ravenmore

Interesting blog post: https://redkiteprayer.com/2012/07/car...or-prime-time/

Thought it was interesting Levi's Gran Fondo sent out a request to participants to not bring carbon clinchers. Another good case for disc brakes on road bikes maybe?

merlinextraligh

I just got done doing a bunch of hills in WV on Zipp 404 Firecrest carbon clinchers. Many of the hills were twisty with as much as 20% grades, and a lot of grades in the low teens.

Had no issues with the rims or braking. Admittedly all of these descents were relatively short, in the 500 vertical foot range.

Personally, I might steer away from carbon clinchers if you're doing really long descents, and are the type to ride the brakes. I'd also likely avoid the no name rims for mountain riding in general.

rangerdavid

They want everyone in the Fondo to break a lot so Levi doesn't get dropped. :-)

Right Said Fred

It seems like it's really only a big problem when there are 500 or so 200-plus-pound Freds trying to descend together in a pack.

Psimet2001 

canam73

....or a few people who aren't used to braking on descents with carbon.

....or a few people who forget or are too dumb to change pads.

ravenmore

If I recall he said something about Zipps being ok.

Makes you really not want to try a long descent on some no name Chinese rim eh?

baiskeli

He mentioned there have been no issues with the Zipp Firecrests.

But it does give one room for pause. I ride Easton EA90s, and I highly doubt given my capabilities I could tell the difference between that and Carbon clinchers (I did ride Zip 404 non-Firecrest on a test ride once, and I think I felt faster on the flats, but that is probably more to the aero than the material. If I were to get Carbon clinchers I'd get the ones with aluminum brake tracks (I think the Mavic Cosmic Carbone). They might make a huge difference for someone else but I have a ways to go before I worry about the little energy I'm losing (I could get more aero, I could get more in shape etc etc).

v70cat

Mavic does not believe in full carbon, they still use a metal braking surface.

Seattle Forrest

I did a long climb in the desert this past week. There were two miles that were steeper than 10 %, and, all told, it was 4,300 feet elevation gain over 20 miles. My brakes started overheating several times on the way down; they'd start to scream when I used them, and I had less stopping power. Managed to get down ok, and it was actually kind of fun. Also, I came pretty close to heat stroke ... we Seattle folk just aren't used to the sun.

Apart from friction heating the rims up, and carbon fiber having a wonderfully low thermal conductivity, it's also black, which is going to absorb more heat from the sun. Would be nice to have white brake tracks.

tony2v

Not these:
https://www.mavic.com/en/product/whee...rbone-Ultimate

NWS Alpine

You might want google before you post

Jeepnut22 

Not a lot of big descents here. But I have a second set of wheels if I ever travel to where there are some...

My Chinese carbon clinchers are surviving just fine so far.

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.

rangerdavid

not on everything

fa63

Correct. Mavic doesn't make full carbon clinchers rims; only full carbon tubular rims.

echotraveler

Not sure if their ready. But, they seem to be #1 on the "want" poll!

I liked the article, but im not sure about bashing Reynolds over other companies. The writen piece by the Reynolds guy seems like it was filtered thru a legal departmen, and most of the big guys would be better off not commenting on issues and just concentrate on marketin, R&D, and warranty

nhluhr

Where did you ride? I've been in Wenatchee on a business trip suffering in the heat all week myself. I've done the Mission Ridge climb from downtown a couple times and am about to head out for a ride to Leavenworth and back (maybe do Icicle Road while I'm in Leavenworth)

I <3 Robots

Carbon wheels are not for everyone.

jmX

This is the main reason I moved away from Reynolds and got Zipp firecrests.

As far as I can tell, Firecrests *are* ready for primetime. They are selling boat loads of them (despite the cost) and not a single failure of the rim yet in what...2 years now? Worst I've heard happening was plastic rim *tape* melting causing a flat, but the rim itself was fine.

As for those citing rider error, did you even read the article? There is no way to ride down some of these roads without being extremely hard on the brakes.

Harun

i'm gonna wait until disc-brake compatible carbon rims become a reality

oh wait...

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...

Seattle Forrest

Icicle Road is fantastic. Better in the spring when there's snow on them thar peaks, but it's wonderful all the time.

If you haven't done it, go enjoy the Leavenworth -> Plain -> Lake Wenatchee -> Cole's Corner -> Leavenworth route. Not too much climbing, but the scenery makes up for it.

When you have some time, go out to Winthrop. Park at the red barn, you can leave your car there for several hours. Ride around the corner into town if you want a meal or anything. Then head out on West Chewach Road, going north from your parking spot. Maybe 10 miles later, you want FS road 51, then 5140 which is Falls Creek Road. Follow it to its end, then turn back. When you're about 7 miles from your starting point, go left over a bridge and follow East Chewach for a loop; it'll take you into town.



I posted a ride report (with pics) in the PNW forum.

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.

dsb137

I've seen a few carbon clincher failures up here... The scary part is that people come up here and it's not even a consideration, they don't even think about it, until something bad happens...

If you look at the Hog Pen descent on Strava, there are a lot of high 50's and quite a few 60+ mph speeds, and this isn't some uber wicked nasty descent that people are warned away from, it's just the 4th descent on the annual 6 Gap ride...

There are plenty of people that go down the descents up here that have never descended anything but an overpass before... Scary...

https://mybloodybikeblog.com/carbon-clinchers/