Why do people despise deep section alloy braking tracks but love tan wall tires?

[zmalwo]

so this question just popped into my mind. Why do people hate deep section carbon wheels with alloy brake tracks like the dura ace c50 clinchers but love the look of tan wall tires? this is true for me as well. we have very strange perceptions on things!

[dpdan93]

Originally Posted by zmalwo

so this question just popped into my mind. Why do people hate deep section carbon wheels with alloy brake tracks like the dura ace c50 clinchers but love the look of tan wall tires? this is true for me as well. we have very strange perceptions on things!

There is something aesthetically pleasing about the all black of a carbon wheel. You can make a 15k dollar bike look like a 2k dollar bike with an alloy brake track in my opinion. Maybe it's just my eyes, but it is the first thing I notice on a bike.

[quickfeet]

Probably all the years we suffered through heavy deep section black alloy wheels with an al brake track. Looks cheap IMO

[weiwentg]

I don’t despise that look. I can see how it could look cheap, but I don’t feel like it’s guaranteed that a wheel like that would look cheap. FWIW, if I ever get carbon wheels for my rim brake road bike, they’ll probably have some sort of alloy brake tracks. Not sure I’d be willing to pony up for the Hed Jets with the black machined tracks.

[peanutgallery]

Because disc brakes are stupid

[Bentley]

I’m not a fan of getting blown around...38’s are the deepest I will go. Not a hater.. I like deep section wheels, but I get the silver track on black wheels is distracting.

[ultraman6970]

I think the issue is more related more than functionality design than looks. Carbon with aluminum braking were very prone to get the aluminum rim to get detached from the carbon rim. Not all of the wheels did that but the public started getting those aluminum rim carbon wheels aside. I do not think anybody makes them anymore.

[Tony]

Originally Posted by dpdan93

There is something aesthetically pleasing about the all black of a carbon wheel. You can make a 15k dollar bike look like a 2k dollar bike with an alloy brake track in my opinion. Maybe it's just my eyes, but it is the first thing I notice on a bike.

I agree. All black carbon wheels can really change the appearance of ones bike.

Just imagine how the Pegoretti Responsorium Ciavete in the classifieds would look with carbon wheels.

[Blue Jays]

Campagnolo Bullets have aluminum brake tracks and they are fantastic wheels.

[Seramount]

tan wall tires are the fugly...

[earlfoss]

I'll take a vintage set of Campy Shamals any day.

[dpdan93]

Originally Posted by Blue Jays

Campagnolo Bullets have aluminum brake tracks and they are fantastic wheels.

Not so much about “quality” but more to do with the look


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[ThasFACE]

Same for me.

Love the look of tan sidewalled tires on all-carbon wheels, but add an al braketrack with the carbon and it suddenly looks kinda bootleg. With a low-profile rim, on the other hand, it's nice. Got tan sidewalls on a pair of shamal ultra c17's and it looks clean to my eye.

Weird.

[hokoman]

Originally Posted by Seramount

tan wall tires are the fugly...

Agree!

[dddd]

The alloy rim with carbon fairing look is so 2006, so it's a desire to not have one's bike look dated.

The all-carbon, deep-section wheels originally was closely correlated to the carbon tubular wheels used by professionals.

This is where the makers of disc-braked bikes have an advantage, able to make the rims look like all-black carbon wheels without the black getting scraped by the brake pads. And disc-braked bikes are currently still in fashion, if you have disc-brakes (or maybe just all-black wheels) it somewhat suggests that you are well-heeled enough to have a newer bike(?).

I do like how Mavic has made various efforts at advancing rim-braking, my Exalith-treated R-Sys wheels look all black, matt-black no less, and the coating doesn't wear off of the alloy rims even after thousands of miles.