SuperPershing

Are Carbon Wheelset Generally Stronger than Aluminum Wheelset? i just cant find any solid answers in google search. In terms of durability, is carbon wheelset (rims) stronger than Alu wheelset? but let us not put in the factor of a heavy accident like run over by a car or what, cause surely both will fail. Thanks for the answers!

TimothyH

Strength is a nebulous term. You also bring up durability which might have nothing to do with strength.


I think we are talking about impact resistance here. Please clarify.

Have a look at the Carbon would have bounced back thread regarding impact resistance.

Post number 16 from an experienced wheelbuilder says...


-Tim-

maartendc

You won't find a straight answer, because they are just two materials. Much depends on the design of how the materials are used. If less material or an inferior design is used, the rim will be weaker. You can build a stronger alloy rim or a stronger carbon fiber rim, it all depends.

By and large, if you buy from a reputable manufacturer, they can both be just as strong / durable. Keep an eye on the rider weight limit they list for a wheelset, that will give you some indication whether they went for a strong design or focused more on a super lightweight "race-day only" wheelset. Also, wheelsets with more spokes (lets say 24 spokes in the front versus 18) will be more durable / stay true longer / have bigger weight limit. But extra spokes make the wheel heavier as well.

I am sure you have found out that carbon wheelsets can be much more expensive. But they can also be much lighter for a given wheel (rim) depth.

Bike wheels are kind of a rabbit hole honestly. It all depends on how much you want to spend, if you want it to be ultra-durable or ultra-light, etc.

WhyFi

Are you talking about the build of the wheel (staying round, true and tensioned) or about the rim taking impacts or what, exactly? Well built and properly inflated, there shouldn't be too much separating the two, though. Price and weight (for a given depth/width) would be the two much more significant differentiating factors, IMO.

motosonic

I think the answer to your question is a resounding no. While I am definitely not a carbon expert, I have done some digging on the matter in the past because I'm not a 150lb rider and it seems that carbon generally has weight restrictions on the rider where most aluminum wheels do not.
This tells me a few things... carbon fiber has a much lower tolerance under higher weights. which as you can imagine increases your chance of catastrophic failure considerably. That's not to say ALL carbon wheels would have this issue. As there are different ways to build a carbon wheel. But, if that's a concern. Go aluminum.
The second thing my research tells me is that carbon fiber is susceptible to weakening, warping, etc. from heat. So, if you have rim brake carbon rims, even though they make special pads for CF, you're still introducing heat and friction to a laminated surface. Do the math. Disc brakes I believe would eliminate much of that risk though.
While there may be more.. I think these small points really hit at the difference between MOST aluminum and Carbon wheels. Again, there are probably exceptions, but the question was 'generally'.
I hope this helps

tyrion

All wheels have a weight limit. Whether or not that limit has been determined in good faith and published - that's a different story.

MoAlpha

Both of my aluminum wheel sets have a published weight limit. Seems like good risk management.

popeye

My CF Boyds outlasted my AL rims by years and were still going strong when I traded them in after 6 yrs.

69chevy

He clearly stated it's for his fixie with no brakes...

downhillmaster

99spokes

Google "Danny MacAskill Tests Santa Cruz Reserve Carbon Wheels" for a great video example of how strong carbon wheels can be. (sorry, can't post link, not enough cred)

cycledogg

No.

TimothyH

Cross posted from the General Cycling forum.

Are Carbon Wheelset Generally Stronger than Aluminum Wheelset?

As I said in that thread, the concept of stronger is nebulous at best and the word is incorrectly used most of the time.

Strength has to do with how much weight it will hold.
Durablity has to do with how long it will last
Impact resistance has to do acute stress, how big of a hit it can take and still function.

The OP needs to clarify what he is asking. Example...

Durability an strength are two different things which might not be related at all.


-Tim-

socaltrailrider

Generally speaking, carbon wheels are "stronger" than aluminum. That said, strength is not the only benefit of carbon wheels over aluminum.

ColonelSanders

I think the weight of the respective wheelsets need to be considered here.

Carbon rims would be stronger on a gram for gram basis, but they don't tend to make 600gram carbon rims, so if you don't care too much about weight, you probably can get a stronger(albeit heavier) rim that is made from aluminium.

SuperPershing

My main point of getting a carbon wheelset is weight because having a high profile rim on a aluminum is heavy. But of course on a carbon, much much lighter. I need a high profile wheelset to better sustain speed for crits.

SuperPershing

My main point of getting a carbon wheelset is weight because having a high profile rim on a aluminum is heavy. But of course on a carbon, much much lighter. I need a high profile wheelset to better sustain speed for crits. And i will not use breaks cause fixie. And to address this question in a much clearer state, i need the answer for Impact Resistance.

For example i had a nasty crash or i drove a really deep pothole on a speed of light. Im worried that i cannot retune my wheels because carbon is like a SOLID one piece ans cannot be bent. So im afraid that when its not trued, i cannot true it again like a normal alu rims/wheelset

TimothyH

Carbon will deform and recover more readily than aluminum.

"Carbon would have bounced back"

Have a look at post number 16 by a professional wheel builder.


-Tim-

MoAlpha

Crits on a brakeless "fixie?" Do tell.

Excuse me, breakless.

AlmostTrick

For safety it's more about the manner of failure than theoretical or laboratory "strength". That, and the ability to hide or expose flaws/damage that lead to failure. Only carbon can shatter to bits, usually suddenly and without warning, due to damage that couldn't even be seen upon prior inspection.

maartendc

This.

If you are concerned about impact strength: again depends on the rim design. Cannot draw meaningful conclusions from material choice alone. You can make a super lightweight alloy rim that has less impact resistance than a strong carbon rim. You can make a very flimsy carbon rim, that has less impact resistance than a heavy alloy rim. One material is not inherently more impact resistant than the other.

This thread is dumb. Anyone who says either is more impact resistant, without comparing two specific rim designs, is talking BS.

The only thing you can say for sure is that the mode of failure is usually different between alloy and carbon. Carbon rims will crack, alloy rims will bend (irreparably). Both can be destroyed upon impact. Both can lead to nasty crashes.

woodcraft

And the OP says he just can't find any solid answers!

cycledogg

Which would you buy, a twenty year old alloy rim, or a twenty year old carbon rim? Both rims were well taken care of. Neither rim was abused. I would get the alloy rim. JMHO
Cheers

Marcus_Ti

Was anyone even commercially selling carbon fiber wheels 20 years ago, beyond maybe alloy-rim w/CF-fairing wheels? The choice dichotomy you propose isn't really a choice IIRC.

And TBH...20 year old alloy rims, weren't that great anyway, your choice basically being the Mavic rims that didn't (yet) have the spokes pull through the rim.

TimothyH

Lots of misinformation in this thread.

I'm pretty sure that half of what's been written here is simply made up.


-Tim-