Quote:
Originally Posted by Gianni Bianchi
I was going to ask this in a separate thread but since we're on the subject of CF rims... what is the allure?
I've always ridden alloy rims. My Zero Nites weigh in at 1420g which is right inside the CF weight wheelhouse. I also ride rim brakes (I should add).
But when I was wheel shopping, sure some CF wheels are crazy light but then also crazy expensive. I mean Lightweight just released a new rim weighing 200g lighter than my Nites, but also cost about CA$15,000 vs the $1000 I paid for the Nites.
I'm 198cm tall and 81kg. I can't justify replacing CF wheels every few seasons and I'm a smooth but big wattage rider and I'm not certain CF rims would last with me. Hell I cracked two sets of regular Keo pedals inside of two seasons.
So other than having the money to burn on CF or being an OCD weight weenie, what's the point? A good set of alloy rims can weigh in the same ballpark and offer the same or better (longevity) performance. Is it stiffness? Cuz i can't see how a rim can be stiffer than my Nites or if they are, the stiffness would be incremental.
Educate me
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I have a bunch of cool exotic carbon wheels and a bunch of alloy wheels.
The cool carbon wheels are great for racing, pretty fun for training too but they stay in the shed when it's wet. That said sometimes I get caught out and for racing I will run carbon wheels even if it's wet.
Alloy wheels are a long way off carbon, if you consider a matrix of depth, longevity and strength.
Yes, you can get a lightweight shallow alloy clincher wheel that matches a lightweight shallow carbon clincher wheel but the alloy wheel will have thin brake tracks, hardly any spokes and in general be far more fragile than the shallow carbon wheelset of the same weight.
Good illustration here is the DA C24, super duper light but the brake tracks don't last much more than 5,000km if you're riding in wet weather.
Compare that with a Zip 202 or Enve 2.2, similar weight, but I know my Enve's have done way more than 5,000km in the wet and they're barely exhibiting any wear.
Once you start moving toward any semblence of depth then carbon really comes into it's own though, I mean you can have some really deep 60mm rims that are a similar weight to a 30-35mm alloy wheel. If you care about aero at all, then there's no argument.
Anyway, sounds like you've got your mind made up and it's fine, but there are plenty of good reasons and rational reasons to go with a carbon rim, even a carbon clincher rim.
And if you want a non-rational reason, they look super sweet, ha ha!