Chinese Carbon Wheels

cavan4sam

Am I crazy even thinking about these ...

Max budget around €400 for a new set of wheels not racing but just want to upgrade from bog standard wheel set that came with bike

Was looking at campagnolo zondas too as have heard great reviews but for same price I could have carbon set from China

Not the most knowledgeable in this field so all help appreciated

Sarz91

cavan4sam wrote: »

Am I crazy even thinking about these ...

Max budget around €400 for a new set of wheels not racing but just want to upgrade from bog standard wheel set that came with bike

Was looking at campagnolo zondas too as have heard great reviews but for same price I could have carbon set from China

Not the most knowledgeable in this field so all help appreciated

Not so sure of the price as they don't seem to have it listed but if you're going down this road I'd really only look at the more reputable sellers like farsports. I've heard good things about them and they offer an 18 month warranty on most of their products.

You may also get stung with customs which is something that should also be considered.

borris4

Zondas are great, you don't need anything lighter or more aero.
Campagnolo make great wheels, easily repaired and come with a warranty. Will have resale value too.
Not sure Wong Tong Industries will provide that on their Ninja 5000FX Carbon Clinchees.

seanin4711

Yeoleo

Cionn

I have been thinking of buying some from Aliexpress , they are about $300 per set, I would imagine another €100 should be considered for vat/duty.
It seems to be a risk but if it works out, it is pretty cheap. It's not like 90% of the wheels are made elsewhere.

Tenzor07

Cionn wrote: »

I have been thinking of buying some from Aliexpress , they are about $300 per set, I would imagine another ?100 should be considered for vat/duty.
It seems to be a risk but if it works out, it is pretty cheap. It's not like 90% of the wheels are made elsewhere.

You expect to get a fully built up set of carbon wheels for like E270?

gman2k

I have to say, these hoops from Deng Fu look very tasty!

Cee-Jay-Cee

borris4 wrote: »

Not sure Wong Tong Industries will provide that on their Ninja 5000FX Carbon Clinchees.

The Ninja 5000FX has been superseded by the Shinobi 6000FZ...great wheel, 17mm wide, 50mm deep and 1150g for the pair.

lismuse

I bought a set of 24mm carbon tubular wheels a number of years (5 I think)ago. They weigh 1100g and we're by far the most noticeable change I ever made to a bike. They transformed a Trek Madone that had standard Bontrager wheels at the time. They covered 5k the first year and 10k the second year without a problem. I have lost count of what they have done since as they are used as my everyday wheels. In all that time I have replaced one rear spoke , (supplied with wheel) which I did myself. I think they cost 300 - 330 euro delivered. Without doubt my best cycling purchase .

Cionn

Tenzor07 wrote: »

You expect to get a fully built up set of carbon wheels for like E270?

I was think €300 plus duty/vat €100 so 400 all in.

Something like this https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/1698320292.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&productId=1698320292&productSubject=High-performance-38mm-tubular-carbon-bike-road-wheelset-700c-carbon-fiber-road-bike-racing-wheelset&spm=2114.01010208.3.10.sYBkoi&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10152_10065_10151_10068_5010013_10136_10137_10157_10060_10138_10155_10062_10156_437_10154_10056_10055_10054_10059_303_100030_100031_10099_100029_10103_100028_10102_10096_10147_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_10171_5190014_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10110_519_10111_10112_10113_10114_10183_10182_10185_10078_10079_10073_10123_142,searchweb201603_16,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=0b88f551-35ce-4e2b-b272-9b76abdcdc9f&algo_expid=4be6ca4a-aa2e-424b-bc9b-022ab181ed63-1&algo_pvid=4be6ca4a-aa2e-424b-bc9b-022ab181ed63#autostay

seanin4711

close to price range and uk warranty

http://www.zuus.co.uk/ex-shop-display-reduced-to-clear-sale-clearance-zuus-carbon-aero-xcr-50-clincher-road-wheelset-pair-front-and-rear-japanese-toray-carbon-1-year-warranty/

gman2k

Cionn wrote: »

I was think ?300 plus duty/vat ?100 so 400 all in.

