thehammerdog

https://velonews.competitor.com/2013/...peloton_281545

pdedes

yay!

BillyD

Here we go.

jrobe

One team brought 100 wheels to Paris Roubaix. As soon as I have 100 spare wheels, I will switch to all carbon too.

Inertianinja

yea it's always been kind of puzzling to me how anyone could have a blanket distrust of carbon at all, much less when the frames and wheels survive Paris Rounaix, and there's basically nobody who rides in more adverse conditions.

rpenmanparker 

An important milestone to be sure. What significance is there to the fact that these Paris Roubaix wheels were all or almost all tubulars? We have had a double standard for maybe half that aluminum century, tubular aluminum for advanced racing and clincher aluminum for enthusiast training and fitness riding. Will there now be a mixed material double standard for a few years, carbon tubular and aluminum clincher, until carbon finally claims it all? It seems to me that aluminum will linger in the amateur sport a lot longer than wood and steel did. Anyone?

Inertianinja

There already is a double standard. I'd guess that alu will stay until carbon becomes cheaper to produce than aluminum.

I'm sure that if there were an internet back then, there would have been plenty of people arguing FOR wood and against steel for many of the same reasons that people who are (inexplicably) against carbon today.

WhyFi

I think that they'll also need to put to rest any doubts about heat dissipation.

Inertianinja

That might be a tougher nut to crack.

Paris Roubaix is undoubtedly a test of durability, but a pro mountain stage might not be as clear a test of heat dissipation. Pros might be going faster down the mountain, but they're probably also braking less than your average amateur. Pros already use carbon rims in these conditions, unless i'm mistaken.

I don't think anyone thinks that carbon rims explode under normal braking - it's prolonged braking on a descent that seems to be the problem. I'm sure that this will be addressed.

Looigi

Also, these were all tubulars, not clinchers, where weakening of the rim from heat is a much bigger issue.

Inertianinja

Well I think it should be obvious that the thread title isn't accurate, and the article wasn't saying that aluminum is dead everywhere.

P-R isn't a course where you'd expect heavy braking under any circumstances.
I think the takeaway is that carbon has proven to be resilient enough to handle the toughest circumstances, whereas some people thought it could never handle replace alu completely in P-R, tubular or otherwise.

Seattle Forrest

I just bought a set of Fulcrum Racing 7s for $193 a few weeks ago. Want to guess what the rims are made of? It ain't carbon.

Inertianinja

i imagine you could get a set of steel rims for even less.

FR7 are over a pound heavier than the carbon clincher version, even heavier than the tubular.

price may be your only criterion, but that's not the way it is for everyone.

rpenmanparker 

The issue here is not whether there is a carbon clincher that can take the punishment, it is whether all of them can? I think we know some can, but overall the answer is NOT. So folks will be plagued by doubt regarding lower priced, unbranded clinchers for quite a while. Until a much lower cost, durable alternative with a respected label enters the market, aluminum will continue to dominate clinchers. The wave of change is underway however.

Inertianinja

thats only an issue if "all" aluminum wheels can withstand P-R. which is obviously not the case

Less material will always mean less strength.

Commodus

Yes, it's clear that professional cyclists riding a flat course and using 25-27mm wide tubular tires should definitely use carbon wheels. So long as they keep the alloy wheels as back up. Which is good, because from the pics I saw Vanmarcke finished with an alloy rear and a shredded carbon front.

I'm not sure what that has to do with the most of us, but anyways.

Seattle Forrest

Price isn't even the main criteria. Those wheels are indestructibly strong.

Seattle Forrest

It's also clear that we're not professional cyclists. This is a hobby for the people who post here. (This isn't even the racing forum, this is the "I have a road bike and enjoy riding it" forum.)

TrojanHorse

Well, the other unasked question is what happens to those wheels Cancellara rode on after he's done? Does he use them again for the next race or do they get sold on ebay?

Durability for one day is nice but I would need several years and thousands of miles before I would be able to rationalize them. In other words, just because a racer races on something doesn't make it appropriate for Joe Tyro.

rpenmanparker 

Of course you are right. But I wasn't talking about PR punishment. I was talking about heat buildup from descending. I guess that wasn't too clear.

Robert

Commodus

Abundantly clear, in my case.

*looks again at strava for the last two weeks, gently weeps*

bonz50

disc brakes eliminate that argument completely. and as we've seen, discs are indeed coming eventually.

Arabesque

Aluminum is dead?

Maybe in the Tour, where everything is sponsored or use is free.

Not for us paying out of pocket.

hyhuu

Well pros haven't ridden Al frames for a long time so obviously Al frames must be dead as well.

Ferrous Bueller

Carrying your own flat repair, tube and tools, also dead.