Carbon wheelset - advice please, particularly lightbicycle/other Chinese carbon

[DCLane]

What's the concensus on these then? Price looks good - do you have a set?

My son races on a 50mm disc brake pair, hence why @T4tomo made the comment. He's had no issues with them and they're light. Someone I know has had issues with them staying true but he's a heavier rider.

 

[T4tomo]

What's the concensus on these then? Price looks good - do you have a set?

I have the 38mm rim brake ones. I don't race, they are a far better wheel than I need, but they are light, super smooth, and look awesome!

Also for a smallish premium he does a guarantee so if you crack a rim etc he'll replace it.

 

[YellowV2]

These are very good
https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/collec...20f-24r-2-1-with-borg-wheels-hubs-26-2mm-wide

 

[Ajax Bay]

Our local wheelbuilder Spokesman Wheels (Mike Pollard et al) has an excellent reputation and one of our group had the pecuniary enthusiasm to get a wheelset made up (Carbonal rims, Novatec hubs), with which she is happy.
http://www.spokesmanwheels.co.uk/technical-blurb/
Spec roughly this (from their eebay shop but see %) : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163166798041?hash=item25fd7fc0d9:g:4cMAAOSwKARbWF4-

No need on CycleChat to descend into 'hoops' cycle mag vernacular.
Reposting: "laterally stiff yet vertically compliant"
Try avoiding to laugh at/with this article : bikesnob-2008-dream-bike-shootout,
"this bike climbs like a monkey with a set of crampons, descends like a monkey in a set of crampons being dropped from a helicopter, handles corners like a prostitute, and accelerates like a particle in a particle accelerator that itself is just a tiny particle in a giant particle accelerator."
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/carbon.243931/page-2

 

[Enlightenedwaistcoat]

Our local wheelbuilder Spokesman Wheels (Mike Pollard et al) has an excellent reputation and one of our group had the pecuniary enthusiasm to get a wheelset made up (Carbonal rims, Novatec hubs), with which she is happy.
http://www.spokesmanwheels.co.uk/technical-blurb/
Spec roughly this (from their eebay shop but see %) : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163166798041?hash=item25fd7fc0d9:g:4cMAAOSwKARbWF4-

No need on CycleChat to descend into 'hoops' cycle mag vernacular.
Reposting: "laterally stiff yet vertically compliant"
Try avoiding to laugh at/with this article : bikesnob-2008-dream-bike-shootout,
"this bike climbs like a monkey with a set of crampons, descends like a monkey in a set of crampons being dropped from a helicopter, handles corners like a prostitute, and accelerates like a particle in a particle accelerator that itself is just a tiny particle in a giant particle accelerator."
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/carbon.243931/page-2

😂 I just want some wheels to go fast (whilst understanding that I am the engine that powers them 😉). Is a monkey descending in crampons a good thing or a bad thing? 🤔

 

[Peter Salt]

Low(ish) maintenance matters more to me than some boujee bearings tbh. Hence my query about the hunt - I'd heard their bearings weren't great. My bitex hub on the other hand has been great and has needed next to no maintenance at all. Granted I didn't ride them in the winter but they've still not needed much maintenence.

If this is the case, then with the Hypers you would probably want to replace the bearings right away.

This is something I do with all my wheels, regardless of brand. I know some people will find it strange - you get new wheels and first thing you do is replace all, unused, bearings - but I have a very low opinion on what pretty much all manufacturers put in as OEM. Like you, I'm a fan of long-lasting components, so it's full-seal reputable brand (usually SKF) bearings on all my wheels, always.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Im a fairly new 9velo owner and these are my first set of carbon hoops so I have nothing to compare them directly with. Build quality looks to be pretty spectacular decent. Very clean looking, no scratches, blemishes or scuffs on the rim. Run true and are far less obnoxiously sounding than the hubs that HUNT use when free wheeling.

Cheapest set in the range cost me £530 with shipping. They come with 4 years warranty Its actually 2 years warranty now 🤔 Could have sworn it said 4 years when i purchased. Maybe im just getting old.

but the problem with these is if you need a replacement freehub/body. You're going to be waiting a fair amount of time for it to arrive from China unless you try plugging a DT Swiss one in. Apparently a DT Swiss patent expired and now all these Chinese companies are rolling out copies of the hubs with their wheels but YMMV.

If 9velo is your choice and you pick the cheaper shipping option which includes pre-paid import charges. Expect to wait around a month for them to arrive.

Only been out for a small handful of rides with my RV55 set and so far i've been fairly happy with them. Hambini did a review of one of their more expensive disc wheelsets and 9velo gave him a discount code to use which I used to get a further 10% off on top of the current website discount. (I think i got 30-35% off in total??) Dont know if the code still works but ideally its up to you. Hambini rates 9velo quite highly so far and so has other reviewers - namely peak torque.

Peak Torque:

Going with the more expensive RVL wheelset would have gotten me what I assume to be a better rear hub and CX-Xray spokes but i didnt think the increased price was worth it for me (the price does increase quite substantially...) as im just a recreational cyclist that likes to go fast and occasionally peacock when doing laps around regents park (while being dropped by people on bikes worth 8-10x more than mine...)

If youre willing to watch some reviews.... there is another chinese brand called 'Superteam' that sells carbon wheelsets on amazon who have also been very highly praised on youtube - They are CHEAP but most reviewers claim to be surprised at how well they have held up. Being as cheap as they are, They might be on the heavier side and not as fast as other more expensive carbon wheelsets (a lot of testing done by peak torque and hambini have shown that not all hoops are equal despite having the same rim depth and competing against each other directly. Hambini has another video on his channel about this. I think its called 'how to pick an aero wheel' or aero wheelset. I know that some people think that Hambini is a bit of a twat but watch the video, check his test results and make your own decision about him.)

