Crazy wheels: 12 front spokes, 18 rear, 1085 grams, 4 year warranty, no weight limit
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
Crazy wheels: 12 front spokes, 18 rear, 1085 grams, 4 year warranty, no weight limit
I can't afford these wheels, and, unless you race, you probably won't want to spring for a pair, either. But people in this forum talk about wheels a lot, and this is a pretty neat set. C&A has come up with some rules of thumb, like if a wheel doesn't have 32+ spokes, it won't last the rest of the day ... so, if nothing else, these might be interesting. I mean, here's a wheel with 12 spokes that's rated for 700 pounds!
LBS lent me a pair to play with for the weekend. My bike weighed 15.5 pounds (ready to ride) with these wheels...! Climbing was a bit easier, and so was sprinting, but the weight was most noticeable when I'd carry the bike up and down the stairs between my apartment and the road. The aerodynamics (vs my wheels) felt like a more profound change than the weight.
Going back to my wheels was a bummer after a long climbing ride on these. At least now I grok what kinds of differences good wheels can make, compared to decent ones.
^ Forgive the lousy camera phone quality, and the slightly odd camera angle. Here's my bike with the crazy wheels, at a park called Forrest's View. ( I like renaming parts of my rides. You should see Mount Terror. )
LBS lent me a pair to play with for the weekend. My bike weighed 15.5 pounds (ready to ride) with these wheels...! Climbing was a bit easier, and so was sprinting, but the weight was most noticeable when I'd carry the bike up and down the stairs between my apartment and the road. The aerodynamics (vs my wheels) felt like a more profound change than the weight.
Going back to my wheels was a bummer after a long climbing ride on these. At least now I grok what kinds of differences good wheels can make, compared to decent ones.
^ Forgive the lousy camera phone quality, and the slightly odd camera angle. Here's my bike with the crazy wheels, at a park called Forrest's View. ( I like renaming parts of my rides. You should see Mount Terror. )
#2
Shredding Grandma!
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: So Cal
Posts: 4,803
Bikes: I don't own any bikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 46 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Did I miss it... the price of the wheels?
Honestly - aesthetically, I don't like them with your bike. Too distracting from the clean lines. I am how about look!
Honestly - aesthetically, I don't like them with your bike. Too distracting from the clean lines. I am how about look!
__________________
______________________________________________________________
Private docent led mountain bike rides through Limestone Canyon. Go to letsgooutside.org and register today! Also available: hikes, equestrian rides and family events as well as trail maintenance and science study.
______________________________________________________________
Private docent led mountain bike rides through Limestone Canyon. Go to letsgooutside.org and register today! Also available: hikes, equestrian rides and family events as well as trail maintenance and science study.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 11,375
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
Their carbon tubies are $2900
With ceramic bearings they're $3100
More than my CX race bike and brevet bike combined. I can build 29 pairs of my current wheels for the same price. Sure, my wheels are almost twice the weight, but twenty nine pairs!
No matter how many meters of elevation you ride yearly, I fail to see the necessity for a $3000 wheelset unless you're racing Cat-1/2.
On the plus side, these are pretty freakin' awesome and I got to check a few pairs out at their product tent during the MFG #3 race a couple weekends ago. They're a local Seattle company, and I've got to give props to the local guys cranking out this sort of innovation. These things are pretty darned tough, and can apparently stand up to the rigors of CX racing, as a few guys were rolling on them. I'm not prepared to chance a $3000 wheelset in a muddy off-camber 90-degree bottleneck with 80 other riders, but hey, if you've got the money...
With ceramic bearings they're $3100
More than my CX race bike and brevet bike combined. I can build 29 pairs of my current wheels for the same price. Sure, my wheels are almost twice the weight, but twenty nine pairs!
No matter how many meters of elevation you ride yearly, I fail to see the necessity for a $3000 wheelset unless you're racing Cat-1/2.
On the plus side, these are pretty freakin' awesome and I got to check a few pairs out at their product tent during the MFG #3 race a couple weekends ago. They're a local Seattle company, and I've got to give props to the local guys cranking out this sort of innovation. These things are pretty darned tough, and can apparently stand up to the rigors of CX racing, as a few guys were rolling on them. I'm not prepared to chance a $3000 wheelset in a muddy off-camber 90-degree bottleneck with 80 other riders, but hey, if you've got the money...
__________________
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
#4
Shredding Grandma!
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: So Cal
Posts: 4,803
Bikes: I don't own any bikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 46 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
But it is nice to know Clydes don't need 32 spokes+ they just need a BIG wallet!!!
__________________
______________________________________________________________
Private docent led mountain bike rides through Limestone Canyon. Go to letsgooutside.org and register today! Also available: hikes, equestrian rides and family events as well as trail maintenance and science study.
______________________________________________________________
Private docent led mountain bike rides through Limestone Canyon. Go to letsgooutside.org and register today! Also available: hikes, equestrian rides and family events as well as trail maintenance and science study.
