Originally Posted by
Marcus_Ti
You can do much more, engineering wise, with CF with less mass. Further it isn't all about aerodynamic gains; haven't you wondered why CX racers use deep-section rims when they almost never are going fast enough for aerodynamics to really matter? Because deeper-rims shed mud better and don't get sucked in within mud as much; and CF means you can run deeper rims without mass penalty
No, I asked respondents to focus on the material itself, vs. its consequences. Then for the deliberately obtuse who revel in the internet game of playing contrarian, I stated it a different way -- compare low-profile carbon disc rims to similarly-shaped and weighted low-profile aluminum rims, or if that is still far too abstract, compare Santa Cruz Reserve rims to HED Belgium Plus rims.
The folks who feign that the question is impossible to answer are tacitly suggesting that there is no substantive difference.
Originally Posted by
Marcus_Ti
focus solely on ride quality....something largely determined by tire choice, size, and pressure.
OK, I have to give you some credit for inadvertantly answering my question: carbon lets you make pretty shapes, but doesn't directly affect ride quality.