May 2020
    joe_totale-2 said:

    FrankYates said:



    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.

    Latex tubes on a rim brake carbon wheelset strike me as a very bad idea as latex is a lot more sensitive to heat build up on the brake track than butyl and carbon is less effective at dissipating heat than metal.

    Obviously with a disc brake wheelset this shouldn't be an issue.
    I'd imagine it's only an issue in the mountains or if you are riding some of the more extreme uk descents that require continued braking.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,616
    DeVlaeminck said:

    joe_totale-2 said:

    FrankYates said:



    Can I ask, if you are running tubes, what tyre/tube combination are you on? Latex tubes can apparently invalidate warranty for some reason.

    Latex tubes on a rim brake carbon wheelset strike me as a very bad idea as latex is a lot more sensitive to heat build up on the brake track than butyl and carbon is less effective at dissipating heat than metal.

    Obviously with a disc brake wheelset this shouldn't be an issue.
    I'd imagine it's only an issue in the mountains or if you are riding some of the more extreme uk descents that require continued braking.
    Even in the Lakes, there aren't too many places where heat build up would be an issue. Hardknott, Wrynose, maybe the top part of Honister. They're all fairly short lived though.

    Descended Hardknott with a bloke on carbon clinchers. His rims weren't hot at the bottom.

    In the Alps, most roads are so well engineered that you don't need to drag the brakes much, just haul on them a bit before the corners.

    I have seen a few places where I wouldn't have fancied being on carbon clinchers though. The steep sides of the Giau and Fedaia - long stretches of 10 to 12% where you feel you have to drag the brakes or else the speed would rapidly become terrifying and you risk over shooting the corners.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,744
    Yes, I always used to ride latex tubes in the Alps, until someone suggested they were more prone to heat and even though I'd never had a problem when that thought is your head...

    I've never actually seen anyone pop a tube but some of a group I was out there with one year did see a Dutch guy have a big off on the final ramp descending Alpe d'Huez when a tube exploded which required an ambulance and a guy in my club had the same happen (without the same consequences) on Ventoux.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • lincolndave
    lincolndave Posts: 9,441
    Walker brothers, uk based , reliable service, robust wheels
    I have no complaints with them at all
    https://www.walker-brothers.co.uk/
  • Darius_Jedburgh
    Darius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    edited May 2020
    The Walkers were top line testers back in the day. Harry set the 30 mile comp record back in the 90s. 57 minutes or something like that. They rode Obree style bikes when they were all the rage. Made them themselves.

    They know what they are talking about.

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