Originally Posted by
martianone
Commuting bike frames, no matter the material are subject to a lot of stresses; not just from the ride. Parking, locking to a rack or other fixed object, then being knocked about - all stresses. Parking your carbon bike at work might cause more wear or damage than the ride. Commuting wheels take a lot of abuse, would suggest investing in a set of solid full spke count commuting wheels, save the low spoke/aero wheels for your weekend rides. With the heavy commuting wheels off and aero on - you will feel like you are going faster.
Also would suggest touring or commuting tires vs. road tires, 25 or 28 mm which ever will fit and run them a few psi lower then your roadie tires.
nonsense x2.
i ride two carbon commuters because i broke multiple aluminum and steel frames from
the stresses of commuting. in fact, one of my carbon frames was a free warranty replacement for an alu trek that cracked at the bottom bracket. no other frame material is as strong as carbon fiber when it comes to handling the stresses of commuting (or pro competition). while my plastic bikes have a few nicks and scratches (as does my steel bike) it's a myth that damage to clearcoat and surface weave impacts structural integrity. another advantage of plastic is that frame repairs are cheap and effective (the top tube of my orbea was repaired after a crash on a woodland trail).
i have used low spoke count factory wheels and hand built wheels with 28-32 spokes. both have advantages and both work fine for commuting. i currently have
20 aero spoke XC 29er wheels on my A commuter. (competitive XC puts far more stress on wheels than toodling to work on city streets.)