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Chinese carbon rims
I'm just wondering if anyone has tried Chinese carbon rims from 3S bike?
I'm a tightarse so trying to salvage my spokes for the new wheel build. Light bicycle don't appear to have a wide rim (35-45mm internal) with a 595mm ERD, or close.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/252006586162?_trksid=...
These 42mm rims suit the needs of my wide tyres and the recycled spoke requirement, but I am having no luck finding independent product reviews.
They have a rim with titanium reinforcement in the bead hook, so I wonder if someone lost their teeth? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/29er-carbon-mtb-bike-...
I've never had hookless rims before either. Any tricks or traps?
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First point - don't (and I really mean don't) but Chinese anything from ebay especially too good to be true carbon bike components unless you have a death wish.
Second point - don't ever use spokes from one wheel to build another wheel otherwise you'll be forever cursed by wheel builders the world over.
Just bite the bullet and save your pennies for a decent branded set of hand built wheels. They'll last forever, unlike the Chinese/Alibaba fake gonna fail any moment on you wheels.
Just my view of course.
1: If you can't find reviews I'd stay away until they surface. Not work the risk.
2: recycling spokes is fine. They are pre-stressed. I've done it moving from Crest to Arch rims on my training wheelset and they've done about 3,000km since and no kittens have died. But I have a spoke tension gauge and wheelbuilding jig.
3: My LB carbon wheels rock. They have a good rep and local wheelbuilders are happy to use them if you buy, which is the route I took. These days I'd build myself.
4. Never use alloy nipples on carbon rims. OEMs like Zipp ans Reynolds doing this is a continuing source of lucrative work for northern beaches wheelbuilders.
I know a bunch of road riders rolling around on Chinese brands like Yoeleo and Carbonspeed. The pricing of some wheels (especially if they were made in China) does seem a little rich although I'm sure they will argue R&D costs. Wiggle are doing there own brand like they've done before this time calling it COSINE. At the moment they have a bunch of wheels at just under $1,000 they are probably at least $500 bucks cheaper than rival wheels and about $300 more expensive than going the ebay route.
If they get it sorted I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't branch out to MTB wheels. There does seem to be some big margins in this part of the bicycle market.
Yeah I am also a re-user of spokes, used to get six moths out of back rims when racing and have used the same spokes with four rims. I have no gauge or jig so I wouldn't personally build up a carbon wheelset. I'm pretty tubby so a carbon wheelset would be a complete waste for me anyway so it's of no concern.
As others have said, wait for reviews, if the thing that contacts the ground fails the body part that follows will possibly fail too, too risky, in my opinion.
Oh yeah, if you do re-use spokes don't use an inside one on the outside and Vice-Versa.
I brought some of those light wheels a few years back. They have been awesome. I have hammered them and they are still perfectly true. I have never had disc rub or a warped wheel once. I'm sure most carbon wheels are made in china and just re-branded. I may get some more of these wheels for my other bikes. They are way better than others that I have tried and I have tried most.
Yeah, I'd save up for something along the lines of LB rims.
I've had a pair on the DH bike for 2 years and they've been great. Took some pretty hard falls, landings and rim strikes. Still run true, no damage.
It costs a company a lot to build a brand, and it can be eroded very quickly. LB etc have a real interest in selling wheels people are happy to recommend. The guy on eBay doesn't have the same incentive, or control over what he sells.
I've also had Enve rims for years, and honestly, I can't REALLY see where the extra money goes.
Saved $2,000 and got a pair of wide Ibis/Derby rims (Evne still don't do wide).
Fairy... being 'tubby', why wouldn't you use carbon?
Being stronger and flexing less, wouldn't they be of more benefit for someone heavy?
"Fairy... being 'tubby', why wouldn't you use carbon?
Being stronger and flexing less, wouldn't they be of more benefit for someone heavy? "
I have a 14kg hardtail and weight is of no concern, I built some stiff wheels and they were horrible so I moved to the uber flexy Flow EX and I get a load more comfort, traction and my feet stay on the pedals.
I'm sure I could get all of these attributes with a carbon rim but I'm not going to experiment and waste a bunch of money. My excess weight, lack of skill and fitness is what's holding me back, not the material that my rims are made from.
Lots of great perspectives, thanks.
If I replace these spokes, I know I'm going to have 72 spokes with corroded nipples sitting in my tool box for the next 20 years. I have a bent rim from my 2nd P35 rebuild hanging off a wheel hook in my garage. I smashed that wheel in 2012. The spokes and hub from the donor wheel that the replacement rim came from already occupy space in my toolbox........
Hi, my name's Pup and I can't throw useable shit away. Where is the 12 step program?
I can't see any problem re-using spokes. They are designed to spend their working life under oscillating cyclical loading. One extra cycle wont hurt. In a properly tensioned MTB wheel the bottom spokes nearly completely unload every wheel rotation. Nipples however......
One aspect I hadn't considered @MrMez is the ride stiffness of carbon. These wheels are destined for the Jones. Rigid SS. I run 12 psi in the front 3.0" tyre and 19-25 PSI in the 2.4 rear tyre for comfort and grip, which adds I'm sure to the wheel attrition rate.
