highrpm

Last weekend I was riding with my wife and boys at the local park. My six year old wasn't paying attention when I slowed and ran into my bike. He bent my wheel slightly. I adjusted the spokes to get it back to nearly straight again.


I was thinking about that wheel, and how I have been considering an upgrade to a set of Ebay carbon wheels.


I wonder how a carbon wheel would have fared against a kid and his bicycle?

DMC707 

Using those parameters, a collision with a child's bicycle could also damage a carbon wheel --

I'd say collision protection is not a viable reason to upgrade, but carbon wheels look good and can be made with deeper aero profiles with less weight penalty of aluminum, they are stiffer as well in general,

Speedskater

When I rode with my grand kids I used an expendable bike. Riding with 4 to 9 year old's is a challenge. First I switched back to old fashioned toe clips, then I removed the toe clips and used ordinary pedals. Also lowered the seat post a lot.

Maelochs

The question isn't whether the possibility of unpredictable damage is a good reason not to buy carbon rims. After all, something unusual could happen at any time to anything or anybody.

The question is, Why do you want carbon rims?

andr0id

take it out of his allowance and give him better training on riding in a pace line.

daviddavieboy

Always happens when there is a wheel sucker in line!

Some wheels use a carbon fairing which probably would have broken anyway. Also, some eBay wheels might not be built very well especially if they were from asia and might not be very durable.

An accident is unpredictable and there is no telling what may happen. At least a traditional wheel may be straightened.

highrpm

@Maelochs, I've been getting the itch to either upgrade my bike or buy some nicer parts for it. I've been checking out some of the carbon wheels on Ebay.


But this recent experience, and some of the comments, makes me think that I should just leave my bike as is until the kids get bigger. Then I can upgrade without worrying about the danger of breaking expensive parts.

indyfabz

Because bigger kids cannot run into you?

Jarrett2

A (very lightweight) friend of mine rode his bike across a wooden bridge with metal grating during a group ride and somehow it knocked chunks out of his front and rear Bontrager (Aeleus 5 maybe?) carbon wheels. Didn't happen to anyone else (w/AL wheels) that crossed the bridge on the ride, by the way.

The front one was cosmetic, the rear had some significant damage that made it unsafe to ride. Fortunately Trek warranted them somehow (he worked for a dealer) and he was not out the $1100 to replace the wheel. I'm fairly sure had he not worked for the dealer, it would have been out of pocket. So now, we try to pick different routes for group rides that he's on in the hopes of not damaging his wheels.

That was enough for me to know I'll never ride carbon wheels.

merlinextraligh

The CF rims are going to be stiffer, and less likely that your kid bumping the wheel would have knocked it out of true in the first place.

Also " I adjusted the spokes to get it back nearly straight again" is a bit concerning.

The wheel shouldn't be nearly straight, it should be straight, (true, and round) with the spokes evenly tensioned. It doesn't sound like you have a lot of experience truing wheels. I'd take the wheel to a shop and ask them true it.

Seattle Forrest

I'd sell one of the kids to fund a wheel upgrade, if it was me.

highrpm

Well, from what I've seen with my boys, they tend to pay much more attention when they get older. The six year old ran into me. The 11 and 13 year haven't done that in years.

@merlinextraligh, I agree with you about the wheels. I adjusted the spokes to get it as true as I could (after watching some youtube videos on the subject), but at the same time I'm concerned about the fact that the wheel isn't truly "stress-free" now since some spokes are in tension, trying to hold it straight. I'll take it in this summer sometime.

AlmostTrick

Especially when just putting along with little kids.


Heck, get a cheap beach cruiser for your kiddie rides... and then go all out on "upgrading" the fancy bike if it makes you happy.

Kindaslow

If CF rims hold up to MTBing, my guess is that they are tough enough to withstand whatever any other rim is subjected to. But, 16 pages from now nobody will remember what the argument is about. ��

highrpm

Well, from what I've seen with my boys, they tend to pay much more attention when they get older. The six year old ran into me. The 11 and 13 year haven't done that in years.

@merlinextraligh, I agree with you about the wheels. I adjusted the spokes to get it as true as I could (after watching some youtube videos on the subject), but at the same time I'm concerned about the fact that the wheel isn't truly "stress-free" now since some spokes are in tension, trying to hold it straight. I'll take it in this summer sometime.

CliffordK

The CF rims can be made light, strong, durable, aero, etc.

Usually a compromise is chosen. MTB or Cross wheels for some, road wheels for others.

The rim surface to the road (cushioned with a tire) is tough. But, the problem with an accident is that it can introduce unintended stresses, so all bets are off.

Maelochs

Okay. As I understand it you want CF rims because ... CF rims. Stiffer, lighter, won't stop in the wet ...

But you also want to survive your daily kiddy-rides. Git it.

I second the beach-cruiser idea. Go on Craigslist and get the cheapest rolling bike you can find. For touring the neighborhood with the kids in tow it really won't matter. Get an old rigid mountain bike with flat pedals and practice track stands and nose wheelies .... if your kids won't try to copy you.

GlennR

If you're always worried about damaging something, you'll never use it.

When you buy a new car, do you avoid driving it when you'll have to part in a lot?

"S" happens, you can be very careful, but you can't control everything around you.

OnyxTiger

To echo the sentiments of most here... you suffer this dilemma simply because you refuse to embrace the beauty of n+1. Although, a carbon beach cruiser on carbon 72-spoke wheels could be a stretch.

veganbikes

Cheap wheels are always a bad idea, cheap carbon wheels made by who knows somewhere in Asia possibly doesn't fare any better. If you want to upgrade wheels you can get some nice handbuilt wheels from a competent wheel builder or from someone like Rolf Prima (they build all their wheels by hand (though I guess the hubs come from White Industries...not a bad deal).

However upgrading the bike completely might be the better bet. Find something with nicer components maybe even go to a nicer brand that isn't Trek. Keep that bike as your beater and have a nicer road bike maybe even something with nicer frame material like steel, titanium or if you must crabon fibers.

Marcus_Ti

Great minds.

Jobax

Definitely pro carbon wheels.

TimothyH

I don't need a reason not to buy carbon wheels.

-Tim-

Tony G

I'm not a fan of carbon clinchers in combination with rim brakes. There are too many long steep descents with hairpins where I ride (so I'm on the brakes a lot) and combine that with summer temps and I'd have nightmares of the tires blowing off after the rim over heated and deformed. BUT if I were to run disks I'd very tempted to buy them. I raced on Lew Composites with tubulars years ago and they were noticeably faster.

02Giant 

A bike ridden around the MUP with the kids doesn't need carbon wheels. Buy another bike.