Dura Ace C24/C35 carbon clinchers: thoughts?

[Climb01742]

I have an older pair of DA 1380 carbon/alu wheels. Over the years they've been sneaky, subtly good. They don't wow you or blow you away, but they just quietly roll very nicely year after year. Their durability has been remarkable.

I'd be curious what people's experiences have been with the newer 9000 c24/c35 that are a bit wider. Do folks like them? Definitely thinking about handbuilts, too, but wanted to cover this base with the Forum braintrust. What's the verdict? Thanks.

[Cicli]

Thise are some of the finest factory wheel built in my opinion. They will not disappoint.

[Davist]

I just got the (new to me) 7900 version of the C24s. Unbelievably good. They're Aluminum/Carbon, I think full carbon are tubular only. Light, fast, sturdy, stiff, all of this and more.. Highly recommend. :banana:

[Matthew]

Got three pair of C35's. Very happy with them so far. Logged lots of miles and no issues at all. Even using one set on a Campy bike:)

[merckx]

The 9000 C24's are very light. I weighed a pair at 1415g with rim strips. No ride report.

[Chris]

I have both. I love them both. Solid and reliable.

[rnhood]

Agree with the comments here. I have two pair and they have been solid and dependable, while being suitably light weight. First rate hub if there ever was one.

The newer (or current 9000) versions have a slight change to the hub to make adjustment easier, from what I understand. The pall mechanism may have been sightly changed also but the its still basically the same hub. The current C35 and C50 have the slightly wider rim, while the C24 is still the same as the original 7850 C24 (that would be the 1380 version which is what I have). In other words, the rim on the current 9000 C24 is identical to the rim on the 7850 C24.

I believe that I read Shimano will release a revised model this year, with more changes to the hub. I think a link was posted on this a few weeks ago.

If you're interested in a current model, as you mentioned, I would opt for the C35 as its a bit wider (and deeper), has the optibalance (sp?) spoke pattern and is only marginally heavier than the C24. I was told by a Shimano rep that its marginally stronger as well. Unfortunately, these wheels are not cheap - although the UK outfits (and Texas Cyclesport) try to make it affordable.

[Seramount]

I have 7900 C24s with ~20K miles on them. they have been incredibly reliable and are still as true as the day I got them...I think they're very attractive too, simple, understated.

for $750, they were a great purchase.

[SpeedyChix]

Have some C24s. Love them. Would buy 'em again and again. Handbuilts in use as well but the C24s see the most use. Wonderful wheels.

[GScot]

I have RS81 C24s. They have been flawless for about 2500 miles so far.

[Clancy]

I have both, love 'em. Had them for couple of years and lots miles on both, rough to crappy roads and I've never pampered them. Both still run smooth and true. C24's are very light, snappy and fun on hills. The C35's are solid, faster by a fraction, and great handling.

[sailorboy]

I'll offer one caution; I think the C24 rim is a bit on the soft side if you are thinking of a bomb-proof wheelset. I've loved two sets (so much that I sold one cuz I thought I dint need a back up) but my rear wheel got dented pretty badly in a pothole hit. Funny thing is, I didn't even flat the tire but the rim was dented up into the carbon section. Will require a replacement. I'm 155 so not really hard on wheels but all that lightweight goodness_may_earn them a bit of a climbers wheel label vice all-rounder, especially if you're generally hard on wheels.

If I could find a replacement rear rim I'd pay to have it re-built, I like them that much.

[bikerider888]

i have a set of the C24s as well, agreed with the positive comments.

The hubs are super nice, smooth and quiet. I suspect they will last forever and put my zipp hubs to shame.

Only wish they were wider, but on the road they are a joy to ride.

Not sure about finding replacement spokes, but fortunately I have a whole rear wheel that was in the warranty bin at Shimano, and that has a spare hub, spokes and freehub waiting should I ever need it.

I have a set of 2016 course-30s from zipp but haven't unboxed them yet. Not sure i'm even going to bother.

Expect c24s to be revised this year with wider rims too.

[jimoots]

I've had a few sets of c24's and one set of c35's... The good and the bad...

Both wheels are great performers - roll well, tough enough to train on daily and look pretty decent. They are also both light - the c24 especially so with 380 gram rims.

Neither wheel set has a lot of spokes, I believe both are 16 at the front and 21 at the rear. Because of this odd lacing at the rear, you can't use the hub once the rims are worn out to build up another wheel set.

The c35 is marginally faster thanks to the increased depth, and to be honest my favourite clincher. But too pricey to be a day in day out training wheel, at least for me.

For both wheels, the rims are no good after about 15-20,000km of all weather riding when still taking reasonable efforts to keep them clean.

I've also wrecked a few wheels in crashes. Like I said, they seem to hold up to day to day abuse just fine (potholes, bunny hopping gutters, etc) but in a crash they seem to be the point of least resistance and like to crumple. Not necessarily a bad thing as it has saved a few frames/forks from damage, but I often hear that they are "bomb proof" and this is a bit misleading.

Also I would note that the 9000 c24 and c35 are the same width (not very wide), I believe the c50 was revised in the 9000 series and is wider. Don't quote me on that.

All in all, it's hard to beat a c24 from a value/performance/reliability equation. The c35 is better in terms of performance but bloody expensive.

[NPcycling]

I have both. They are great wheels, but I don't use them during the winter months.

[SPOKE]

I ride the C24's. I think it's probably the best wheel set for the money. You can choose the tubeless or standard version. Can't go wrong with either version.

[roguedog]

Got three pair of C35's. Very happy with them so far. Logged lots of miles and no issues at all. Even using one set on a Campy bike:)

Ok.. how? And does this require 11sp drivetrain?

[chiasticon]

Ok.. how? And does this require 11sp drivetrain?Campy/Shimano/Sram 11 speed cassettes all play nicely. just throw the appropriate one on (in this case, Shimano or Sram) and install it on the bike. might need a barrel turn or two, but it'll work great then.