#5
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
No matter how many meters of elevation you ride yearly, I fail to see the necessity for a $3000 wheelset unless you're racing Cat-1/2.
On the plus side, these are pretty freakin' awesome and I got to check a few pairs out at their product tent during the MFG #3 race a couple weekends ago.
On the plus side, these are pretty freakin' awesome and I got to check a few pairs out at their product tent during the MFG #3 race a couple weekends ago.
Somebody stopped me to ask about the wheels as I was leaving a water fountain in Seward Park. He was on a hybrid, tooling around, but said he was thinking about investing in the company, and what did I think of them? I told him he might be disappointed to hear that I hadn't actually bought a set, and wasn't planning to, but that they were great wheels.
If you say so... These are far too expensive for me, but I won't begrudge anyone who can afford a set as a poseur.
#6
Senior Member
Light weight. Durable. Low price. You only get to pick two.
Riding a nice set of wheels is nice. Madfiber's not the most aerodynamic wheelset. If a person has the $$$, and would appreciate a nice, smooth ride, go for it.
Riding a nice set of wheels is nice. Madfiber's not the most aerodynamic wheelset. If a person has the $$$, and would appreciate a nice, smooth ride, go for it.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Central Coast, California
Posts: 3,370
Bikes: Colnago C-50, Calfee Dragonfly Tandem, Specialized Allez Pro, Peugeot Competition Light
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
They are only "bling" if you can't (or won't) afford them. I don't have any problem with people buying what they want and can afford. High end wheels really do make a difference (usually). We just have to make a personal decision whether the performance is worth the cost or not.
BTW, Clydes don't need 32 spoke wheels. I have a set of 16 spoke DA wheels that are over ten years old with ten's of thousands of miles on them...
BTW, Clydes don't need 32 spoke wheels. I have a set of 16 spoke DA wheels that are over ten years old with ten's of thousands of miles on them...
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 11,375
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
Mine were $98, so a price difference of $2800 or roughly $4.45/gram. (almost 3400 cans of PBR.)
__________________
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NW Louisiana
Posts: 731
Bikes: 2011 Trek Madone 5.2 (RIP), 2013 Trek Domane 5.9
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 2,401
Bikes: 2012 Surly LHT, 1995 GT Outpost Trail
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Mine are 1714g for the pair. IRO 32h high flange hubs f/r mated to IRO cold fusion rims with DT Champion 2.0 spokes. That's a 629g difference between mine and the Madfibers.
Mine were $98, so a price difference of $2800 or roughly $4.45/gram. (almost 3400 cans of PBR.)
Mine were $98, so a price difference of $2800 or roughly $4.45/gram. (almost 3400 cans of PBR.)
#12
Uber Goober
Are they actually rated for 700 lbs? Or just don't have a rating? That's a big difference. If there's no rating, they might or might not be covered by any kind of warranty if they fail, and even if covered by a warranty, you don't want to have wheels failing underneath you.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Lexington KY
Posts: 476
Bikes: Salsa Casseroll for Street and Airborne Hobgoblin for dirt
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
It is hard to believe that so many cyclist here cannot appreciate somthing so cool without being hung up on the price. Landis rides a TT bike that was custom designed for him and cost more than $25000. I am not going to have one made for me but I can appreciate the cool engineering that went into such a creation. I wish I had an LBS that would extend to me a $3000 set of wheels for the weekend. Thanks for the review Seattle those are a wicked set of wheels.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NW Louisiana
Posts: 731
Bikes: 2011 Trek Madone 5.2 (RIP), 2013 Trek Domane 5.9
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I don't imagine Landis had to fork over the coin for his 25K bike. One of the perks of being Pro.
#15
Brown Bear, Sqrl Hunter
Not gonna lie, those wheels are pretty ugly. Just my opinion of course.
Then again, I think spending that much money on a bike when you don't race is silly. But hey, if you can afford it, by all means
Then again, I think spending that much money on a bike when you don't race is silly. But hey, if you can afford it, by all means
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
Add in a couple CO2 cartridges, a spare tube, and the rest of the kit, and the difference shots up to 4 or 5 lbs.
#17
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
Are they actually rated for 700 lbs? Or just don't have a rating? That's a big difference. If there's no rating, they might or might not be covered by any kind of warranty if they fail, and even if covered by a warranty, you don't want to have wheels failing underneath you.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 11,375
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
These things weigh 1080g
Mine weigh 629g more. That's a 58% increase in weight of the wheelset. You bet your butt that's a big enough difference to notice.
There's no prices listed regarding the replacement, but let's assume they'll replace at 50% plus shipping if you bust one in a crash: That's still around $800.
But as a couple people already pointed out, if you're dropping 3 grand on a wheelset to begin with, you're probably not going to cry over an $800 replacement price if you break one.
__________________
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
#19
Shredding Grandma!
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: So Cal
Posts: 4,803
Bikes: I don't own any bikes
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 46 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
[QUOTE=Jaytron;13348152]Not gonna lie, those wheels are pretty ugly. Just my opinion of course.
