Carbon clincher wheelset

billaustin

Hi guys,

So I have a new bike and I'm itching to get racing this year. Before I do I want to upgrade my wheelset (stock MOST Wildcats) and think a new set of 50mm would look and apin really well. I want to get a set as good as I can for as little as I can basically but there's no way I can afford a set of Zipps for example after splurging on the bike.

Has anyone any suggestions, all are appreciated thank you!

Lumen

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056154821

Quigs Snr

I have Zipp 404 clinchers, Cosmics and Reynolds Assaults. (I have a carbon addiction).

Zipps = Prettiest/deepest, Cosmics = cheapest/toughest, Reynolds = lightest/most shallow.

Pick whichever is important to you. From a performance standpoint I couldn't tell the difference unless I looked down.

You could always go for some no-namers on ebay too from one of the china sellers. They can be hit and miss.

lalorm

I was going to get Zipp 404 or 303, but I heard that they are prone to cracking over time and not suited if you are a bit on the heavy side. I'm around 79kg and that's boarderline on the weight for these I think.
I got a set of Dura-ace 7580 24cl. Very lightweight carbon CL and great for getting over any hills. Also around half a kg lighter than the 404 and alot cheaper.:)

sy

Anybody know about these Sonic Wheels. €919, 1380g and look great.(these tubs are €799 and weight 1150g! if you like white spokes) The price here for these wheels(Sonic) compared to other sites is very good.
38mm would seem to be a good compromise for a strong clincher. Any opinions

Lumen

sy wrote: »

Anybody know about these Sonic Wheels. €919, 1380g and look great.(these tubs are €799 and weight 1150g! if you like white spokes) The price here for these wheels(Sonic) compared to other sites is very good.
38mm would seem to be a good compromise for a strong clincher. Any opinions

Carbon clinchers have to be overbuilt compared to tubs due to the forces at the tyre bead. This means there isn't the same weight penalty for deepness as you get with tubs.

They're less than 20g lighter than my 50mm Souls (€1100 is, IIRC) which would be lighter still had I not chosen brass nipples for the rear drive side.

38mm is quite shallow, aero-wise.

If the claimed weights are accurate, that's about 50g lighter than the usual candidates for lightest alloy rims. Is it really worth it for that depth? Not sure.

Good weight and price though, and nice to have a European source which avoids the uncertainty over duty and VAT.

niceonetom

You've no doubt answered this before, Lumen, but did you get hit for duty on your SOULs?

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

You've no doubt answered this before, Lumen, but did you get hit for duty on your SOULs?

Don't think so. Or VAT. There was a €40 (ish) handling fee on collection from the depot, which doesn't seem enough on over €1ks worth of wheels.

I think El Tonto asked the relevant authorities what the process was for paying up when this happens. There isn't one, so I am guiltless.

bertiecont

http://www.williamscycling.com/58cc/58cc.html

worth a look!

mloc123

I have just ordered one of these rims.

I had a 50mm tub set last year from the same guy and they were fine. Bit of an experiment but cheap enough. Aero wise, who knows... 60mm V rim with no special features.

crashoveroid

I have a pair of these and find them fantastic really well built and never caused me any issues.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=35671

niceonetom

mloc123 wrote: »

I have just ordered one of these rims.

I had a 50mm tub set last year from the same guy and they were fine. Bit of an experiment but cheap enough. Aero wise, who knows... 60mm V rim with no special features.

Those are cheap. $300 for both rims?

540(ish)g isn't lightest I suppose but 60mm is deeper than most. Do you know what hubs and spokes you'll use? Calculated what the wheelset will likely weigh?

mloc123

Powertap hub(front to match my back) and cxray spokes, I just bought one rim. Total weight, not sure will work it out tomorrow. Hub is 125g claimed.

Will only be using it for shorter tri bike legs so weight not a huge concern.

