Globalti
Legendary Member
I've only tried carbon rims briefly and no, they don't offer much friction to the brakes so softer compound rubber brake blocks are needed. Rain makes them even less effective and they wear fast once gritty water gets between rim and pad.
I have some wheels with "Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation" of the braking surfaces, which I believe means hard-wearing oxides are fused to the alloy, somewhat in the way of the best abrasive papers, and they work extremely well although again they need softer compound pads to prevent expensive and unsightly wear to the braking surface.
So I was wondering if it would be possible for wheel manufacturers to incorporate a fine grit into the resin, which encapsulates the carbon weave, creating a more abrasive and hence more grippy and wear-resistant surface. If so, why hasn't it been tried? There is plenty of knowledge of abrasive and wear-resistant materials in industry; my guess is that it would be difficult with production techniques still in evolution, to incorporate two different qualities of resin into the rim, assuming the "grippy" resin was not considered appropriate for the structural part of the rim.
Any thoughts?
I have some wheels with "Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation" of the braking surfaces, which I believe means hard-wearing oxides are fused to the alloy, somewhat in the way of the best abrasive papers, and they work extremely well although again they need softer compound pads to prevent expensive and unsightly wear to the braking surface.
So I was wondering if it would be possible for wheel manufacturers to incorporate a fine grit into the resin, which encapsulates the carbon weave, creating a more abrasive and hence more grippy and wear-resistant surface. If so, why hasn't it been tried? There is plenty of knowledge of abrasive and wear-resistant materials in industry; my guess is that it would be difficult with production techniques still in evolution, to incorporate two different qualities of resin into the rim, assuming the "grippy" resin was not considered appropriate for the structural part of the rim.
Any thoughts?