ALTERNATIVE DEEP RIM WHEELS TO CARBON???

hardyp
hardyp Posts: 86
edited August 2012 in Road buying advice
Was thinking of importing some chinese carbon wheels (50 to 60mm) as I prefer the look of a deeper rim on my bike. I'm a bit put off by the potential issues of brake overheating, braking in the wet, reliability (I'm a fat git) and having to wait 2-3 weeks for them and getting hit with import costs. I was wondering if there was any alloy alternatives with a deepish rim for hopefully under the £300 mark. I found the ones below but being new don't know what would be the best other than size and weight. Would be interested in peoples thoughts or alternatives. Will be used for sportive/training, I don't race. Oh, they need to be black rims.


YSBIKE YS-AL40C - £225 (risk of import fees, etc)
http://www.shop-yishunbike.com/index.ph ... Itemid=275

Reynolds Shadow Clincher Wheelset - £180
http://www.probikekit.com/uk/components ... elset.html

Fulcrum 2013 Racing Quattro Wheelset - £239
http://www.probikekit.com/uk/components ... elset.html

Reynolds Solitude Clincher Wheelset - £340
http://www.probikekit.com/uk/components ... elset.html

Mavic 2012 Cosmic Elite Wheelset - £284
http://www.probikekit.com/uk/components ... elset.html

Comments

  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Handbuilts on Velocity deep V or DT Swiss 585 or H plus Son... Halo Mercury too, but the latter a bit under engineered for a big lad
    left the forum March 2023
  • hardyp
    hardyp Posts: 86
    edited August 2012
    coriordan wrote:

    I was after an alternative to Carbon :roll:

    They were also £50 cheaper a couple of days ago.
  • bails1310
    bails1310 Posts: 361
    Ive been mulling the chinese carbon thing for quite a while.

    Stuck between them and these - http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/w ... -pair.html, possibly the SL's if I can sell a few bits.

    THey come with 2 years warranty, no customs and Im pretty sure better after care service, but I can't quite get the Chinese idea out of my head - theres pletny more good reviews on here than bad ref FR clinchers...........
    Kuota Kharma Race [Dry/Sunny]
    Raleigh Airlite 100 [Wet/Horrible]
  • hardyp
    hardyp Posts: 86
    bails1310 wrote:
    Ive been mulling the chinese carbon thing for quite a while.

    Stuck between them and these - http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/w ... -pair.html, possibly the SL's if I can sell a few bits.

    THey come with 2 years warranty, no customs and Im pretty sure better after care service, but I can't quite get the Chinese idea out of my head - theres pletny more good reviews on here than bad ref FR clinchers...........

    Ideally after something with at least 40mm rim depth.
  • hardyp
    hardyp Posts: 86
    Handbuilts on Velocity deep V or DT Swiss 585 or H plus Son... Halo Mercury too, but the latter a bit under engineered for a big lad

    Some interesting options there, thanks. I'm around 15.5 stone/100kg.
  • Handbuilts on Velocity deep V or DT Swiss 585 or H plus Son... Halo Mercury too, but the latter a bit under engineered for a big lad

    Mavic cxp 33 maybe ?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    Handbuilts on Velocity deep V or DT Swiss 585 or H plus Son... Halo Mercury too, but the latter a bit under engineered for a big lad

    Mavic cxp 33 maybe ?


    Mmhh, they have very very little profile
    left the forum March 2023
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    hardyp wrote:
    bails1310 wrote:
    Ive been mulling the chinese carbon thing for quite a while.

    Stuck between them and these - http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/w ... -pair.html, possibly the SL's if I can sell a few bits.

    THey come with 2 years warranty, no customs and Im pretty sure better after care service, but I can't quite get the Chinese idea out of my head - theres pletny more good reviews on here than bad ref FR clinchers...........

    Ideally after something with at least 40mm rim depth.

    Any alloy rim that's 40mm deep will be heavy. Deep section alloy rims don't have the same look as deep section carbon rims anyway due to the silver brake track.

    So I'd get either an alloy rim with carbon fairing or just get a good set of regular section wheels.

    FWIW Kinlin do a 38mm alloy rim, but it weighs 550g. That's >150g per rim heavier than their 20mm rim. That's a lot of weight for an insignificant aero advantage.
    More problems but still living....
  • bails1310
    bails1310 Posts: 361
    amaferanga wrote:
    hardyp wrote:
    bails1310 wrote:
    Ive been mulling the chinese carbon thing for quite a while.

    Stuck between them and these - http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/w ... -pair.html, possibly the SL's if I can sell a few bits.