The tub rims I bought from the same seller last year were great quality. Cliff in eurocycles reckoned build wise they were nicer than zipps... Aero wise nowhere close no doubt.

wersal gummage

lalorm wrote: »

I was going to get Zipp 404 or 303, but I heard that they are prone to cracking over time and not suited if you are a bit on the heavy side. I'm around 79kg and that's boarderline on the weight for these I think.
I got a set of Dura-ace 7580 24cl. Very lightweight carbon CL and great for getting over any hills. Also around half a kg lighter than the 404 and alot cheaper.:)

i'm 92 KG and have no issues on Zipp 404s for what its worth.

Lumen

niceonetom wrote: »

540(ish)g isn't lightest I suppose but 60mm is deeper than most. Do you know what hubs and spokes you'll use? Calculated what the wheelset will likely weigh?

It's about 100g per rim more that light alloy, so I'd guess about 1650-1700g depending on build, which isn't bad for a 60mm clincher. Powertap would be +200g or so.

I think Zipp claim about 525g for the 404 carbon clincher rim.

Wheel weight calculator.

mloc123

Dtswiss calculator gives me a 'claimed' weight of 752g

Edit: I think my planet-x model B front is around 690g

mloc123

Rim, hub and spokes now all in the post. With some luck they'll all arrive late next week.

mloc123

Part 1 of 3 has arrived...

Tackleberry

Pro-Lite Carbon Clinchers are 50mm, weigh & cost less than comparative Corimas & have no rider weight limit - I'm 16 stone and hammered them around the W200, Ring of Kerry & Etape Hibernia & they stayed true - I've had Zipp 404's & they were great but pricey and in alloy clincher format they were a little heavy.

FCC's are aesthetically far more appealing IMHO, take a bit of getting used to in terms of braking but I love the smell of carbon-specific pads in the morning

They weren't fun today mind you in the x-winds - dirty!

dquirke1

Just came across these today, (after ordering an 808 last week ) €1100 for 58mm/85mm full carbon clincher seems v.good value. Anyone have any experiences/opinions.

Lumen

dquirke1 wrote: »

Just came across these today, (after ordering an 808 last week ) €1100 for 58mm/85mm full carbon clincher seems v.good value. Anyone have any experiences/opinions.

65g front hub? :eek:

doozerie

I've no idea whether these are actually good value or not, not having ever price Reynolds wheels elsewhere, but ProBikeKit is selling Reynolds Assault(46mm)/Strike(66mm) for 1,280euro. That's 10% off their regular price, but then some of their regular prices are fairly steep.

More generally, they describe the Reynolds 2011 range here with links to the models they sell e.g. Reynolds Assault C (32mm) for 1,067euro.

mloc123

Part 2/3

Chinese new year has held up part 3

mloc123

Last piece arrived..

Lemag

@ mloc123 What has the total cost come in at?

mloc123

I'm afraid to add it up, not as cheap as I hoped

Rim ~ €150
Hub ~ €85
Spokes ~ €50 :eek:
Build... €20?

CheGuedara

mloc123 wrote: »

I'm afraid to add it up, not as cheap as I hoped

Rim ~ €150
Hub ~ €85
Spokes ~ €50 :eek:
Build... €20?

That's actually still not too bad - plus you can tell it's gonna look hawt

What do you make of the rims and the braking surface in particular? Have kicked around the idea of trying a chinese carbon clincher build before but always bottled out of it coz the rims were so much of an unknown

AstraMonti

Have been flirting with the idea to get a set for a while now, I 've read countless threads about them and i 've yet to see a faulty/broken one. I 've seen posts about flex issues, but the majority seem to be happy with them.

Diarmuid

mloc123 wrote: »

I'm afraid to add it up, not as cheap as I hoped

Rim ~ €150
Hub ~ €85
Spokes ~ €50 :eek:
Build... €20?

Are you getting someone to build it for you or going to do it yourself? €20 seems very cheap for a wheel build. I have never got one done but I would have thought it would be closer to €50?