Are wide hookless carbon rims going to:
a) exacerbate the pinging off rocksness of the bike at the same pressures?
b) handle the low pressures and be more resilient to damage?
c) mean small puppies cry every time I roll?
d) require higher pressure to work and make the effort worthless?
What is a good 2.6" 29er tyre with fast rolling knobs for the rear? Sadly the 3.0" Knard won't clear the chain stays.
a) No. You will be ablemto run lower pressures with less squirm under sideways load, and the sidewalls will provide more support.
b) It depends, but more likely than not if rim is well chosen
c) they do that anyway
d) depends on the rim profile. The newer hookless models that more closely mimic the UST profile with an inner lip to stop the bead dropping into the centre channel will be much more secure at low pressure than the Stans style ones I have.
Slope up, you'll dig the rims on the rigid. They instantly transformed mine to a whole new level. Admittedly the stock wheels were anything but special.
a) If pinging off rocksness is a good thing then carbon will be even bettersness. If it's not a good thing, then carbon will be even bettersness.
b) I've got the lb 30mm internal hookless with 2.2s and I've run the front under 20, normally a bit more and 25-28 rear. No prob with squirm or burping and I'm >100kg. No damage yet. Same on the dooly.
Just setting up a 29mm int am set for the other SS under the radar clutter of Xmas $pending. These will have as fat as will fit on the N9. That one needs some big bags to smooth out the ride but I'm limited by width.
c) Puppies AND kittens will weep, whales mate and unicorns will do the running man.
d) I don't have enough information/knowledge to make a statement regarding this. (said no one on the internet ever, right?)
Just do it. I use recycled air in my tyres all the time and have never had an issue.
What, 30mm internal rim with a 2.2" tyre? Surely it would just be a square profile?
I have a 2.3" Butcher in 25mm internal and that is as flat as I want a tyre.
Going wider on a rim will mean more rock strikes for the rim but I'd assume a carbon rim would be thicker at the bead than a hookless alloy rim and should deal with it okay and be less likely to slice a tyre.
My understanding is that impacts to carbon is bad mkay.
Impacts effect the layers/laminations which creates a weak spot that becomes worse over time as the load stresses the area and can potentially lead to a catastrophic failure.
As a Clydesdale I have my fair share of rim impacts and generally my bike suffers more than most which is why I steered away from carbon anything really.
I could never ride alu rims again. I cracked my Ibis carbon rim on the 2nd ride. Obviously a manufacturing defect, as the replacement has been bombproof.
I didn't really give a fk, so I kept riding it for another 4 rides or so, jumping and whipping, and to my great surprise didn't explode, and was still true.
While waiting for the replacement, I rode twice on a brand new, never used XTR Trail rear rim. That's all it took to knock it out of true, and put two fairly decent lateral compressions in the rim. Probably from landing sideways, not a ding from a rock strike.
Yeah I have no issue with carbon, I cracked a carbon bar and didn't die, had a carbon lower fork in 06 and it split at a bond, and again, I didn't die.
If a flat or thin section of carbon is hit yeah it could be bad but a rim is designed to be a rim, buy one from a reputable brand and that is rated for what you want to do and you shouldn't have an issue.
Hi, nice discussion.
LB does that stand for lightbicycle in the US? Offering custom made wheel sets, DT240's and everything? Sounds like really good offers.
Somebody mention in the thread that using aluminium nipples for a carbon wheel build would lead to issues later. What material should the nipples be made from?
Yes Volker, same company.
They also seem to be carbon cycle as well. When I got mine, they were still using novatec exclusively, so I just ordered rims and laced them to existing hope pro 2's.
Nipples should always be brass with carbon
... are a chinese mainland company with great communication and a reputation for good customer service.
It was me who made the comment about not using alloy nipples with carbon rims. They should always be brass.
Their prices have gone up as their reputation has grown, but they are still excellent value for money.
Had my LB 29er rims for 3 years. Built the wheels up using the old Roval hubs, spokes and alu nipples (I do keep an eye on the corrosion issue but no probs so far).
Very stiff. Very light. Very tough. The best weight saving $ you can spend I reckon.
I note that the ERD of the LB wheels seemed to follow that of the Specialised Roval Traverse carbon wheels, last time I looked. Or was it the other way round? Including in the hookless rims. Just sayin.
I placed an order yesterday.
And,dude? What did you end up going with?
Slowpup...any decision?
Enquiring minds want to know...
https://www.lightbicycle.com/Hand-built-AM928-as...
Enduro version with Hope Hubs
Noice. I call the Hopes my passing hubs. They'll serve you well in the Mont. All you have to do is come up behind someone and freewheel for a bit. The BZZZZZZZZZ!!! from the hub is enough to have them moving over. In my case it's a total misrepresentation of my actual abilities lol
These are going on my Stumpjumper, I already have a set of Hope hubs on my XC bike. Personally I'm not keen on the noise, but I do love they way it annoys other riders, so def worth it.
Rofl! Job done.