TheFort

Hey all,

Can you recommend a nice, lightweight rim that will fit a 40mm gravel tire without the mushrooming effect over the sides?

Thanks!

msu2001la

Zipp 303 S can handle up to 50mm tires. It has a 23mm i.d. and 27mm o.d.
The 303 Firecrest is 2mm wider and can handle up to 55mm tires.

40mm tires are going to be wider than any rim you'd want to run on a gravel bike, so "mushroom effect" is relative here.

TheFort

Thanks!

Can gravel riding handle carbon wheel sets? I'm going to look into some of those today, but wasn't sure if carbon was strong enough for gravel riding.

msu2001la

Carbon is very strong. These wheels work great for gravel. Zipp wheels come with a lifetime warranty.

Koyote

Carbon is stronger than alloy, but the failure mode is very different.

I would have no problem running carbon fiber rims for gravel.

msu2001la

Should be noted that the Zipp wheels are disc brake only. The rims are hookless, so you have to run a tubeless ready tire that is "hookless compatible" (most are), but you can still run a tube inside if you like.

If you have rim brakes or aren't into tubeless, you'll need to look elsewhere.

TheFort

I love tubeless and have disc brakes. Thanks for the head's up!

Troul 

I would try running a road *like* tire that is designated for gravel/cross with a road tube or go tubeless. Not sure which tire that would be meant for gravel that has a road profile.

mstateglfr 

How much of a mushroom effect is too much?
The rims on my gravel bike are 25mm outside and the tires are 43mm, but I sure dont think they have a lightbulb profile.

Troul 

I ran a Continental Touring Plus Reflex & a Schwalbe Marathon Plus HS 348 on a 25mm outside 17mm inside spacing rim, & a 45mm depth. Tires were 700x32. Didn't have the flat tire look with the psi on the higher end of the spec.

TheFort

I'm going to set up this gravel bike for moderate touring, like 100mile per day rail trails this summer. Maybe back to back days like that. Nothing crazy but not super beginner stuff. What depth would you think is ideal for that? I'm in CO where we have mountains but also wind in neighboring states (NE, SD) with rail trails.

tyrion

For touring I'd prefer shallow rims. The aero benefit of deep rims at touring speeds will be minimal, but fighting cross-winds with deep rims might be energy-draining.

Maybe something like Velocity Ailerons would be a happy medium, and you can get them with 36 spokes.

TheFort

Would you consider 35mm shallow/okay, or should I go lower?

tyrion

I don't know. TBH I don't have any experience with deep rims. I think they can be problematic in strong cross winds because the internet said so.

msu2001la

I own two sets of carbon wheels, 45mm and 35mm depth. I've never noticed any unusual effects or handling difficulty from crosswinds.
I think this might be a problem on super deep 80mm wheels.

keithdunlop

I've been very happy with my Light Bicycle WR35 carbon rims for gravel. 25mm inner width, 32mm outer, and they pair very well with my Vittoria Terreno Dry tires (40mm inflated). I laced them to a pair of DT Swiss 350 hubs in a 24 hole 2x cross pattern and they hold up great.

Chilepines

RaceFace ARC Offset rim in 25 mm ID is really nice. DT XR 391 is similar but not asymmetric, so I like the Raceme rim better. I have both and built both wheels.

TheFort

Is the 35 in WR35 describing a 35 depth? If so, what is your experience with those in wind/cross wind? I wound up going with a 35 depth carbon rim...hope it's not too much in cross winds.

Camilo

Both the Boyd Altamont and CCC will handle 40mm tires and are pretty light aluminum rims. The Altamont is 22 inner for 25 to 45mm tire. The CCC is wider, 25mm inner and does something like 32mm tire on up to 50/2". Both are low profile, less than 25mm, I think.

keithdunlop

The handle cross winds very well. That said, my gravel bike doesn't get the same speedy open road use where crosswind handling would be considered.

TheFort

I'm still looking around! Can't quite find what I'm looking for...all the rims seem to have garish logos on them. Does any manufacturer besides Hunt have a nice minimalist logo that isn't an eyesore? It seems impossible to find a rim that's lightweight and not garish. I wish cycling would move away from the garish thing. The Hunt wheels I did try, and they are the noisiest rim I ever rode, so I had to return them. I guess I don't like good pawl engagement. I ride at night a lot, and the noise really sucks when you're out for peace and quiet.

I'm looking for:

1. Lightweight
2. Minimal to zero noise
3. Not garish looking logo

I might be looking for a unicorn!
Thanks

KJ43

I have the Light Bicycle WR38s on a wheelset built by Light Bicycle with DT Swiss 240 EXP hubs and they are great for gravel riding. I ride pretty technical, rocky single track at times and I'll do a bit of jumping as well and they are as true after a year as the day they were shipped to me. The 38mm depth will pick up some of the force from crosswinds, nothing unmanageable imo, but ymmv.

For the logo, just pick the black decal on black CF finish. See below.




The hub is where the noise comes from. I personally like a noisy hub, but Light Bicycle will work with you on hub options and you should be able to select a quiet hub if that is what you want. They have great customer service and will work with you on options that aren't available on their website.

mstateglfr 

You were initially looking for just a lightweight rim. Now it seems you are looking for a full lightweight wheelset since rims dont make noise.
Call prowheelbuilder.com and tell them what you want and ask for some options. They handbuild wheels with seemingly endless combinations of hub, spoke, and rim.

Also, if you dont want the hub to make noise, dont stop pedaling. <--easy answer.

prj71

You can order without any logos on the rim. I have a set I purchased for mountain bike last year. They work great.

https://btlos.com/index.html

mschwett 

i have roval terra clx on my gravel-ish setup, very light, 25mm internal width. made for gravel. unlike the zipps they are hooked. i've run 32 and 42mm on them. they also have a wider version but shouldn't be needed for 40mm...