Quest for Rim Brake Rims: Carbon or Alloy?

[Flinch]

Gonna do up another wheelset on decent hubs (White), and am wrestling with which rims. Here's the requirements scoop:

- Not racing, just ridin' around
- Rim brake 700c, tubeless hooked, 24h/20h
- Really-really prefer 45-50mm rim depth, outer ~ 25mm, inner 18+mm

So far I can find cheap AliExpress carbon rims (shudder) that meet the specs, but on the alloy side...crickets... I've laced up some DT Swiss R511 wheels for another bike, 35mm depth, and they're OK looking. But want more eye candy, er, 'optical functionality', yeh, that's the term.

So, anyone know of a decent carbon brand that meets the specs?
If not, alloy? Don't want the HED rims that have the floppy inserts, by the way.

[hampco]

Astral Veil are 42mm or 60mm - might be worth considering. I have the 42s (and the 32s) on a rim brake bike and am quite happy with them.

[GregL]

BTLOS very nearly meets your specs. Excellent quality, good prices, and very responsive.

45mm: https://btlos.com/road-bike/road-bik...filter=48%2C12

50mm: https://btlos.com/road-bike/road-bik...filter=48%2C12

Greg

[saab2000]

Not what you’re asking per se, but I have tried carbon rim brake wheels and won’t be doing that again. I didn’t like the consistency of the modulation. Aluminum is vastly better.

As far as deep aluminum rims, I can’t advise but I have had great luck on my shallow Boyds.

[oldpotatoe]

Problem with aluminum rims that deep is that they get pretty heavy. There are some deeper aluminum rims(like Velocity Deep V) but they aren't very wide.
There are some aluminum rims that wide but not as deep(Velocity Quill, A23, Kinlin)

Pretty hard to beat BTLOS for a rim, carbon..many choices and options.

BTLOS.Com

[shinomaster]

any thoughts on which BTLOS rim brake surface is best in wet watery weather?

[Wunder]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Problem with aluminum rims that deep is that they get pretty heavy. There are some deeper aluminum rims(like Velocity Deep V) but they aren't very wide.
There are some aluminum rims that wide but not as deep(Velocity Quill, A23, Kinlin)

Pretty hard to beat BTLOS for a rim, carbon..many choices and options.

BTLOS.Com

Even a velocity Deep V is only 30mm deep and as noted narrow. Runs deeper than that in metal are rare due to weight. I think about the deeper and widest still available is the Kinlin XR 31

https://www.bikehubstore.com/Kinlin-.../xr31t-blk.htm

[Jdm]

What size tires?

I vote for Chinese 45mm carbon rims with the graphene brake surface. Hats what I have now an what I’ll buy when it’s time for new rims. I know they don’t stop as well in the wet as alloy.

[Bittersweet]

You’ve almost specifically asked not for this but, I have had nothing but positive experiences on HED Ardennes+ and Elite Drive 40 rim brake wheels. Alu and carbon respectively. Photos in the rim brake perfection thread (p61) of what these are mounted on. I’d recommend either of these wheelsets without reservations.

[nmrt]

I'd get the BTLOS carbon rims with graphene arc brake tracks. But if you are descending down steep, sinuous mountain passes, I would not do them on any carbon rim brake bikes. Part of the reason why I moved to discs.

But if you're living in the flatlands, BTLOS carbon rim brake rims are your friend.

[Mr B]

My graphene-tracked LightBicycle R25 rims brake a lot better than my H+Son Archtypes ever did. Chorus brakes, and I used SwissStop BXP pads on the alloy rims.