blaronn

There are lots of deep (45mm+) all-carbon wheels/rims out there, and there are a few semi-deep (35mm+) all-aluminum wheels/rims, but there doesn't seem to be many deep wheels with aluminum brake tracks. These seem to be a great compromise between fast and durable. Sure there's some extra weight but a couple hundred grams seems like a reasonable sacrifice for a tight budget (i.e., no money for dedicated race wheels).

Carbon/Aluminum wheelsets < $1,000 new
- Soul CA 5.0 - 1,600g, 51mm, $820 (USA)
- 2012 Soul CA 45/55 (not available yet) - 1,600g/1,700g, 45mm/55mm, $800-$900'ish (USA)
- Flo 60/90 (not available yet) - piggish weight, 60mm/90mm, ~$800
- SRAM S60 - 1,850g, 60mm, maybe $1,000 on sale if lucky
- Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL - 1,740g, 52mm, maybe $1,000 on sale if lucky

Any others I'm missing? (And no, Zipps don't count as low-cost) Bonus points for rims available for retail purchase without spokes/hubs, as well as wide versions, toroidal shape (or similar), and hard anodized brake surface.

So why aren't there more of these out there?

guadzilla

Cosmic Carbones are about as aero as a pig. And that too, a pig riding on the tops of a Rivendell bike (as opposed to a pig in a TT tuck).

bobonker

Reynolds Assault @ 46mm deep, ~1490g, and ~$900. I have a set and love mine. I do a lot of hill riding and they've held up just fine.

Bob

Jed19

Do the Assaults have aluminum brake tracks?

bobonker

^^^ They do not. Didn't catch that. My bad.

Bob

Jed19

I have Shimano 7900 Dura-Ace C50 Clinchers with aluminum brake tracks. Kinda porky, but once up to speed, they roll forever.

Solidly well-built too.

bobonker

I have a set of the C24s and I think they are one of the best wheelsets out there. So, I'll add:

Shimano WH-7850-C24, ~1420g, $800 (if you can find them; they've been replaced by the WH-7900)
Shimano RS80, ~1500g, $500 (Same as above except with Ultegra hubs instead of Dura-Ace)

Bob

531Aussie

Cosmics did quite well in the 'Great Wheel Test'

https://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-15505311.html

For one wheel:

.................................watts absorbed at 50kph.....Depth (mm)......Spokes

