Do you need carbon fiber wheels? The wheels have had a huge impact on the ride and feel of the bicycle, and carbon fiber wheels have become very popular in the past decade. But are they only for professional bicycle racers?

Nowadays, all professional drivers use carbon fiber wheels for racing. They even replaced traditional aluminum wheels in Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders. This is the last outpost for aluminum wheels in professional racing. It has been a long time since the Tour de France was won with aluminum wheelsets.

However, they are very popular outside of professional circuits, and more amateur racers and sports cyclists have been upgraded. In the past few years, the increase in choice and more affordable options have helped this. The manufacturer has solved most of the problems that affected the early carbon fiber wheels, with far fewer failures and greatly improved braking performance.

Carbon fiber wheels are an ideal upgrade, let's take a look at the pros and cons.

Pros: Aero, lightweight and cool looks

Aerodynamic advantages. The biggest attraction of upgrading to carbon fiber wheels is the aerodynamic advantage over box-shaped aluminum rims. Extensive wind tunnel data from leading manufacturers (if you are willing to believe it) show that carbon fiber wheels significantly reduce drag. If you are racing, whether in a time trial or in a road race, carbon fiber deep-section wheels will make a significant difference at higher speeds.

lightweight. Making deep-section rims from aluminum can cause the wheels to be very heavy. Carbon is only much lighter, which is why it has become the preferred material for aviation wheels. The lightest carbon fiber wheels have tubular rims and can be very light: Lightweight provides 940 grams of weight for this pair! If you are a mountaineer and want your bike to be as light as possible, then carbon fiber tubing is your best choice, provided that you are happy to stick your tires to the rims. The stiffness-to-weight ratio is also better than that of aluminum wheels.

Ride quality and performance. Good carbon fiber wheels can change the way a bicycle rides. Rigidity is greater than that of aluminum wheels, so for powerful riders, sprints and straddle climbing, this attribute can significantly change the feel of the bicycle and has more sensitive response characteristics. Some carbon fiber wheels can also provide smoother driving on rough roads.

They look cool. Don't underestimate how important this is. You must admit that when rolling on a pair of deep-section carbon fiber wheels, the appearance of a stylish road bike is undoubtedly attractive. Although many people may not admit it, many people invest in carbon fiber wheels mainly because of their appearance.

Cons: Braking, expensive and durability

Braking performance. Or lack. Early carbon fiber wheels were terrible at stopping, but manufacturers have devised solutions to these early problems. Most of the problems are related to heat accumulation. One problem with early carbon fiber wheels was that by using resin type and carbon fiber special brake pads, great progress was made in heat management. Compared with earlier designs, the latest carbon fiber wheels now have great improvements in braking performance. Nevertheless, good aluminum rims can still provide better performance, especially in the rain. Aluminum can handle braking heat well, while carbon is not so good.

However, the rise of disc brakes has become a problem of yesterday, of course if you have a bicycle equipped with disc brakes. Without brake tracks, the rims can also be made lighter.

Weight. Although carbon fiber tubular wheels may be attractive to people with lighter weights, the truth is that the cheaper and more common carbon fiber open pliers are usually the same weight or heavier than high-quality aluminum wheels. If you want the lightest wheels on your budget, aluminum is still your best choice. The Spada Stiletto wheels we tested a few years ago weighed only 1,290 grams, but they cost £700, which is cheaper than most carbon fiber wheels. However, when comparing weights, you must consider the aerodynamic advantages of carbon fiber rims over aluminum rims.

Real-world aerodynamics. The manufacturer has made an impressive statement about the aerodynamic efficiency of carbon fiber wheels, but how to translate it into a real world with a wide range of conditions is questionable. Factors such as tire size, frame design, and wind conditions have a large impact on any claimed drag savings. Another important factor is that deep carbon fiber rims can be very unstable in strong crosswinds, especially for lighter riders. It is for this reason that shallow carbon fiber rims (30mm) have become popular.

Durability. The carbon fiber is very strong and the carbon fiber wheels are very durable. However, unlike aluminum, they do not bend, which means that when they are subjected to unbearable loads, they are easily damaged by severe impacts or collisions. Although curved aluminum rims can be straightened enough to get you home, carbon rims are different, and carbon rims are likely to be scrapped. This is why it is always worth buying wheels with a good collision replacement policy.

They are expensive. Carbon wheels are not cheap. However, their prices have been much cheaper in recent years: just look at the prices of large online retailers and you will find many prices below £1,000, and some even below £500. Yes, this is still much more than most traditional aluminum wheels, and you can still buy the most advanced aviation carbon wheels such as Enve and Zipp for more than £2,000.

Conclusion

Therefore, carbon fiber wheels are obviously very popular now, with more choices and lower prices than ever before, but there are also obvious pros and cons. If you participate in the race and can afford it, then carbon fiber wheels are easily justified, but if you do not participate in the race and value durability, braking performance, and affordability, then traditional aluminum wheels are still alive.

Please contact us(sales1@gofastbicycle.com) to discuss and provide you with customized services.