Something like this https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/1698320292.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&productId=1698320292&productSubject=High-performance-38mm-tubular-carbon-bike-road-wheelset-700c-carbon-fiber-road-bike-racing-wheelset&spm=2114.01010208.3.10.sYBkoi&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10152_10065_10151_10068_5010013_10136_10137_10157_10060_10138_10155_10062_10156_437_10154_10056_10055_10054_10059_303_100030_100031_10099_100029_10103_100028_10102_10096_10147_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_10171_5190014_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10110_519_10111_10112_10113_10114_10183_10182_10185_10078_10079_10073_10123_142,searchweb201603_16,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=0b88f551-35ce-4e2b-b272-9b76abdcdc9f&algo_expid=4be6ca4a-aa2e-424b-bc9b-022ab181ed63-1&algo_pvid=4be6ca4a-aa2e-424b-bc9b-022ab181ed63#autostay

I would stay clear from Aliexpress and stick to the likes of branded sellers like Hongfu, Dengfu etc.

cavan4sam

Thanks for the input just wondering would a carbon wheel set make much difference in km\h or am I just trying to find the easy way out 😂

Daniel son

Huge difference. Best off all they look the part. Put 10000+ km on 2 sets.

Old Perry

Also interested in this topic. Keep us updated on how the order goes.

Quick newbie question. What does one need to be aware of when buying wheels in terms of current bike setup.

Daniel son

how wide they are relative to your forks, seat stays. bog standard now is 25mm wheel. groupset manufacturer campg, sram, shimano etc. 10speed or 11 speed.

68 lost souls

Cionn wrote: »

I was think €300 plus duty/vat €100 so 400 all in.

Something like this https://m.aliexpress.com/s/item/1698320292.html?trace=wwwdetail2mobilesitedetail&productId=1698320292&productSubject=High-performance-38mm-tubular-carbon-bike-road-wheelset-700c-carbon-fiber-road-bike-racing-wheelset&spm=2114.01010208.3.10.sYBkoi&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10152_10065_10151_10068_5010013_10136_10137_10157_10060_10138_10155_10062_10156_437_10154_10056_10055_10054_10059_303_100030_100031_10099_100029_10103_100028_10102_10096_10147_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_10171_5190014_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10110_519_10111_10112_10113_10114_10183_10182_10185_10078_10079_10073_10123_142,searchweb201603_16,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=0b88f551-35ce-4e2b-b272-9b76abdcdc9f&algo_expid=4be6ca4a-aa2e-424b-bc9b-022ab181ed63-1&algo_pvid=4be6ca4a-aa2e-424b-bc9b-022ab181ed63#autostay

Don't forget the shipping charge and vat is paid on price including shipping.

Yoleo and hungfu would be the more reputable brands from my knowledge. Been thinking about a pair myself for a long time but nervous enough of it

Thud

Tenzor07 wrote: »

You expect to get a fully built up set of carbon wheels for like E270?

I'd say the mark up on branded wheels is huge. Raw materials are essentially the same, molds are reusable, hubs are all made over there too. Testing, reputation/warranty and piece of mind is what you are paying up for...worth more to some

thekooman

Ive a set of Zondas and the rear hub isn't great in them... Mavics are much better in my opinion.
I bought a set of 50mm carbon clinchers handbuilt off the spokesmanwheels.co.uk last year and they are great. have been on some bad roads and take the abuse so far. built on Novatech hubs and weigh about 1500g. all delivered for 670 euro. they are a Chinese (everything is!) Carbonal carbon rim. No customs and 20£ delivery from the UK.

thekooman

thekooman wrote: »

Ive a set of Zondas and the rear hub isn't great in them... Mavics are much better in my opinion.
I bought a set of 50mm carbon clinchers handbuilt off the spokesmanwheels.co.uk last year and they are great. have been on some bad roads and take the abuse so far. built on Novatech hubs and weigh about 1500g. all delivered for 670 euro. they are a Chinese (everything is!) Carbonal carbon rim. No customs and 20£ delivery from the UK.

btw, these are 25mm wide rims so you need to check if your bike can take them. super comfortable on 25mm GP 4000s

DirkVoodoo

Shameless plug: But I have a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elites for sale if you are interested.

I wouldn't buy cheap carbon anything, you really don't know what you are getting and if you plan to take these anywhere near a mountain, you'd really want that peace of mind when descending at speed.

Do you know what testing has been done on these wheels for braking performance under high load (high heat)?

Have a read of these guys at FLO wheels and the testing they carried out: http://flocycling.blogspot.ie/2016/04/flo-cycling-carbon-clincher-brake-track.html

If you really feel that saving a few hundred euro is worth that potential failure, without any kind of guarantee as to the scrutiny these wheels were placed under, then buy them.

