Carbon Rims Through Winter?

You might be skint now but you'll be even more skint when you have to replace your carbon wheels rather than a pair of winter shitters. Shimano RS010 or Campag Calimas are both available for around the hundred quid mark. I replaced some 20,000km old Zondas with Calimas a few weeks ago; they're not quite as nice but then they're less than a third of the price. They have also converted me to wide rims with 28s.  I've run 28s on the narrower Zonda previously, but the increased grip from the wider rim is genuinely noticeable.

I'll ride carbon rim braked wheels in winter, but I wouldn't ride them if it was pissing with rain or forcast rain and I'm going on a longer ride. If it's dry or simply a bit damp on the road then no big deal, it's just like any other day of the year really just with a lower temperature.

If your route will get a lot of standing water or it is piddling it down/forcast too then just take your 'training' wheels out, isn't that the very reason you have a set for 'best' and your other wheels are on the commute, touring, audax/sportif bikes and a couple of spare wheelsets as back ups?

I like using an open pro ceramic/Dura Ace front for horrible weather rides with a std Open pro/Dura Ace rear, still nice wheels but even if you're a lazy bugger and don't bother cleaning your rims that often you'll still get more than a couple of winters out of the rim, just get same rim and get it rebuilt.

Older Open Pros/reflex, Rigida/Ryde, DT Swiss etc can be had for peanuts, if you can build your own wheels then it's even cheaper but you can pick up decent spec wheels for ridiculous prices these days as people are 'upgrading' all the time. I bought a new front DTSwiss R1.1 on Powertap G3 carbon hub for £50 a couple of years ago from a shop.

If you only want one wheelset that you can use all year round in any weather condition and don't want the hassle of swapping and indeed not have to wipe your rims once in a while then disc braked bikes are probably where you want to be.

Don't ride so fast that you have to brake. 'Riding to Conditions' I think is how some people around here call it; that would please them too because then you wouldn't have to wear a 'plastic noddy hat' that they hate so much.

or

Just ride and don't worry; British weather is actually not all that bad. And clean your rims occasionally.

Depends where you live in Scotland. I've not noticed any brake track issues but then I don't tend to brake that much anyway, and have a tendency to ride more flat routes in winter. However, the fine granite grit on the roads around Aberdeenshire has shagged my Campag ceramic bearings after not very much wet riding. 

In conclusion, a set of £140 Mavic Askiums are now on the bike over winter. 

also, running on heavy winter wheels means you feel like a god come spring. briefly, at least.

Personally I'd buy a set of alu wheels off ebay or somesuch for the winter.  As said above, I can certainly envisage the wet grit on the road wearing the brake tracks more quickly, and the bearings having a harder time in the salt.  Whilst I can see your point on saving money by running only one set, I think it would be a false economy.

Not to mention the braking efficiency of carbon wheels in the wet is not as good as alu so there is a safety angle.

Also you will enjoy the novelty of the carbon wheels all over again come Spring!

Same for me, ran carbon rims last winter but - spoiler alert - discs again. That said, the issue won't necessarily be brake track wear, it's more likely to be the hub bearings getting a hard time through repeated exposure to muddy, salty water.

The suggestion of bunging on some cheap alloy wheels is a good one.

Depends on brakes.

Disc - yes, no problem apart from the usual issues of cleaning to prevent corrosion, especially around the spoke nipples.

Rim - No, personally I wouldn't accept the additional wear on my bestest wheels and if the brake track is itself carbon, the poor braking performance.

I had no issue with carbon clinchers through last winter, but then I've got disc brakes.

Simple answer is that 'it depends on how hard you are on your wheels/brake tracks'.

Some people seem to ride carbon all year round with no detriment and some people will degregate their brake tracks horrendously. 

I've ridden carbon through winter and I can notice a bit of degregation, enough to make me wince. But I'm one of those people who for some reason seems to wear through brake pads and alloy rims quite fast.

DON'T DO IT!!!!

The winter ruins brake tracks no matter carbon or alloy. 

Scour eBay for some cheap alloy wheels, the place is full of people selling barely used stock wheels from new bikes which can be picked up for roughly £50 a set.