Second hand carbon wheels

heavymental

I live in windy west wales so I don't really want some deep section carbon wheels but I'm off to Tuscany in September and wondered if I should pick some up for rolling through the Italian countryside. I'm not going to shell out on a brand new pair so wondering if there's a decent pair of carbon wheels that I could look out for on the second hand market? I'm using rim brakes.

First.Aspect

What's the question?

Is it should you buy second hand carbon wheels, does anyone have any carbon wheels to sell, or what is a good brand of carbon wheels that might be available second hand?

heavymental

First.Aspect said:

What's the question?

Is it should you buy second hand carbon wheels, does anyone have any carbon wheels to sell, or what is a good brand of carbon wheels that might be available second hand?

Yes sorry, a little unclear. I'm wondering about a good pair of carbon wheels that might commonly be available second hand. ~£300

First.Aspect

You might be better off with a set you can trust, tbh.

'Decent' models of second hand wheels at £300 will be old and potentially knackered or they wouldn't cost £300. Ones that aren't that old and knackered we're probably a bitshit in the first place.

heavymental

First.Aspect said:

You might be better off with a set you can trust, tbh.

'Decent' models of second hand wheels at £300 will be old and potentially knackered or they wouldn't cost £300. Ones that aren't that old and knackered we're probably a bitshit in the first place.

Hmm yes, looking through the options I hadn't realised they were quite so expensive.

ugo.santalucia

Tuscany is very hilly, don’t bother

singleton

Not sure if you have disc brakes, but something like this would be good in most conditions.
https://www.merlincycles.com/vision-sc-40-carbon-clincher-disc-road-wheelset-175221.html

heavymental

ugo.santalucia said:

Tuscany is very hilly, don’t bother

Quite rolling hills though I was thinking?

ugo.santalucia

heavymental said:

ugo.santalucia said:

Tuscany is very hilly, don’t bother

Quite rolling hills though I was thinking?

not my recollection of the Eroica…

heavymental

ugo.santalucia said:

heavymental said:

ugo.santalucia said:

Tuscany is very hilly, don’t bother

Quite rolling hills though I was thinking?

not my recollection of the Eroica…

Recent trips have been in the Alps/Pyrenees so I'm thinking it'll be a bit less savage.

super_davo

Second hand you'll get some proper bargains if you're after rim brake tubs, else the price difference of second hand vs new cheap brands is way less than would tempt me to go second hand. Plus rim profile shapes have moved on in recent years, it's all ultra wide, u shaped, tubeless etc. these days and I would rather have all that than a named brand.

There were some proper bargains in January new, that seem to have evaporated now if you're after rim brakes, but still very much present if you're after discs (decent deals from Wiggle, Sigma & Merlin in the £4-500 range).

Though FWIW, for one holiday - I wouldn't bother. Mid section carbons won't be significantly lighter than a decent ally set, not worth the outlay if you don't plan to use year round. I live in the windy east coast and I'd have no qualms about using my 38mm in any conditions (disc brake)

heavymental

super_davo said:

Second hand you'll get some proper bargains if you're after rim brake tubs, else the price difference of second hand vs new cheap brands is way less than would tempt me to go second hand. Plus rim profile shapes have moved on in recent years, it's all ultra wide, u shaped, tubeless etc. these days and I would rather have all that than a named brand.

There were some proper bargains in January new, that seem to have evaporated now if you're after rim brakes, but still very much present if you're after discs (decent deals from Wiggle, Sigma & Merlin in the £4-500 range).

Though FWIW, for one holiday - I wouldn't bother. Mid section carbons won't be significantly lighter than a decent ally set, not worth the outlay if you don't plan to use year round. I live in the windy east coast and I'd have no qualms about using my 38mm in any conditions (disc brake)

It's more the aero factor I was after as I was thinking it'd be a rolling kind of trip and I would benefit from the advantage. The wheels I have now are 15 year old Campag Eurus and I'm thinking I might just get new bearings (not the first time!) to spruce them up due to the cost of the carbon upgrade.

I'm on rim brakes by the way.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

It's more the aero factor I was after as I was thinking it'd be a rolling kind of trip and I would benefit from the advantage.

Aero wheels generally tend to offer the most benefit at higher speeds. If you are averaging less than around 19-20 mph, you are unlikely to get much benefit.

I have 38mm depth rims on my summer bike. I average speeds of around 2.5kmh faster over 25mm alu rims on the winter bike for the same power output, but you have to factor in temps, wind speed and air pressure in the summer. I would think the difference wheels and frame make is negligible.

heavymental

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

It's more the aero factor I was after as I was thinking it'd be a rolling kind of trip and I would benefit from the advantage.