DirkVoodoo

Thud wrote: »

I'd say the mark up on branded wheels is huge. Raw materials are essentially the same, molds are reusable, hubs are all made over there too. Testing, reputation/warranty and piece of mind is what you are paying up for...worth more to some

A friend of mine works in carbon composites and would say that this is really not true. Saying that they are all the same is like saying that a dunnes stores suit is the same as a designer suit because they both use wool and have pockets...it completely neglects material, expertise, finish, detail, etc.

Tenzor07

Thud wrote: »

I'd say the mark up on branded wheels is huge. Raw materials are essentially the same, molds are reusable, hubs are all made over there too. Testing, reputation/warranty and piece of mind is what you are paying up for...worth more to some

I'd say you're completely wrong there, ok so they can use open molds from older designs that anyone can buy online, and can cheaply manufacture them if you ignore safety standards and have a very poor quality control department.
The machine precision that goes into making a good hub requires the highest standards, skilled engineers to design and test the hubs also, to ensure long life, durability and lightweight and strength, all of which can be cut back on to save money....

While the quality of chinese carbon bicycle parts is improving and you can find good cheap parts online, i'd rather pay a bit extra to know I will have the wheels and frames etc for a long time and without a higher risk of failures...

Thud

Tenzor07 wrote: »

I'd say you're completely wrong there, ok so they can use open molds from older designs that anyone can buy online, and can cheaply manufacture them if you ignore safety standards and have a very poor quality control department.
The machine precision that goes into making a good hub requires the highest standards, skilled engineers to design and test the hubs also, to ensure long life, durability and lightweight and strength, all of which can be cut back on to save money....

While the quality of chinese carbon bicycle parts is improving and you can find good cheap parts online, i'd rather pay a bit extra to know I will have the wheels and frames etc for a long time and without a higher risk of failures...

ok agreed and I wouldn't buy Chinese wheels but the mark up on brand name wheels is huge, I'd say raw materials are maybe 2 or 3 times more than Dengfu but not 10 or 20 times as much (and yes they do need to cover research and testing too). The fear of catastrophic failure enables them to keep the price that high...I'm sure there's a name for that type of good from economics class that I cant remember

Tenzor07

Good few new companies producing cheaper carbon wheels now, such as Hunt: https://www.huntbikewheels.com/collections/road-rim-brake-wheels

Though if I was the OP on a very limited budget, i'd be looking at a decent set of alloy rims...

lennymc

my cx race bike has a set of cheapo carbon rims, no problems with them for last three years. they have taken a right hammering, and I am not a featherweight. I guess if i crash due to them, it's probably not going to be a fast one, and I will land in mud

jntsnk

You are putting yourself and others at risk with cheap Chinese wheels. Why consider money over safety ? Do you want a guilt trip. There are always accidents on the road but at least have the piece of mind that the equipment you are riding is up to standard.
Go with brands that have plenty reviews written about them not you tube, blogs etc ..... reviews though.

lennymc

do your research - some chinese wheels appear to be better than others. Don't forget, some top end wheels also fail spectacularly (remember sky's TT recently?)

iwillhtfu

jntsnk wrote: »

You are putting yourself and others at risk with cheap Chinese wheels. Why consider money over safety ? Do you want a guilt trip. There are always accidents on the road but at least have the piece of mind that the equipment you are riding is up to standard.
Go with brands that have plenty reviews written about them not you tube, blogs etc ..... reviews though.

Or maybe not :rolleyes:

Cionn

jntsnk wrote: »

You are putting yourself and others at risk with cheap Chinese wheels. Why consider money over safety ? Do you want a guilt trip. There are always accidents on the road but at least have the piece of mind that the equipment you are riding is up to standard.
Go with brands that have plenty reviews written about them not you tube, blogs etc ..... reviews though.

Tbh I think that type of argument is over the top. Medicines (a different industry for sure, but subject to a higher regulation threshold ) generic medicine is the same as the branded ones but significantly cheaper.

With a bit of research and common sense you should be able to limit the risk, cheaper price for non branded product.

Tenzor07

Cionn wrote: »

Tbh I think that type of argument is over the top. Medicines (a different industry for sure, but subject to a higher regulation threshold ) generic medicine is the same as the branded ones but significantly cheaper.
With a bit of research and common sense you should be able to limit the risk, cheaper price for non branded product.

