Chinese Carbon wheels shatter whilst riding

[SamR]

Saw this posted on r/bicycling and just had to link it here.

http://imgur.com/a/AcRb7

Opinions?

 

[Spoked Wheels]

It looks like the wheel hit something, maybe a curb, pothole, etc.

Without knowing what happened it's difficult to comment.

 

[Globalti]

Hmmmm... a wheel isn't like a frame component where the stresses are often well spread and the component is one of two in parallel. If it breaks you're on your noggin.

 

[vickster]

Seems as good a reason as any not to buy untested, unbranded stuff over t'interweb

 

[SamR]

My thoughts after thinking for a bit: if cheaply made (I assume) carbon can fail in this way in a wheel, how does this reflect on the fake Chinese Pinarellos and other knockoff frames? Are they likely to fail as badly, even if as @Globalti suggested, it's normally one of two in parallel?

 

[vickster]

My thoughts after thinking for a bit: if cheaply made (I assume) carbon can fail in this way in a wheel, how does this reflect on the fake Chinese Pinarellos and other knockoff frames? Are they likely to fail as badly, even if as @Globalti suggested, it's normally one of two in parallel?

I am sure there are plenty of pictures out there of broken Chinarello frames. Any carbon frame can break, but if you buy from a UK retailer with a warranty attached and a brand with an image to protect, you should get attentive aftercare

 

[Hacienda71]

I wouldn't buy carbon rimmed clinchers. I know Zipp are saying that theirs are now fine, but I would stick to tubs if all carbon and you are doing any remotely hilly riding. You do see plenty of failures on carbon clinchers. Far more so than the scare stories of carbon frames. I would consider carbon clinchers with an alloy braking surface though.
I have ridden a cheap as chips carbon frame from the China for the last 14000 miles and it has been faultless. There is a lot talked about China and carbon fibre and the one genuine issue seems to be clinchers. There is a known issue with clinchers and overheating and the bottom end stuff doesn't hack it.

 

[Globalti]

I can't understand the fascination with carbon for wheels; it's brittle and terrible for braking and the carbon wheels I've examined weren't really much lighter than my Ksyrium SLs, which have given me five years of excellent reliable service on terrible roads and are still as true as the day they were built. At least with aluminium you will get a warning in the form of a gradual collapse, cracks around the eyelets or a rim blowing out under pressure, which is less catastrophic than a sudden complete collapse.

 

[Hacienda71]

They only really make a difference when you are travelling at 20mph plus which is why testers tend to use them. On your everyday 17 to 18 mph club run it is bling rather than gain on many occasions.

 

[GrasB]

They may do that if you hit a kerb or pothole hard, especially if the wheel is badly built.

 

[screenman]

I had a Mavic rim let go in a big way a while back, so idiot put a pot hole in the wrong place. I am yet to have a problem with a carbon rim, for one very good reason.

 

[Rob3rt]

I can't understand the fascination with carbon for wheels; it's brittle and terrible for braking and the carbon wheels I've examined weren't really much lighter than my Ksyrium SLs, which have given me five years of excellent reliable service on terrible roads and are still as true as the day they were built. At least with aluminium you will get a warning in the form of a gradual collapse, cracks around the eyelets or a rim blowing out under pressure, which is less catastrophic than a sudden complete collapse.

Really? You honestly can't work it out?