Carbon clinchers ready for prime time?
07-13-12, 06:05 PM
#26
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Originally Posted by merlinextraligh
Even on a steep twisty descent, there's a way to brake and a way not to. Brake hard before a turn, slowling substantially, roll up speed to next turn, brake hard again, repeat.
That approach allows the rims and pads to cool.
Brake moderately hard the whole way down, and you'll cook your pads, if not your rims. Where people get in trouble is when they are afraid to let the bike run free at all, and keep the brakes on constantly.
That approach allows the rims and pads to cool.
Brake moderately hard the whole way down, and you'll cook your pads, if not your rims. Where people get in trouble is when they are afraid to let the bike run free at all, and keep the brakes on constantly.
Coming down Mt Baldy the switchbacks come fast and furious and the speed pours on quickly at >12%. My rims get pretty damn hot over the 3-4 minutes it takes to come down. The rides out near malibu referenced in the blog are probably pretty similar.
Older resins could fail under even the most experienced rider in certain situations. It really does seem that is exactly why Zipp waited so long to move to an all carbon wheel - they wanted to solve that issue first. I believe they have.
07-14-12, 03:43 AM
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Originally Posted by milkbaby
But you also gotta be a member of the church of n+1, as you'll need a disc brake compatible road frame and fork... 
2013 Roubaix SL4
07-14-12, 11:26 AM
#28
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I have built and ridden hundreds of different wheelsets in my 30 years as a mech and bike shop owner. My favorite set yet are HED Belgium rims built 24 spoke on Chris King R45 hubs, Conti GP4000S, and latex tubes. There's nothing carbon about them. No one not making their living on their bike needs carbon wheels. And then, they will be given to you. :-)
Not to say the wheels of Zipp, Bontrager, Campy and the other high end fabricators aren't perfectly nice, well-designed and executed products, but your position on the bike and commitment to training and diet, not to mention genes, do more for your speed than bike part you can buy.....as evidenced by a local cyclist who occasionally shows up to races on a Trek 1 Series aluminum with a triple crank and destroys people on $6000 carbon wonder bikes.
Not to say the wheels of Zipp, Bontrager, Campy and the other high end fabricators aren't perfectly nice, well-designed and executed products, but your position on the bike and commitment to training and diet, not to mention genes, do more for your speed than bike part you can buy.....as evidenced by a local cyclist who occasionally shows up to races on a Trek 1 Series aluminum with a triple crank and destroys people on $6000 carbon wonder bikes.
07-14-12, 11:51 AM
#29
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Full carbon rims in general seem a bit counter intuitive to me. Applying hundreds of pounds of pressure and hundreds of degrees of heat to a piece of epoxy seems to me to be a bad idea. Not right away, but perhaps over time. It's probably not a problem when you're a pro and have a truck full of wheels following you everywhere, but that doesn't apply to anyone here.
This is very true. IMO, carbon wheels make much, much more sense when disc brakes are involved.
Originally Posted by ravenmore
Honestly this goes out the window if the bike has disk brakes. I've seen a few stories on putting disk brakes on road bikes recently. I like the idea of it personally.
07-14-12, 08:33 PM
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Can someone explain the magical 200lb number? If I weigh 199lbs I am fine but at 201 the wheels will fail. I haven a lot of wheels that lately that never had weight limits all the sudden now do. Is the lawyers talking or is all the made China parts just not worth the money? Do get me wrong there is a place for these wheels, just not as climbing wheels. One manufacture said it best,"Yes the pros use them, but the pros get their wheels for free and throw many of them out immediately after taking a beating."
07-14-12, 10:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Hiro11
This is very true. IMO, carbon wheels make much, much more sense when disc brakes are involved.
Carbon wheels do have a big advantage in the coolness factor.....
07-15-12, 06:37 AM
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People also forget disc brakes require a heavier and stronger fork. So far few fork manufactures show an interest in going that way
07-15-12, 07:08 AM
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My Volagi Liscio. It's not light at just under 19 lbs but it does what it's designed to do. Already battle tested through the hardest double century in California up and down 8 mountain passes. Once I set aside some funds I'll be buying the Carbon Volagi clinchers. I rode them on a test bike with Di2 and TRP hydraulic brakes last weekend.
https://app.strava.com/rides/12158578
Levi's Gran Fondo travels over really really bad pavement in Sonoma County. Long descents on roads that are pot hole ridden and never repaired. I've already ridden down some on the Volagi and will again next month on the Mt. Tam Double Century.
https://app.strava.com/rides/12158578
Levi's Gran Fondo travels over really really bad pavement in Sonoma County. Long descents on roads that are pot hole ridden and never repaired. I've already ridden down some on the Volagi and will again next month on the Mt. Tam Double Century.