    THey come with 2 years warranty, no customs and Im pretty sure better after care service, but I can't quite get the Chinese idea out of my head - theres pletny more good reviews on here than bad ref FR clinchers...........

    Ideally after something with at least 40mm rim depth.

    Any alloy rim that's 40mm deep will be heavy. Deep section alloy rims don't have the same look as deep section carbon rims anyway due to the silver brake track.

    So I'd get either an alloy rim with carbon fairing or just get a good set of regular section wheels.

    FWIW Kinlin do a 38mm alloy rim, but it weighs 550g. That's >150g per rim heavier than their 20mm rim. That's a lot of weight for an insignificant aero advantage.

    I was looking at the Shimano RS80 C50's, and they just dont look right. Agreed that it's either all carbon or all alloy.
    Kuota Kharma Race [Dry/Sunny]
    Raleigh Airlite 100 [Wet/Horrible]
  • richh
    richh Posts: 187
    hardyp wrote:
    coriordan wrote:

    I was after an alternative to Carbon :roll:

    They were also £50 cheaper a couple of days ago.
    and are tubs, not clinchers
  • joenobody
    joenobody Posts: 563
    Something like this - http://www.tigerfrog.co.uk/wheels.htm?
  • tomisitt
    tomisitt Posts: 257
    A bit more expensive than you were hoping for, but lighter than some:

    www.stradawheels.co.uk/shop/tt-tri-alloy-wheelset/
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    amaferanga wrote:
    hardyp wrote:
    bails1310 wrote:
    Ive been mulling the chinese carbon thing for quite a while.

    Stuck between them and these - http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/w ... -pair.html, possibly the SL's if I can sell a few bits.

    THey come with 2 years warranty, no customs and Im pretty sure better after care service, but I can't quite get the Chinese idea out of my head - theres pletny more good reviews on here than bad ref FR clinchers...........

    Ideally after something with at least 40mm rim depth.

    Any alloy rim that's 40mm deep will be heavy. Deep section alloy rims don't have the same look as deep section carbon rims anyway due to the silver brake track.

    So I'd get either an alloy rim with carbon fairing or just get a good set of regular section wheels.

    FWIW Kinlin do a 38mm alloy rim, but it weighs 550g. That's >150g per rim heavier than their 20mm rim. That's a lot of weight for an insignificant aero advantage.

    I tend to agree, you can get 30 mm deep rims or slightly more at low weight, but deeper ones pay a big weight penalty.
    I guess most people buy deep rims for the look rather than the performance.
    For something alloy, aero and low weight a mini V section rim like Aero Head is plenty
    left the forum March 2023
  • bails1310
    bails1310 Posts: 361
    hardyp wrote:
    I'm a bit put off by the potential issues of brake overheating, braking in the wet, reliability (I'm a fat git) and having to wait 2-3 weeks for them and getting hit with import costs.

    I think unless your into insance decents at top speeds, the Chinese rims are up to the task, and most have a good rider weight max [usually 125kg]
    Kuota Kharma Race [Dry/Sunny]
    Raleigh Airlite 100 [Wet/Horrible]
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    bails1310 wrote:
    hardyp wrote:
    I'm a bit put off by the potential issues of brake overheating, braking in the wet, reliability (I'm a fat git) and having to wait 2-3 weeks for them and getting hit with import costs.

    I think unless your into insance decents at top speeds, the Chinese rims are up to the task, and most have a good rider weight max [usually 125kg]

    The fact that they have a 125 Kg weigh limit, doesn't mean anything, do you think they actually test them on a 125 Kg rider over time and any terrain? When I advise a wheel set I do it on common sense, not after careful testing, nobody does serious wheels testing with heavy riders, not even Mavic... I prefer to be conservative, the chinese guys clearly prefer to go the other way to sell more wheels
    left the forum March 2023
  • bails1310
    bails1310 Posts: 361
    ......there's' not a huge number of storys of fat, orinfact any rider falling off into ditches that I'm aware of?
    Main issue seems to be spoke or nipple issues.

    Pressume the rather expensive Mad Fiber wheels that have no rider limit and a 4 years guarentee means they haven't tested them on an elephant either! :lol:
    Kuota Kharma Race [Dry/Sunny]
    Raleigh Airlite 100 [Wet/Horrible]
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    The HPlus Son SL42s are heeaavvy and as a front wheel have a funny habit of "sticking" in cross winds - I've got a pair and the front lives in the attic most of the time now.

    One alternative would be the carbon-faired wheels, which have a full alloy rim and a non-structural carbon section bonded over the top - like the Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL , HED Jet 5 etc. All the loads (spokes, braking) go into the alloy section and the carbon fairing is just to tidy up the airflow.

