Carbon wheel recommendations?

[sweet_johnny]

I have a buddy who is looking to pick up a set of mid-depth carbon clinchers. He's looking at the Zipp303 NSW or the ENVE SES 3.4 right now.

What's nice in the carbon clincher world these days?

[JimmyTango]

I have a buddy who is looking to pick up a set of mid-depth carbon clinchers. He's looking at the Zipp303 NSW or the ENVE SES 3.4 right now.

What's nice in the carbon clincher world these days?

I just got a pair of Scope r5 and they're great. Braking is good, tubeless setup was easy, pretty light given their 55x26 mm profile, stiff, and hubs seem nice (plus they sound cool) and the price is better than Zipp.

Check out the r4c (45mm depth):

http://www.scopecycling.com/products/r4/

[AngryScientist]

https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/00/85/25/17/240_F_85251771_0n2H4WMm4gU0eArEXUrE9et1ek41NMOE.jp g

[oldguy00]

I have a buddy who is looking to pick up a set of mid-depth carbon clinchers. He's looking at the Zipp303 NSW or the ENVE SES 3.4 right now.

What's nice in the carbon clincher world these days?

Well, if he can afford those, there really isn't anything else better out there IMHO. Bora's probably just as good if they have a clincher. I'd go with the Zipps. The new freehub design is cool.

[joosttx]

https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/00/85/25/17/240_F_85251771_0n2H4WMm4gU0eArEXUrE9et1ek41NMOE.jp g

yes, yes, yes... 35mm Bora Ultra 2's are the best wheels I have tried.

[Basso69]

I love my Bora 50 clinchers, smooth ,Good in winds.light and price is good.

[dbnm]

I've been eyeing these for my Moots
http://ridehifi.com/shop/the-extended-play-ep-38mm-carbon-tubular-and-clincher/

[Mzilliox]

just pick one of the many amazing deals on the classifieds. so many

[chiasticon]

if going new, I'd go for Boyd. awesome wheels, solidly built, great customer service, no crazy proprietary parts, lifetime crash replacement policy, etc. they have a deal going now where an upgrade to White Industry T11's is only $150 (i.e. half price).

[ltwtsculler91]

The NSW is a hell of a wheel if you're willing to spend the $3100. I would definitely go with these over the ENVEs having ridden both. Braking is stellar and the hubs work as advertised: you just seem to cruise along when coasting.

I know they aren't as popular around here but Mavic's Cosmic Pro Carbon (2016 New version) is a hell of a wheel and would likely be my choice for the money as they go for only $1800 right now. Having ridden them, they have 85-90% of the NSW performance (great braking, lighter weight, but no trick hub) for much less cash

Last alternative I'd suggest is the Bontrager Aeolus 3/5. WIDE rims now (I run previous 17c version and love them) that provide solid braking from a conventional brake track along with a light weight for such a wide and aero rim. Hubs are DT180 (I believe) internals nowadays. Their sizing is somewhat in between Zipps with the 3 a bit shallower and 5 deeper.

[vqdriver]

no wheels to compare against since they're my first carbon hoops, but i really like my enve 3.4s. dt internals mean easy cassette swaps with my other wheels, and the wheels themselves are fantastic. textured braking surface bite hard, and the braking noise seems to have mitigated with just a few rides. still there, but much less obnoxious than when new. these things roll like crazy

if i had to buy again, i would consider the enve and the boras. i never would have thought that anything campy could be considered the 'budget' option, but for some reason they are really cheap right now. i really don't care for the euro graphics tho, even in their black option.

if you don't mind used, the enve 3.4 with smooth brake tracks are popping up for a deal and people seem quite happy with their braking. ymmv and all that....

[ptourkin]

I just got a pair of Scope r5 and they're great. Breaking is good, tubeless setup was easy, pretty light given their 55x26 mm profile, stiff, and hubs seem nice (plus they sound cool) and the price is better than Zipp.