Generic drugs are exact copies of the originals where the patent expired 10 or 20 years ago, so if they same applied to carbon bicycle parts you'd be purchasing a product which may have been designed back in the late 90's!

The point is also that with a branded product you are buying peace of mind that the quality is of the highest standard, consistent performance and safety of the design and great warranty backup...You're basically buying a replica of a tried and tested product when you buy cheap from the likes of Alibaba site..

With the "open design" products you never know what you will get, could be a well put together product, but could fail within a year or so also...
A frame could look the same as say a Specialized Venge but may be as heavy as an alloy frame due to how the frame was joined together, heavier lugs, poor carbon layup...etc...

DirkVoodoo

Generic drugs are still regulated and tested.

I'd say it's more like buying illicit drugs, you don't really know what it's been cut with, even if it looks the same on the outside.

And they're more likely to leave you in the back of an ambulance!

I've bought cheap electronics from alibaba before, they were those portable speakers, looked identical to the real thing but a fraction of the price. Of course, I ordered 2, only 1 worked...opened up the dud and it was a case of crappy soldering, wires were hanging off.

If you think "but carbon wheels aren't as complicated as electronics" I'd seriously question whether you should be buying them.

Like someone said, if you just want nicer and better wheels but not for racing, a reliable, easily serviceable aluminium clincher is the way to go. I've got some hand-builts that I love, they don't look super sexy but do you really care when you're riding?

Kaisr Sose

Do all cycling related discussions always have to end up discussing drugs ?

cavan4sam

Thanks for all the input
Will sit tight for a while until I get a little more info
Kind of freaked out at the horror stories as I'm not the smallest rider 6'3 95kg

harringtonp

thekooman wrote: »

I bought a set of 50mm carbon clinchers handbuilt off the spokesmanwheels.co.uk last year and they are great. have been on some bad roads and take the abuse so far. built on Novatech hubs and weigh about 1500g. all delivered for 670 euro. they are a Chinese (everything is!) Carbonal carbon rim. No customs and 20£ delivery from the UK.

I did a huge amount of research before buying a set of deep section wheels. First looked at brands and came to the conclusion that CRCs Prime wheels were among the best value out there. Then looked at wheelbuilders and came to the conclusion that the best value outside of China (which I wasn't ready for) was through Mark from spokesmanwheels.co.uk

Got a recent delivery of new Carbonal 50mm carbon clinchers which are a little more expensive and a little heavier than those above but the rim supposedly takes tubeless tyres easier. Wheelset, 2 spare spokes, tubeless valves and fitted tubeless rim tape came in at 740 euro (Mark's price was 607 sterling but bank screwed with fees and exchange rate on direct transfer).

The set including the heavier duty rim tape weight 1537g. Have only used them twice (110km club spin and 80min of club racing) but initial impressions are that they are a solid and very responsive set of wheels. Running with Swisstop black prince carbon pads and will get a better idea of braking over time but didn't notice any shortcomings so far.

They are 25mm wide, have that toroidal aero shape and to be honest I cannot see any difference between them and the likes of Zipp which are twice the price. These impressions may well change over time but for now all seems good.

OleRodrigo

thecycleclinic.co.uk and dcrwheels.co.uk have introduced their own branded aluminium & carbon rims and dcr have their own branded hubs. According to them, they are made in the far east in the same factories to the same standards as some well known brands. Money is saved by cutting out layers from the supply chain by building and selling them directly.

There are a growing number of ' artisan ' builders doing the same ( wheelsmith, hunt etc ) - spa cycles have being doing the same with frames for years. I've had wheelsets built by both thecycleclinic and dcr - have just recently bought a wheelset from dcr with their own branded hubs. Quality so far is just as good as some of the higher end counterparts but at a lower price with additional features such as extra sealing for wet weather. Tailoring the product to the local climate is a good additional selling point.

I think these small builders are a better alternative to the alibaba sellers, with prices falling somewhere in between them and the established brands without compromising on quality.

Would be good to see someone in Ireland doing the same.

dragratchet

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Would be good to see someone in Ireland doing the same.

there is afaik. luas wheels - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057663251

OleRodrigo

dragratchet wrote: »

there is afaik. luas wheels - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057663251

Good stuff. Does he do aluminium clinchers as well?

iwillhtfu

I'd find it hard to believe any of those stores advertising on donedeal aren't just acting as middlemen. Also I'd say the wheel builders are sourcing their carbon hoops from sellers such as hongfu etc.