::EDIT::

I bought the 55mm's because I live in london - (More potholes than hills...) but 9velo do have a 40mm set


(Edited again to make more sensical reading)

 

[Enlightenedwaistcoat]

Im a fairly new 9velo owner and these are my first set of carbon hoops. Build quality is pretty spectacular. Run true and are far less obnoxiously sounding than the hubs that HUNT use when free wheeling.

Cheapest set in the range cost me £530 with shipping. They come with 4 years warranty but the problem with these is if you need a replacement freehub/body. You're going to be waiting a fair amount of time for it to arrive from China unless you try plugging a DT Swiss one in. Apparently a DT Swiss patent expired and now all these Chinese companies are rolling out copies of the hubs with their wheels but YMMV.

If 9velo is your choice and you pick the cheaper shipping option which includes pre-paid import charges. Expect to wait around a month for them to arrive.

Only been out for a small handful of rides with my RV55 set and so far i've been fairly happy with them. Hambini did a review of one of their more expensive disc wheelsets and 9velo gave him a discount code to use which I used to get a further 10% off on top of the current website discount. (I think i got 30-35% off in total??) Dont know if the code still works but ideally its up to you. Hambini rates 9velo quite highly so far and so has other reviewers - namely peak torque.

Peak Torque:

I chose the RV55s. Going with the more expensive RVL wheelset would have gotten me what I assume to be a better rear hub and CX-Xray spokes but i didnt think the increased price was worth it for me as im just a recreational cyclist that likes to go fast and occasionally peacock when doing laps around regents park (while being dropped by people on bikes worth 8-10x more than mine...)

If youre willing to watch some reviews.... there is another chinese brand called 'Superteam' that sells carbon wheelsets on amazon who have also been very highly praised on youtube - They are CHEAP but most reviewers claim to be surprised at how well they have held up. Being as cheap as they are, They might be on the heavier side.

::EDIT::

I bought the 55mm's because I live in london - (More potholes than hills...) but 9velo do have a 40mm set

I'll have a watch, thanks v much.

 

[RoubaixCube]

I'll have a watch, thanks v much.

Coincidently. trace velo dropped his video not long ago.

Although he's rocking the more premium carbon spoked 35mm wheelset. If you dont know about Trace Velo. His schtick is that be buys a lot of china made bike parts from Aliexpress (and ebay when found) and reviews them. He's bought and rode quite a few unknown or unbranded carbon wheelsets before. To put it into context. He's like a connoisseur of cheap China made bike tat because they are cheaper than western brands.

His video also has a fresh 10% discount code if the Hambini one doesnt work.

 

[Sallar55]

If your not going to Europe they should be fine. I have 2cycling mates that have melted the epoxy that binds the carbon (Chinese wheels) on big descents. Buy good brake blocks if on rim brakes.

 

[RoubaixCube]

If your not going to Europe they should be fine. I have 2cycling mates that have melted the epoxy that binds the carbon (Chinese wheels) on big descents. Buy good brake blocks if on rim brakes.

I think this is something that happens on all carbon rim brake wheels regardless of branding and origin. Just because you have a popular known branded set of carbon rim brake hoops doesnt make them impervious to the heat of dragging brakes down steep or long descents

 

[Sallar55]

I think this is something that happens on all carbon rim brake wheels regardless of branding and origin. Just because you have a popular known branded set of carbon rim brake hoops doesnt make them impervious to the heat of dragging brakes down steep or long descents

Wrong I have a set of 2005 Campagnolo hyperon wheels that have done lots of European descents. I was of the same opinion and bought another set when Chainreaction were selling them at a great price. The new ones are still unused and the old ones have done 5 etapes du tour along with the usual holidays abroad and were my good weather 300/400 audax wheels. . Are you saying that my mates don't know how to descend? You learn from your mistakes, they now buy the likes of Mavic ,DT Swiss etc.
They have never been trued or bust a spoke😁

 

[Ajax Bay]

Aero Bike Wheel Buyers Guide | By an Engineer​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WLuQFOgy18

Hunt Bicycle Wheel Hub Teardown - Bearing Service. Overpriced Junk​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsl6Mg6B2zM

 

[Sallar55]

Carbon wheels ,all i require is a wheel i can trust when on a big fast descent. Call it insurance 🤔
Today with discs its less of a problem but we have all seen carbon wheels destroyed on the Tour. Have seen a front wheel fold when someone in front misjudged a corner and that was a grass verge.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Are you says that my mates don't know how to descend?

Im not saying anything. There are so many variables when it comes to China wheels. Even HUNT had an issue with some of their rims starting to delaminate and fail at supposedly lower speeds and that set were the aerodynamicist set (if i remember correctly) so not particularly cheap either. Resins have also gotten better over the years although some manufacturers will still cheap out but im not willing to go out and see if I can melt my RV55s. You can google "carbon rim wheel delaminating" and there are lot of threads that pop up mentioning other brands - Big brands like Shimano that have even had delaminating wheels. (I think the complaint was with the C50's... This guy went through 3 or 4 sets of them and he melted every single one of them)

I any case, I personally would have subbed for an alloy wheelset or gone with a disc brake bike if I knew that was how the terrain was going to be. Right tool for the right job.

A lot things are manufactured in china before having brand names slapped on before sale anyway so your mileage is always going to vary.

Its just not fair to say something to the nature of "I didnt have this issue, therefore it doesnt exist"