Check out the r4c (45mm depth):

http://www.scopecycling.com/products/r4/

Breaking is almost never good.

[bikerboy337]

Love boras, they've been my favorite carbon wheels to date... have ridden both the tubular and clincher versions, clinchers were good, tubular is just great.

Love much more than wheels i've ridden from HED, ENVE, Reynolds... braking is almost as good as aluminum in the dry and is better than any other carbon i've ridden in the rain...

Right now i just ride Bora 35s.

There is a nice set of Bora 50s with tires in the classifieds... good route to go if you ask me...

[FlashUNC]

Skip the clinchers and get tubulars.

[jghall]

Skip the clinchers and get tubulars.

I'd ditto that. Not that clinchers are bad per say, just not much of an advantage over alloy. There is for tubular.

[JimmyTango]

Breaking is almost never good.

You're right, my bad.

Edited my post :(

[gngroup]

skip the clinchers and get tubulars.

+1

[sparky33]

if going new, I'd go for Boyd. awesome wheels, solidly built, great customer service, no crazy proprietary parts, lifetime crash replacement policy, etc. they have a deal going now where an upgrade to White Industry T11's is only $150 (i.e. half price).

This.^ Clincher or tubular, sure.

Or order some Bora One/Ultra from overseas.

[beeatnik]

Skip the clinchers and get tubulars.

Best way to keep carbon clinchers as new for the secondary market: live in an area with hills.

Only use mine at the World Famous Rose Bowl. So about twice a week. At that rate I should have them for 20 plus years! The benefits of being lazy and dense.

[jwess1234]

Enve 3.4 clinchers with the old brake track are wonderful riding wheels. I wish I had the new molded/textured brake track in San Francisco though...

Braking in flat + dry conditions is great, but if those are your normal conditions (as opposed to always climbing), you might look to the 4.5s. I've only heard good things about Bora Ultra 50s.

[Duende]

Boras. Unbelievably strong and great breaking power.

I now have both the Enve 3.4's discs and the Boras 35s. Love them both, but I think the Bora rear wheel might be a tad stiffer. People can knock the G3 spoke pattern as marketing bs, but me thinks there is something to it.

[uber]

Not a single complaint about Bora's. I have had the older Enve 3.4's, 6.7's and the current 4.5's. The 4.5's braking is far superior to 3.4/6.7. The 4.5 tubulars weigh just a bit more than the Bora 50 tubulars with dt240 hubs. The real world advantage of anything Enve is the warranty. Nothing comes close.

[etu]

excuse the thread drift, but curious about impressions of those who have ridden both bora 35s and the discontinued hyperons. are they as good? better?

[saab2000]

Skip the clinchers and get tubulars.

I'd ditto that. Not that clinchers are bad per say, just not much of an advantage over alloy. There is for tubular.


If going tubular, go carbon. If going clincher, go aluminum. I've done both. Very recently returned to aluminum with no regrets. None.

I recently got a set of Boyd Altamont Lites with which I'm very pleased. I sold my ENVE 3.4 clinchers and bought these. No regrets. The ENVEs were fine but for 99.9% of the riding I do they were gross overkill and rode a bit harshly to be honest. And they're barely lighter, if at all.

[FlashUNC]

excuse the thread drift, but curious about impressions of those who have ridden both bora 35s and the discontinued hyperons. are they as good? better?

Have a set of Hyperons and Bora 50s. The Hyperons are light years better in ride quality, though the Boras are nice from an aero standpoint.

[sjbraun]

I second the recommendation for Boyd's wheels. I've been riding a set of 28mm carbon clinchers for the last six months. They roll well, spin up quickly and ride comfortably. I have not had them them in the rain, but in dry conditions, they stop as well as alloy rims.

[etu]

Have a set of Hyperons and Bora 50s. The Hyperons are light years better in ride quality, though the Boras are nice from an aero standpoint.

good to know
i'll keep on the look out on the classified and ebay and try to horde one more set!:D