Zipp 808 2007.....................................16.7............82...................18
Xentis MK 1 TT 2007............................17.1............58....................4
Citec 6000 Cx 2007..............................19.2............49..................12
Ritchey WCS Carbon 2005.....................19.3............58..................16
HED 3 2006.........................................19.7............54...................3
Zipp 404 2007.....................................19.9............58..................18
Sonic Super 50mm 2007........................20.4............50..................20
Vuelta Carbon Pro WR 2006...................20.8............58..................12
Corima Aero 2007.................................21.0............45..................18
Easton Tempest II 2005....................... 21.6............58..................18
CKT Splendor 2005...............................21.7............45..................16
Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL .....................21.9............52..................16
Lightweight Standard G3 2007................22.2............53..................16
Shimano WH7801 Carbon 50 2006...........22.9............50..................16
Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate .............22.9............40..................20
Campagnolo Bora 2005..........................23.0............50...................18
Rose Aerospoke 2006...........................23.0............53....................4
Corima Turbospoke 2006.......................23.1............38....................3
Shimano WH7850 C50 2007...................23.2............50...................16
Bontrager Race light Carbon 2005...........23.4............43...................16
Lew Racing Pro VT-1 2007.....................23.4............46...................16
Shimano WH7850 C24 2007...................23.5............28...................16
Corima Tune 20 Aerolite 2007................23.7............45...................20
Fulcrum Racing Speed 2006...................23.7............50....................18
Specialized Royal Rapid Star 2007...........23.8............32....................20
Gipiemme Carbon 5.5 2005.....................24.1............55....................20
Tune Olympic Gold 2005........................24.1............45....................16
Shimano WH7801 Carbon 2006...............24.4............29...................16
FRM FL-R 23 SD 2006...........................24.6............37...................20
Lightweight Standard G3 2007................24.6............53...................20
Lightweight Obermayer G1 2005..............24.8............53..................20
American Classic 420 2007.....................24.9............34...................18
Ritchey Pro 2007..................................24.9............27...................20
Xentis Mark 1 2005 ..............................25.0............42.....................4
Speedcomposites Sinus 2007..................25.2............26....................24
Citec 3000s Aero 2005..........................25.5............30...................12
Shimano R550 2007..............................25.9............24...................20
Shimano R560 2006..............................26.1............24....................16
Shimano R561 2007..............................26.2............24....................16
Campagnolo Scirocco 2007....................27.3............24....................20
Lightweight Ventoux 2006......................27.3............28....................20
Fulcrum Racing 5 Evolution 2007..............27.6............24....................20
Campagnolo Eurus 2006.........................27.8............24...................16
Tune Skyline KOM 2006..........................28.1............24.....................20
Mavic Aksium 2008................................28.3............22....................20
Xtreme Light Wheels 2007......................28.6............31.....................24
FSA RD-600 2006..................................28.7............30....................18
Easton Vista SL 2007.............................30.0............30.....................20
Mavic Aksium Race 2006.........................30.0............21.....................20
Mavic Ksyrium Equipe 2007.....................30.0............23.....................20
Citec 3000s Aero 16-spoke.....................30.6............24.....................16
Mavic Aksium Race 2007.........................31.1............21...................20
Ambrosio X-Carbo 2005..........................31.5............46...................28
Campagnolo Vento 2007.........................31.5............24...................24
A-Class ALX 440 SL 2007........................31.9............23...................20
Campagnolo Hyperon 2006.......................32.1............19...................22
Fulcrum Racing 7 2007............................32.8............24...................20
Mavic Ksyrium ES 2006............................33.2............21...................18
Mavic R-SYS 2007..................................35.0............22.................16

blaronn

And you found them new for <$1,000? Where? I'm seeing $2,200. Definitely not low-cost.

You consider a 23-24mm rim to be deep?!?

My list remains unchanged. Strange. Seems like a good money-making opportunity for someone to fill. I would've thought a Taiwanese rim maker would at least have rims on the market somewhere.

blaronn

Found another one:
- Roval Rapide EL 45 - 1,744g, 45mm, $1,200 (no, not sub-$1k, but close enough to mention)

rangerdavid

I love my cosmic carbones. They did pretty well in the chart shown above too, even when being compared to Zipp 808's...

AdelaaR

No idea where you got that from, but Carbone SL's are very aero and durable for their price.

rangerdavid

yeah, i just ignored that comment when i saw his scientific baseline for that calculation was a pig. I never pedal with a pig, so that really doesn't apply.


rd

Jed19

I won the bidding and bought mine for $1200 brand new from eBay. It was still in factory wrappings and had all the original accessories. I won't pay MSRP on a wheel like that.

I am pretty positive you can find them way cheaper than $2200 from the "usual United Kingdom suspects". And free shipping too!


https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=66823.

SkinnyLegs

Shimano WH-RS80-C50 - 50mm, 1831g, ~$1,000

guadzilla

Whoops, that was the R-Sys I was thinking of. I knew there was one expensive Mavic wheel right at the bottom, got the two mixed up.

urbanknight

Because not very many people want them. They end up being much heavier than their full carbon counterparts, and sometimes no lighter than their full aluminum counterparts.

Anyway, I know this only qualifies as "semi-deep" but I recently built a set of Kinlin XR-380 rims which are 38mm deep and they seemed pretty nice to me (thinking of building up a par for myself). 550g isn't bad for all alluminum that deep, but it's pretty comparable with the Cosmic Carbon iirc, and most people could get away with 16 spokes on those. The bonus is that they come without hubs and spokes.

Minion1

I have a pair of Mavic Cosmic Carbones as well, rate them highly. Clincher, al brake track, I'm not a pro so no full carbon tubs for me, and they are stiff. Really stiff. At 1700 grams I don't resent the weight because they weight the same as my training wheels, though they are 200 grams heavier than my (other) race wheels.