QUOTE]
That's really my point as well... I would mind spending $3000 (if I had it to spend) if the wheels were beautiful - expensive and ugly... a combo that doesn't work for me.
They are head turners I give you that. But such a classic beautiful bike, why detract from an awesome frame?
Yes it's all about looking good to me!
QUOTE]
That's really my point as well... I would mind spending $3000 (if I had it to spend) if the wheels were beautiful - expensive and ugly... a combo that doesn't work for me.
They are head turners I give you that. But such a classic beautiful bike, why detract from an awesome frame?
Yes it's all about looking good to me!
__________________
______________________________________________________________
Private docent led mountain bike rides through Limestone Canyon. Go to letsgooutside.org and register today! Also available: hikes, equestrian rides and family events as well as trail maintenance and science study.
______________________________________________________________
Private docent led mountain bike rides through Limestone Canyon. Go to letsgooutside.org and register today! Also available: hikes, equestrian rides and family events as well as trail maintenance and science study.
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Lexington KY
Posts: 476
Bikes: Salsa Casseroll for Street and Airborne Hobgoblin for dirt
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
[QUOTE=Pamestique;13349534]
I think that is eye of the beholder as I see them as "engineering sexy"
Not gonna lie, those wheels are pretty ugly. Just my opinion of course.
QUOTE]
That's really my point as well... I would mind spending $3000 (if I had it to spend) if the wheels were beautiful - expensive and ugly... a combo that doesn't work for me.
They are head turners I give you that. But such a classic beautiful bike, why detract from an awesome frame?
Yes it's all about looking good to me!
QUOTE]
That's really my point as well... I would mind spending $3000 (if I had it to spend) if the wheels were beautiful - expensive and ugly... a combo that doesn't work for me.
They are head turners I give you that. But such a classic beautiful bike, why detract from an awesome frame?
Yes it's all about looking good to me!
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 11,375
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
Not saying it isn't an awesome frame (and I think the MadFiber wheels make it look even better), but I wouldn't call it "classic".
I'll give it "epic" though. With the MadFiber wheels, that bike has attained epic level awesomeness.
If I had the $$ to throw around, I'd race on a Hodala edition SSCX carbon frame with a Gates drivetrain and a pair of those MadFiber tubies wrapped in Tufos. (But I don't, so my whole race setup including bike/shoes/skinsuit/helmet/gloves/glasses/allmytires/allmyracefeesfortheseason costs less than a pair of MadFiber wheels.) Cheapbike FTW!
__________________
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
#22
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times
in
6,054 Posts
That's really my point as well... I would mind spending $3000 (if I had it to spend) if the wheels were beautiful - expensive and ugly... a combo that doesn't work for me.
They are head turners I give you that. But such a classic beautiful bike, why detract from an awesome frame?
Yes it's all about looking good to me!
They are head turners I give you that. But such a classic beautiful bike, why detract from an awesome frame?
Yes it's all about looking good to me!
I'm not going to be buying a set of these wheels, unless someone wants to mail me $3 K. I had fun riding them, though. They were very comfortable, easy to climb on, and cornered like nobody's business. I was very impressed. The way I see it, a computer used to cost millions of dollars and couldn't fit in a room; a month ago I bought a laptop for $220. If they can make wheels that weigh like paper and can hold a Clyde or Athena, of any size, without trouble, today, for $3 K, that's exciting news that bodes well for the future.
I didn't really like the visual coordination between the bike and the wheels. But you don't look at them when you ride, and the sight-seeing I like to do by bike has better scenery for me to look at.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Menominee MI
Posts: 158
Bikes: Giant Sedona, Giant Trance 2, 1974 Schwinn Continental, 2011 Schwinn LeTour Classic
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I'd spring for a set of those wheels with the ceramic bearings if someone else was doing the payments....but in all honesty, it is amazing what technology can provide these days! What an awesome looking wheelset! 700 pounds! WOW!
#24
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 11,375
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
There's a nifty 2-page blurb article about the origin of the MadFiber company in the most recent issue of Velo magazine (the one with Jens on the cover.)
It talks about how the idea came from a "what if..." pipedream that became a reality thanks to ex-Boeing CF engineering know-how combined with bike part engineering knowledge. Pretty interesting read.
It talks about how the idea came from a "what if..." pipedream that became a reality thanks to ex-Boeing CF engineering know-how combined with bike part engineering knowledge. Pretty interesting read.
__________________
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
"I feel like my world was classier before I found cyclocross."
- Mandi M.
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Roanoke, VA
Posts: 554
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I've always wondered...
Do you have to worry about truing wheels like that? And if so, how? I don't see any way to adjust them.
I admit that I've never ridden any wheels like that, and probably never will, but do those wheels never go out of true?
Do you have to worry about truing wheels like that? And if so, how? I don't see any way to adjust them.
I admit that I've never ridden any wheels like that, and probably never will, but do those wheels never go out of true?