    Edit - Just noticed amaferanga also mentioned the faired wheels.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • bails1310 wrote:
    hardyp wrote:
    I'm a bit put off by the potential issues of brake overheating, braking in the wet, reliability (I'm a fat git) and having to wait 2-3 weeks for them and getting hit with import costs.

    I think unless your into insance decents at top speeds, the Chinese rims are up to the task, and most have a good rider weight max [usually 125kg]

    The fact that they have a 125 Kg weigh limit, doesn't mean anything, do you think they actually test them on a 125 Kg rider over time and any terrain? When I advise a wheel set I do it on common sense, not after careful testing, nobody does serious wheels testing with heavy riders, not even Mavic... I prefer to be conservative, the chinese guys clearly prefer to go the other way to sell more wheels

    So do you think its handbuilt wheels all the way for riders of 125 kg or maybe factorysets like Shimano RS 30 or Aksuims seem to get good reports on the american forums from " Clydes " .
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    bails1310 wrote:
    hardyp wrote:
    I'm a bit put off by the potential issues of brake overheating, braking in the wet, reliability (I'm a fat git) and having to wait 2-3 weeks for them and getting hit with import costs.

    I think unless your into insance decents at top speeds, the Chinese rims are up to the task, and most have a good rider weight max [usually 125kg]

    The fact that they have a 125 Kg weigh limit, doesn't mean anything, do you think they actually test them on a 125 Kg rider over time and any terrain? When I advise a wheel set I do it on common sense, not after careful testing, nobody does serious wheels testing with heavy riders, not even Mavic... I prefer to be conservative, the chinese guys clearly prefer to go the other way to sell more wheels

    So do you think its handbuilt wheels all the way for riders of 125 kg or maybe factorysets like Shimano RS 30 or Aksuims seem to get good reports on the american forums from " Clydes " .

    Don't read into what I say. What I am saying is that nobody does SERIOUS and reproducible tests on rider weights, hence it's a guesstimate... you can guesstimate conservative because you care about your reputation or you can guesstimate generous because you want to sell more wheels. That's all I am saying
    If similar wheels are for riders up to 90 Kg from one manufacturers and up to 125 Kg from another, do you think the latter has the magic ingredient?
    left the forum March 2023
  • bails1310
    bails1310 Posts: 361
    quote]Don't read into what I say. What I am saying is that nobody does SERIOUS and reproducible tests on rider weights, hence it's a guesstimate... you can guesstimate conservative because you care about your reputation or you can guesstimate generous because you want to sell more wheels. That's all I am saying
    If similar wheels are for riders up to 90 Kg from one manufacturers and up to 125 Kg from another, do you think the latter has the magic ingredient?[/quote]

    I'm no wheel builder [.......and i think you are so may be out of my depth] but surely there must be some sort of tollerence or difference in strength depending on the wheelset / price point, as there is strength between say a Volvo & car which may bee seen as weaker in a crash situation, agree there's no magic but is it down to manufactering. If there was no difference, surely every wheel manufacter would state the same or no weight limit?
    Kuota Kharma Race [Dry/Sunny]
    Raleigh Airlite 100 [Wet/Horrible]
  • Well i am gonna take the plunge and try some Aksuims or RS80S if i dont post again you know they failed in epic fashion and that will be a definative statement to end on ...LOL
  • bails1310
    bails1310 Posts: 361
    Let me know how get on, I'm still undecided between your two plus the Chinese option.
    Kuota Kharma Race [Dry/Sunny]
    Raleigh Airlite 100 [Wet/Horrible]
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,172
    bails1310 wrote:
    quote]Don't read into what I say. What I am saying is that nobody does SERIOUS and reproducible tests on rider weights, hence it's a guesstimate... you can guesstimate conservative because you care about your reputation or you can guesstimate generous because you want to sell more wheels. That's all I am saying
    If similar wheels are for riders up to 90 Kg from one manufacturers and up to 125 Kg from another, do you think the latter has the magic ingredient?

    I'm no wheel builder [.......and i think you are so may be out of my depth] but surely there must be some sort of tollerence or difference in strength depending on the wheelset / price point, as there is strength between say a Volvo & car which may bee seen as weaker in a crash situation, agree there's no magic but is it down to manufactering. If there was no difference, surely every wheel manufacter would state the same or no weight limit?[/quote]

    Volvo invests heavily in research on safety, no wheels manufacturer has money to invest in serious research... a bit of computer simulations is all they can do, to maximise performance minimising weight. Zipp and the likes also have the feedback from PRO racing, but that's miles away from the requirements of your sunday ride... with the exception of a handful of races in the calendar, they ride on velvet...
    left the forum March 2023