I'm considering getting my hands on a cheap rim and spokes and learning to build a wheel. However the €160 to get the stand,dishing tool and spoke tension meter is putting me off.

mloc123

CheGuedara wrote: »

That's actually still not too bad - plus you can tell it's gonna look hawt

What do you make of the rims and the braking surface in particular? Have kicked around the idea of trying a chinese carbon clincher build before but always bottled out of it coz the rims were so much of an unknown

Quality wise they look very good: spoke holes all good, clear coat all even, no imperfections etc.. Braking surface is not raised, its basically the rim without a clear coat on it. Not great for high millage but then... no full carbon wheel is.

AstraMonti wrote: »

Have been flirting with the idea to get a set for a while now, I 've read countless threads about them and i 've yet to see a faulty/broken one. I 've seen posts about flex issues, but the majority seem to be happy with them.

Had a set of tubs off the same crowd last year, rear did flex when hammering out of the saddle but no issue with the front. I had a 24 spoke rear @ 72kg-ish at the time... more spokes may help.

Diarmuid wrote: »

Are you getting someone to build it for you or going to do it yourself? €20 seems very cheap for a wheel build. I have never got one done but I would have thought it would be closer to €50?

I'm considering getting my hands on a cheap rim and spokes and learning to build a wheel. However the €160 to get the stand,dishing tool and spoke tension meter is putting me off.

Have paid €60 for a set to be built before and that included spokes from them. I have provided them this time and a single wheel so €20ish would be my guess.

Lemag

mloc123 wrote: »

I'm afraid to add it up, not as cheap as I hoped

Rim ~ €150
Hub ~ €85
Spokes ~ €50 :eek:
Build... €20?

Does this include shipping? i.e. for a pair one would double this and knock about €40 off?

mloc123 wrote: »

Have paid €60 for a set to be built before and that included spokes from them. I have provided them this time and a single wheel so €20ish would be my guess.

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get them built? Sounds very very reasonable.

Lumen

mloc123 wrote: »

Not great for high millage but then... no full carbon wheel is.

Not true at all. You can do as many miles as you like, without braking. :pac:

Seriously, carbon brake pads are so soft that dry or clean wet braking isn't really an issue for rim wear. It's winter riding through wet grit that must be avoided (or done without braking).

mloc123

Lumen wrote: »

Not true at all. You can do as many miles as you like, without braking. :pac:

Seriously, carbon brake pads are so soft that dry or clean wet braking isn't really an issue for rim wear. It's winter riding through wet grit that must be avoided (or done without braking).

What pads do you use? I had cheap BBB ones last year, all I could find in a B&M shop. I hear swissstop yellow are good.

Lumen

mloc123 wrote: »

What pads do you use?

Brown ones. They came with my wheels.

mloc123

Lumen wrote: »

Brown ones. They came with my wheels.

heh, cool

niceonetom

mloc123 wrote: »

I hear swissstop yellow are good.

Just FYI, I'm told the mavic yellow ones are actually swiss-stop by another name and are a good bit cheaper. I've only ever used the cork ones - they're exciting!

Chips Lovell

Several others sell them rebadged too. DT Swiss is one.

mloc123

Lemag wrote: »

Does this include shipping? i.e. for a pair one would double this and knock about €40 off?

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get them built? Sounds very very reasonable.

Forgot to teply here, eurocycles in town. Cliff that used to work in cyclogical is in there now. They are usually very busy tho' and it can take a week or so to have them built.

mloc123

Completed wheel...

levitronix

Looks sweet, you have me kinda thinking i might build one up later this year, did you size your spokes yourself ?

those rims are getting good review on weightweenies

Ryath

Very nice. Look like seriously good value.

bcmf

get great reviews on RBR as well.
Maybe some sort of group buy later in the year?

I think they did it on Bikeforums.net

CheGuedara

Hawt looking wheel mloc!

mloc123

Few slightly better pics. I calculated spokes on the dtswiss website and then ordered them from starbike.com, slow delivery on them IMO.