mooder

Hey,

Apart from the gorgeous look a carbon wheel provides, is there any real advantage to buy a carbon wheelset?

As far as I know, carbon wheels aren't good for long descend but will provide an advantage on relatively flat route. There's the risk of tire blow out due to high temperature and possibility of having a tubular tire sliding out of the wheel also. Plus, add to that loss of breaking power if the breaking pad start to melt... nothing very encouraging for a few hundred grams saved.

Unbranded carbon wheels are very tempting as they offer lower weight even with deeper rim for a very reasonable price. However, I've read they aren't breaking as well as branded wheels and they are not reliable (no warranty and reported crash).
The second option is to get a brand carbon rim and build the wheel out of it.

I am thinking at these rims by example:
Gigantex Carbon Rims

I have no idea how good/light these rims are. Ideally, I would like to get 38mm/50mm (20/28 spokes w/ CX-rays) so I might have to drop a mail to know if it is possible. I am willing to gather some money and spend for something reliable that will last at least 5-6 years.

Do you guys have any suggestion for unbranded/branded wheels/rims? Again, is it worth spending extra for a carbon wheelset?

Cheers

PS: I wonder how easy it is to repair a puncture on a tubular tire? What happen when you get a flat in the middle of a ride? I've read some comments about the advantages of a tubular tire on a carbon wheel (less prone to tire blow out and lighter).

Homebrew01

"... is it worth spending extra for a carbon wheelset?..."

Depends

Whole variety of opinions. Personally, basic aluminum rims are fine for non-races. Aero, light etc has no benefit to me on solo or group rides, so no point spending extra $. I do like the ride of my 50 mm carbon tubulars, but I save them for races.

Light wheels with good tires do feel better. No "right" answer.

(since I'm not racing now, I guess I should ride them since I have them instead of saving them for race day)

rpenmanparker 

Stop wondering, it is a b*tch. You have to find the leak, rip the seam at the leak, take out the leaking part of the tube, patch it, put it back in, and sew the tire back up without sticking the needle into the tube and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. And that last part is no mean feat. Seldom will a home repaired tubular be suitable and dependable for top level use like racing. Maybe to keep as a carry along spare...

If you run expensive tubulars, and they have significant tread life left, you may want to avail yourself of a repair service that will professionally and completely replace the tube for you for $25-$40. You can find those guys find online via Google.

rpenmanparker 

Gigantex is a highly regarded brand name of rims from Taiwan. They should not be confused with no-name Chinese rims.

bt

before this company was highly regarded, did they go by the name Moderatex?

Homebrew01

Some people have been happy with sealant to fix small holes in tubulars.