Aero wheels generally tend to offer the most benefit at higher speeds. If you are averaging less than around 19-20 mph, you are unlikely to get much benefit.

I have 38mm depth rims on my summer bike. I average speeds of around 2.5kmh faster over 25mm alu rims on the winter bike for the same power output, but you have to factor in temps, wind speed and air pressure in the summer. I would think the difference wheels and frame make is negligible.

This has turned into a thread about whether carbon rims are worth getting and I'm fine with that as I typed the first message before I'd done any reading. I'd started thinking about some Parcour Passistas 56mm rims but their own stats vs a standard 24mm alu rim don't seem very significant. Also they weight almost exactly the same as my Campag Eurus. As I'm unlikely to get them for less than £600 second hand I think I'll just get some shiny new bearings, give my bike a wash and forget the whole idea of getting new wheels!

heavymental

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

I have 38mm depth rims on my summer bike. I average speeds of around 2.5kmh faster over 25mm alu rims on the winter bike for the same power output, but you have to factor in temps, wind speed and air pressure in the summer. I would think the difference wheels and frame make is negligible.

Also, I imagine the winter bike is heavier and generally less good?

super_davo

heavymental said:

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

I have 38mm depth rims on my summer bike. I average speeds of around 2.5kmh faster over 25mm alu rims on the winter bike for the same power output, but you have to factor in temps, wind speed and air pressure in the summer. I would think the difference wheels and frame make is negligible.

Also, I imagine the winter bike is heavier and generally less good?

I call the speed difference in winter "the aggregation of marginal losses".
Worse bike, slower more puncture resistant tyres, denser air, thicker less aero clothing, more caution in cornering due to conditions. All adds up to 2.5khm easy.

Having said that in the same conditions I can notice a difference with my carbon wheels; but it isn't huge and only really when you're pushing and not pootling.

ugo.santalucia

heavymental said:

ugo.santalucia said:

heavymental said:

ugo.santalucia said:

Tuscany is very hilly, don’t bother

Quite rolling hills though I was thinking?

not my recollection of the Eroica…

Recent trips have been in the Alps/Pyrenees so I'm thinking it'll be a bit less savage.

depends where you go in Tuscany… by the coast is quite flat, but also not great for cycling, but the nice parts, wine making areas etc, are very lumpy, you can easily clock more than 2k of climbing in a 60 miles ride.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

I'd started thinking about some Parcour Passistas 56mm rims but their own stats vs a standard 24mm alu rim don't seem very significant. Also they weight almost exactly the same as my Campag Eurus. As I'm unlikely to get them for less than £600 second hand I think I'll just get some shiny new bearings, give my bike a wash and forget the whole idea of getting new wheels!

Nothing wrong with giving the campag an overhaul. Most of the carbon/aero wheel discussions on here revolve (understandably) around performance benefits. As most of us aren't racing, I think the most important factor, other than budget, is comfort and ride feel. Switching to a stiffer carbon wheel does alter the feel of the bike as well, which is always something for anyone to consider if they are buying new wheels.

Also, I imagine the winter bike is heavier and generally less good?

There is a difference, although as @super_davo pointed out, the conditions likely play more of a factor than the equipment.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Having said that in the same conditions I can notice a difference with my carbon wheels; but it isn't huge and only really when you're pushing and not pootling.

I think this often gets overlooked. Most of the equipment we talk about for performance gains, especially where aerodynamics are concerned, are designed for pro cyclists riding at very high speeds where a marginal benefit can make a difference. For the rest of us, when you are cruising around on a regular ride, having a 50mm deep rim or a 750g frameset is a nice thing to ride but not really going to maximise performance for (slower) everyday use.

i.bhamra

Without getting into the discussion of what is the best kind of wheel for you, if you do want some deep carbon ones there are loads of to be had 2nd hand in that price range. Just take a look on Ebay. Usually generic carbon rims from China usually on Novatec or Bitex hubs but also sometimes bigger brands. They may not be super wide in keeping with the latest trends but if you check the description carefully you will end up with a decent set of wheels for not very much money.

Worth pointing out that many of these generic carbon wheels will be very similar to branded offerings from Prime, Hunt, Merlin etc. I picked up a set of 38's (rim brake) on Bitex hubs with Sapim spokes for £240, they have been faultless and work just as well as anything else I have including Reynolds, FFWD and Prime...

hpaul

I'd keep a look out for 38mm primes, I have the 50s, look and sound great. Paid around 500 with tyres and tubes included.

I almost bought another set on ebay for 300 odd, guy couldn't put tyres on them. Be warned this is an art in itself. I've seen others on sale for the same reason. Hard to fit tyres on them, not sure why.