Sure there's a lad on donedeal selling cycling glasses and bottle cages from aliexpress at 10 times the price.

harringtonp

OleRodrigo wrote: »

thecycleclinic.co.uk and dcrwheels.co.uk have introduced their own branded aluminium & carbon rims and dcr have their own branded hubs. According to them, they are made in the far east in the same factories to the same standards as some well known brands. Money is saved by cutting out layers from the supply chain by building and selling them directly.

There are a growing number of ' artisan ' builders doing the same ( wheelsmith, hunt etc ) - spa cycles have being doing the same with frames for years. I've had wheelsets built by both thecycleclinic and dcr - have just recently bought a wheelset from dcr with their own branded hubs. Quality so far is just as good as some of the higher end counterparts but at a lower price with additional features such as extra sealing for wet weather. Tailoring the product to the local climate is a good additional selling point.

I think these small builders are a better alternative to the alibaba sellers, with prices falling somewhere in between them and the established brands without compromising on quality.

Would be good to see someone in Ireland doing the same.

Had looked at both cycleclinic and DCR as well and was very close to buying from DCR but found there was slightly better value from spokesman.

Both wheelsmith and hunt seem to have great reputations (hunt in particular have a great marketing department) but were a fair bit pricier They both give the impression of being flat out which is probably why they can hike the prices. Spokesman is a smaller operation (mark builds the wheels, his wife does the admin) and I liked this as I was able to chat to him beforehand and know who would be building the wheels.

The hoops all come from China of course but in the cases of these builders there reputation is at stake and you have to assume they know how to pick a good rim. And presumably if there are problems they'll hear back quick enough and will source elsewhere.

As mentioned above it would be great to have a talented Irish builder or 2 operating in the same market.

OleRodrigo

Nice. What wheels did you get from spokesman?

harringtonp

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Nice. What wheels did you get from spokesman?

Basically it was

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Carbonal-50mm-deep-x-25mm-wide-carbon-clinchers-Novatec-hubs-/162156494284?hash=item25c147bdcc

with the superlight front hub option except that the rim was sligtlly newer than the one shown here. It was the April2017 delivery listed at

http://www.spokesmanwheels.co.uk/current-stock/

OleRodrigo

harringtonp wrote: »

Basically it was

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Carbonal-50mm-deep-x-25mm-wide-carbon-clinchers-Novatec-hubs-/162156494284?hash=item25c147bdcc

with the superlight front hub option except that the rim was sligtlly newer than the one shown here. It was the April2017 delivery listed at

http://www.spokesmanwheels.co.uk/current-stock/

They look great, well wear

ford2600

harringtonp wrote: »

Got a recent delivery of new Carbonal 50mm carbon clinchers which are a little more expensive and a little heavier than those above but the rim supposedly takes tubeless tyres easier. Wheelset, 2 spare spokes, tubeless valves and fitted tubeless rim tape came in at 740 euro (Mark's price was 607 sterling but bank screwed with fees and exchange rate on direct transfer).

Use revolut, transfermate, transferwise etc when paying in other currency. Banks are a bad joke

Paul_Mc1988

So with Yeoleo and Farsport now having a lot of their Wheel sets UCI certified and a British team using them as their official Wheel supplier will peoples minds change on these?

I have taken a punt on Farsport 60mm deep 25mm wide with CX ray bladed spokes and DTswiss hubs. Awaiting delivery but will report back when they arrive:)

jntsnk

Delivered to the door, how much did the yeoleo wheels cost?

Paul_Mc1988

jntsnk wrote: »

Delivered to the door, how much did the yeoleo wheels cost?

I didn't get Yeoleos i got Farsport. Delivered to the door for 673 euro.

12 element

Paul_Mc1988 wrote: »

I didn't get Yeoleos i got Farsport. Delivered to the door for 673 euro.

With customs?

Paul_Mc1988

12 element wrote: »

With customs?

I'll send you a PM on the breakdown of cost but to my knowledge its all in. Wheels have not arrived but as far as i know this is the final price.

Kaisr Sose

Seems a bit high for a FOB price out of China. The VAT is normally applied at point of entry into Ireland.

Paul_Mc1988

So the wheels arrived. Just finished fitting rim tape, tubes and tyres. Gonna get a shop to put on the cassette and set up the brakes properly for the first time. What sort of tyres pressure should I be looking at for a 80 kg rider on 25mm wide tyres

https://imgur.com/gallery/hhxJS