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Are they worth it?
I know nothing about them - except they're mega dosh, and they might accelerate more quickly than heavier alloy ones
But slower than lighter alu ones...
Benefit is in the stiffness (apparently). For me no rim can justify being 10x the cost of good alu one, whilst weighing more!
Be tempted by some Chinese eBay ones though!
jeez they are heavier?
Stiffness? FFS.
They make your wallet lighter.
They look pimpin.
enve rims + hubs same weight as mavic crossmax
but enve rims are used by downhill racers, much wider than mavics
so would believe them to be much stronger for the same weight.
Still couldn't spend £2000 on a set of wheels... but there's always the lottery
They're not lighter?
Ive brought a set just over a month ago now, unfortunately one managed a few minutes of riding on them before breaking my ankle after going over the bars.
However theres definitely a huge difference when it comes to riding over rough stuff. They are much smoother over the ground compared to ali rims. Its not until you ride them back to back you realise how big the difference is.
Are they worth it? Well depends what you want out of a wheelset really. If you want a light wheelset then no. But for me personally I dont think ill look at anything else other than carbon wheels on future builds.
worth it? well i bought 4 of the chinese ones for approx £470. not a huge amount more than good alu rims, at least not in the £1000's price range which i wouldn't pay for.
weight is similar to a light alu rim but they are very stiff and wide. they ride/handle well. i have damaged one but its still been ok for months. i'd buy them again.
They're not lighter?
It's not that straightforward is it? Prices in Euros because the first shop I Googled is German.
AX Lightness Carbon tub rim: 255g €700
ENVE Carbon clincher: 385g €1000
NoTubes Crest: 380g €90
NoTubes Race Gold: 320g €120ish, hard to come by as rims
DUKE LuckyJack 299 carbon clincher: 295g €527 (never heard of em - interesting though!)
eBay carbon rims 450g £100
So basically... ENVE charge silly amounts of money for their rims, and tubs are far lighter.
They may not be lighter than some aluminium rims but they are likely to be much more durable. I'd pay extra for that.
BTW There is a huge thread on MTBR regarding the the Chinese rims.
They may not be lighter than some aluminium rims but they are likely to be much more durable. I'd pay extra for that.
10 times more durable? I'll take the risk I'll **** 10 rims ta!
Roval ones are good value, their new ones without a bead hook look very interesting.
10 times more durable? I'll take the risk I'll **** 10 rims ta!
Talking about the Chinese ones 😛
njee20 - just out of interest have you actually ridden on carbon rims?
Just makes me laugh that people are prepared to several thousand on a frame, and another grand on a set of forks. But then skimp on the only contact point between you and the ground.
my opinion is that carbon rims are a more noticable upgrade than a carbon frame(from alu versions). based on actual use.
keavo, do you have a link to the ebay seller you bought from, think I may experiment soon?
google, light-bicycle
Light bicycles seem to be the supplier of choice. Nancy is super helpful.
I recently invested in a pair of light-bicycle 29er rims, bought direct from light-bicycle. I just fancied something different to the normal Stans offering. They were around 400g per rim so not really light. Before built into a wheel they felt very stiff compared to an equivilant weight aluminium rim. They built up fairly easily into a nice wheel set. So far I have only covered about 400 miles on them, but no concerns on strength to date.
ive got enve rims, not built them though yet as just switched to 29er
had the same rims on my 26er, very nice,
could i tell much difference in a back to back test, nope, not for my general pootling along
Thanks for the replies (I've also found [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/carbon-rims-anybody-using-them-for-their-mtb ]some other STW stuff[/url] from googling...).
The bike I'm considering have carbons on std, along with a load of other good kit. I was consiering frame only, but think I'll go for the whole deal - Whyte are selling the wheelset at a grand...
overpriced at a grand them
basically chinese carbon rims with unbranded hubs,
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Full-Carbon-Mountain-Bike-MTB-Wheelset-29ER-Clincher-RIM-spokes-Hub-pad-skewers-/271062240023?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3f1c918b17 ]these[/url]
njee20 - just out of interest have you actually ridden on carbon rims?Just makes me laugh that people are prepared to several thousand on a frame, and another grand on a set of forks. But then skimp on the only contact point between you and the ground.
On the MTB only some short rides on Bontrager XXX Lites and some Rovals, on the road I've owned a couple of sets. I'm prepared to accept that they're stiffer, but for my money it's not cost effective. The frame/fork argument is flawed, because the cost difference isn't as marked.
My bike came with XXX Lites, I sold them and bought a set of DT240s on Alpines and built a set of Podium wheels that are 250g lighter than the XXX Lites were, and still had change. That's not even retail, that's from what I sold them for.
And there's still the risk you can smash one on a rock. I'll take some possibly more vague steering ta!
Road yes, MTB no for me right now, excepting Chinese ones at sensible prices.
[quoteThe frame/fork argument is flawed, because the cost difference isn't as marked.
The cost difference depends on the frame choice surely.
interesting article by JRA
http://www.justridingalong.com/news/2011/05/enve-rims-now-in/
Yes I know they are promoting the rims but factual nonetheless.
From the JRA article:
The layup of the carbon material and shape of the rim contributes greatly to this but Enve's moulded-in spoke holes are also responsible. Most (all?) other carbon rims have drilled holes which weakens them a lot as it cuts through the fibres, making it impossible to reliably achieve high spoke tensions but Enve rims can be built to a hefty 140kg. Lightweight NoTubes rims top out at about 95kg.
Isn't that a moot point as beyond a certain point higher tension does not a stiffer wheel make...
If I was gonna do it I'd go tubs, at least you save a chunk of weight then too!
The cost difference depends on the frame choice surely.
True, but in general carbon frames aren't heavier than alu ones at 1/10 the price. Ie a Highball isn't heavier than an inbred...