The best hybrid carbon/alloy setup possible?

MojoMaker

Hi all,

Struggling with this a bit. We all know the obvious advantages of carbon rims, and deep-section carbon rims in particular - they look great and they make a brilliant sound 😃

But on a serious note, in a rim-brake world it gets tricky to balance the right setup for an average day's cycling in hilly areas of Ireland. Alloy clinchers offer superior braking force than carbon rims, and in the wet they are not even in the same ballpark - before you take to the hills at all.

I would like to use my carbon rims in more situations - rain or shine, up hill and down dale - so I'm wondering is there some happy medium regarding rim brake pad composition that could be left permanently on the bike while swapping out alloy rims and carbon rims interchangeably as the weather/terrain dictates? The thought of regularly swapping in/out brake blocks would drive me around the bend.

Is this Unicorn land?

cletus

I wouldn't imagine it's possible. The aluminium swarf that's likely to be embedded in the brake blocks would surely tear up a carbon brake surface

fat bloke

The solution is in your shed dude.

2 bikes.

One for wet, one for dry.

For really decent, almost disc, braking in the wet then get Exalith rimmed wheels. They're excellent

monkeyslayer

Find Swissstop pads for carbon quite good on my old Zipp 302s… there's a knack to braking wet carbon rims, its like a quick double pull, one to clear the surface water and second harder pull to actually brake.

Cant say I've ever had any major problems with braking on my carbon rims, I ride them all year, keep them clean and they're probably about 30,000kms old now and still going.

I'd have a bigger problem with the expensive bearings wearing on wet roads tbh.

I used to use the zipp reccomended tagente pads but they were over 40 euro a pair and they didn't last very long. Swiss stop ones were a quarter of that price, better braking and last longer.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123581375#Comment_123581375

Also great experience with Swisstop (on both carbon and Zondas) fwiw. Have never found myself wishing I had more stopping power.

EDIT: frantically touches wood!!!

triggermortis

another vote for Swissstop pads. I used the Hunt ones that came with my wheels to begin with, but swapping out the pads gave better performance in the wet as well as the dry. Also got Swissstop pads for my winter disc bike and that improved too.

I would not swap carbon and alloy wheels while using one set of pads for the reason Cletus mentioned

gn3dr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123581003#Comment_123581003

This Is the correct answer 😀

beggars_bush

Mavic Ksyrium Pro Exalith Wheelset

Can often see them for sale second hand

MojoMaker

The trouble with the 2 bike theory - and believe me I have no shortage of bikes - is that in this country you can often be out in all weathers, often meeting 3 seasons in the one day. I've had Swisstop brake blocks on bikes for 15 years now, just don't find their carbon range particularly good compared to their alloy rim composition.

Descending from sally gap in the rain on dirty roads is not a nice experience on carbon wheels…period. Just wanted to check was there some hybrid solution I was unaware of.

The Exalith range is pricy!!

fat bloke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123583313#Comment_123583313

Well sure look. Wet carbon braking is poor but it's not useless. You'll survive.

I've descended Sally and Wicklow gap almost as often as I've had hot dinners so, I ain't lyin' t'ya.

And anyway, carbon sheathed wheels with silver rims are the cycling aesthetic equivalent of slip shoes and white socks.

Very Fred.