history of carbon wheelsets?

[illdthedj]

hi guys!

just curious...what were the first carbon wheelsets?
what were some of the first companies producing them?
when were they first being produced?

just random curiosity.

also because ive built up an early 90s Klein Quantum with a large majority of 90's era parts (dura ace 7402, cinelli alter, selle turbomatic, etc) and thought it would be funny to make it fully 90's era with a 90s era carbon wheelset...

although something tells me riding around on early 90's carbon wheelsets (if such a thing exists. i dont know...im kind of ignorant on the subject) is very smart haha (but hey, maybe some of you are still riding around on yours. i like living dangerously!) *queue carbon explosion sounds*


but really im just generally curious about the history of carbon in wheelsets.

btw heres my dorky Klein in case you were curious:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3700/9092830173_2bdb865d94_c.jpg

i dont think the HED ALPS are from the 90s...i dunno what the deal is with my fascination with 90s era road bikes haha :banana:

[thirdgenbird]

If i recall, Hed had faired carbon wheels in the early 90s and the alps might have even been in the late 90s.

I would leave the bike as is. The wheels are roughly period with the fork and stem (early 2ks)

[RFC]

That Klein is great! Stand proud.

[weiwentg]

The Lightweight website says that their wheels helped Bjarne Riis and Jan Ullrich win the 1996 and 1997 Tours, and Johan Museeuw to win the 1996 World Championships. Most likely the effect of the wheels were dominated by the effect of EPO, though.

http://lightweight.info/us/en/company

Edit: Oh, my. They clearly haven't updated their history page. Shots of Ullrich, Museeuw, Dopestrong and Zabel.

http://lightweight.info/us/en/company/history

[cfox]

Lew was one of the first full carbon, metal spoked wheels. They looked exactly like modern Reynolds rims. The resin and carbon lay up wasn't really up to the task at the time. They were very light, braked poorly and were scary flexy.

[ultraman6970]

If you guys go backwards in time only lenticular (mid to end 80s)wheels were made of carbon and kevlar back in the day. Regular rims made of carbon were developed way after, maybe 5 years after if not more.

[Black Dog]

Nice bike. The rear dérailleur is 80's vintage btw.

Specialized made a carbon trispoke wheel in the late 80's.

[KidWok]

That, my friend, is dehd seh-xeh!

You wanna be careful with those alter stems. Pretty as they were, it was a really bad design. If the front handlebar clamp bolt blows the threads, it's disastrous. Happened to me JRA (thankfully at low speeds) and I've seen it happen to others. Still have mine actually. Heli-coiled it after the front bolt stripped the stem body threads and it worked fine after that, but I'm not sure why I was so stupid to even keep using it.

Tai

[Louis]

I think the first carbon bicycle wheel was when one of these was caught in a fire and burned:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ivZYF0VxJvg/UXujTKC_86I/AAAAAAAABy4/HPJ3V9yElBs/s1600/IcelandBicycle-1023x677.jpg

[David Kirk]

I had carbonish rims on my BMX bike back in the early 80's. The company ACS made rims called "Z rims" out of glass reinforced nylon (Zytel) and they were super flexi. They then made a carbon reinforced nylon rim that was much stiffer........stiff enough to actually work. I used them for a while but the braking was bad and they were no lighter than alloy so we went back to aluminum.

But this stuff isn't new that's for sure.

Dave

[oliver1850]

Corima made some road wheels in the late 1980s I think.

Here's some from Fir -1994.

[oldpotatoe]

Corima made some road wheels in the late 1980s I think.

Here's some from Fir -1994.

I have a set of these on our 1989 35th anniversary Colnago...

[Bruce K]

I think Spinergy appeared in the 90's

I had some weird tri blade carbon composite wheels on my MTB back then but I can't remember the exact name. They were Spinsomething or other.

I akso vrlieve that HED Alps were late 90's. my don is still riding my first set of those wheels. They are/were virtually indestructible.

BK

[William]

Aerospoke (as hip as they are today) were around in the early 90's. Maybe earlier.




William

[oldpotatoe]

I think Spinergy appeared in the 90's

I had some weird tri blade carbon composite wheels on my MTB back then but I can't remember the exact name. They were Spinsomething or other.

I akso vrlieve that HED Alps were late 90's. my don is still riding my first set of those wheels. They are/were virtually indestructible.

BK

They did, Davis Phinney had some prototype ones about 1993/4.

TriSpoke?? wasn't that made by Dupont, early 90s?

[bicycletricycle]

spin wheels were made in 20" and 26" and 700c, used to be distributed by GT when they were still in so cal.

HED was making aluminum/carbon rims back then for mountain and road.

aluminum rim/carbon fairing like mavic cosmic.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . pick up some Spinergy's for that honey! :eek: :crap:

http://pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-020/

BBD

[Bruce K]

Thanks, they were Spin wheels.

I believe they also made wheelchair wheels.

BK

[bicycletricycle]

they also made freestyle BMX wheels called thugs. they were 5 spokes.

[illdthedj]

some really interesting info guys, thanks!

im not SUPER into trying to make the Klein absolutely period correct, but i was just thinking about it, and started getting curious about the history of carbon wheelsets.

haha i picked up a spinergy wheel cheapo off a random garage sale a while ago, never have used it. maybe ill turn it into an art piece or something haha

ill stick with my HED ALPS...they definitely feel super solid.

kidwok: thanks! whoa thats crazy your front bolt stripped...just curious, had you used yours for quite a while before it stripped? which of the two bolts was it? this is the first ive heard of that. luckily my alter is (er, was) NOS, and this bike dosn't get ridden super often...(i have multiple bikes i go thru rotations like most people here im sure)

[illdthedj]

Nice bike. The rear dérailleur is 80's vintage btw.

Specialized made a carbon trispoke wheel in the late 80's.

i THINK its early 90s since its 7402 (8 speed, came out early 90s) and not 7400 (7 speed...which came out late 80s)...i think.