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Cheap Carbon v expensive alloy wheels

Im looking to upgrade wheels (rim brakes)but not sure whether to go with cheap carbon or expensive alloys budget of around £650.How much of a quality difference is there between cheap carbon, and expensive aluminium wheel sets? and then comparing the cheap carbon vs the expensive aluminium?
What would you go for?

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6 comments

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Boatsie | 4 years ago
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Thanks check12.
1, 2, we do kung fu.

I checked my rims. They're alloy (paint black, not carbon) Mavic Ellipse $799Aud
It's my lack of coordination that limits my top speed, they shape wind well and bed 28s and brake shoes nicely.
(I don't burden bike with much weight. Fixed cog)

When a new born, recognition is primal assault. To grasp senses we look. Looking with eyes, ears, scent, touch, movement. A beautiful world. Instinctively we trust know 1. Family grows upon our understandings of anothers reliability. We trust our mothers will feed us.
I live with 2 queens. I'm not sure when they moved in yet in my kitchens outer wall is a half inch hole. The entrance hole of two tribes. Native Teddy Bear bee and the bigger Honey bee. Last heat wave I had the heater on 7 days. (I thought it was an air-conditioning unit on cooler. Whoops). Outside felt cool at 46℃. I get that dumb.. Anyway, the bees swarming in the kitchen is when I realized I share my home with many men.
Primal battery is why I choose alloy. Every painted door they shall pass.
I love carbon fibre: A light weight paper.
We live on a carbon planet.
We are carbon basis beings.
Current civilian resin to bond our light weight paper is not biodegradable. I'm hoping the nerds cog it up because I'd love to use some carbon fibre bicycle parts that aren't a lead towards a toxic feed.
Basically a light backpack, light clothes commuter. Aero makes a huge difference.
Best luck brother.

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Htc | 4 years ago
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Nothing wrong with cheaper carbon wheels. £650 to £800 gets you something you can ride all year round, yes breaking in the wet takes some getting used to but it’s not awful. The biggest improvement I found when swapping to carbon wheels was a huge increase in comfort, the wheels seem to take the edge of harsher bumps and cracks in the road surface. If you go for something 45-50mm deep you’ll likely see a performance improvement too.

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Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
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Too many compromises for a cheap carbon rim braked wheel. Poor braking performance, especially terrifying in the wet, unsightly abrasions plus increased wear, or it has to have an alloy brake track, which increases the weight. Then you have problems with heat dissipation though I don't think that the issues of the damn things delaminating at speed are still as common.

Unless a sponsor buys your kit or you have deep pockets, carbon rims are better suited for disc brake setups. If I were in your shoes and having owned some otherwise splendid HED trispoke carbon wheels in my past, I'd opt for alloy every time.

Another nugget of wisdom from Boatsie. I'm visiting an elderly relative who suffers from dementia today and can be difficult. I will make "Honesty alloys patience" my mantra.

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Boatsie | 4 years ago
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Quality is with alloy..
The children have less of a loss of the same playground we have now with years to come.

I know carbon is beautiful, I use aero blade, aero rim carbon wheels of less than that trade amount ($900). They have rim brakes but aren't used much.. More per safety(fix gear bike).
I'll be replacing them with alloy when worn( if ever worn)because durability being the most of my consideration. Durability of both wheel and planet..
I'm glad to have use of some carbon to ease tension of moment and grasp concepts of why people use such but I can't see communal value of such regarding bicycling.. Stiff shit, racing mildly slower..
Commuting loves durability.

Honesty.. Alloys.. Patience..

My head was severely broken to enable alien technology communication systems of current governments levels of educational understandings. You share planet with me. If a sail boat leaves port to journey. Destination isn't immediate.
Light years is a distance.
Most people wouldn't know Watt 2 look at.
It's only 200 years or so..

Please use alloy if buying new.
Our children would love with you 2.

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check12 replied to Boatsie | 4 years ago
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Boatsie wrote:

Quality is with alloy.. The children have less of a loss of the same playground we have now with years to come. I know carbon is beautiful, I use aero blade, aero rim carbon wheels of less than that trade amount ($900). They have rim brakes but aren't used much.. More per safety(fix gear bike). I'll be replacing them with alloy when worn( if ever worn)because durability being the most of my consideration. Durability of both wheel and planet.. I'm glad to have use of some carbon to ease tension of moment and grasp concepts of why people use such but I can't see communal value of such regarding bicycling.. Stiff shit, racing mildly slower.. Commuting loves durability. Honesty.. Alloys.. Patience.. My head was severely broken to enable alien technology communication systems of current governments levels of educational understandings. You share planet with me. If a sail boat leaves port to journey. Destination isn't immediate. Light years is a distance. Most people wouldn't know Watt 2 look at. It's only 200 years or so.. Please use alloy if buying new. Our children would love with you 2.

 

love your writing style 

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Pret | 4 years ago
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There isnt a simple answer to your question.

What are you planning to do with the wheelset ? Commute, weekend riding recing etc ?

Also would this be your only wheelset for the bike ? Also are you looking at lightweight or aero ?

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