markcaruana

So im looking to upgrade from the stock rims on my first road bike. It's a raleigh revenio 2.0. It came with weinmann gmax dbl wall aluminum rims. I don't know the weight. For esthetic, reasons I would really love 50- 60mm carbon rims. I would like something that would be lighter than stock but be under $5-600. I saw a lot of Chinese manufactured rims that might be in my wheelhouse. My question is, do u think that I will get a performance upgrade from such rims and will the reliability and handling be good? Btw I weigh around 200 lbs now but plan on being 180 in the summer. Thoughts are much appreciated.

dvdslw

I will just say no. I am also looking for a new set of wheels and have been for some time now but the cheap Chinese option will never be a consideration for me. I'm just north of 200lbs and just don't think its worth taking a chance on a set of wheels that will more than likely fail in some way shape or form just from everyday use in a short period of time. There are some here on the forum who swear they've had good results and if that's what you choose to buy then just do a search for "Cheap Chinese Carbon Wheels" and you'll find all of your answers. It's easy to want some deep aero wheels because they look bad ass but if they are not going to be durable or make you a better cyclist then what's the point, especially weighing close to 200lbs? You seem to be somewhat new to the forum so I would assume new to road cycling too? If so, ride what you have and don't rush things because what you "think" you want now may not end up being what you want tomorrow. Yeah, a new set of wheels would probably wake your bike up but I'd say a lightweight (sub 1500g) set of aluminum clinchers would be a better choice unless you're averaging 20+mph out there and can see a real benefit to a set of deep wheels?

CafeVelo

High profile rims, even if carbon, are likely to be heavier than what you have now. Their advantage is only realized when in a TT or other high speed application, most of the time you're just pushing weight for no real reason. If you climb at all it's going to suck. The high profile also makes handling a chore when there's a breeze. I've seen guys get literally blown over or have their bike come out from under them with deep sections in a crosswind. Cornering will always be harder in the breeze. This is noticeable even from 20 to 30 mm rims, a deep dish wheel would be like a sail. Carbon rims also brake like hell. Don't buy wheels for how they look, buy wheels for the performance they give you. If you need an aero rim for TT, Tri, or Crit riding, ok. If you want an all-round wheel, look for a more conservative profile and light weight.

I'd hate to have some unknown wheel fail under me, don't buy critical components on the cheap without a brand behind them in case something goes wrong. I'd prefer to have something from a well established name that has more to lose in loss of faith in the brand, since they're more likely to make problems right or have the QC to prevent them in the first place.

hueyhoolihan

i'm guessing no.

probably not any faster. but there will be more noise and if you have rim brakes the braking will be compromised somewhat. they may squeal too.

i'm speaking from my experience with carbon rims.

markcaruana

Thanks for the input, I was riding about 30mi per day about 3 or 4 times per week last year when I first discovered cycling, and I loved it on a cheap walmart hybrid.I'm looking to improve to 50mi +. So this year I upgraded to first road bike. I guess I'm just a little envious of those bikes with areo carbon wheels.. .they do look bad ass..lol. figured I could upgrade and getting a slicker looking ride in one shot.

Lazyass

Just look at some lightweight aluminum wheels. No need for carbon aero rims, especially on a lower end Sora bike.

CafeVelo

^seriously. A carbon frame would do more than a carbon wheelset

markcaruana

Thank u.

loimpact

But now screams the obvious question.......

Which aluminum clinchers?

bt

get some carbon wheels...

seymour1910

I will not over look your OP. You said you want the deeper wheel for looks, then you asked if you will get a performance gain. The answer to the performance gain question is likely a NO. But if you want them for the looks, I say hey, it's your money. You won't beleive how many people ride them for the looks only.

I wouldn't buy a set for myself. If I was going to suggest a wheelset for your bike I would suggest the Boyd Rouleur. I'm 225# and I ride these. Very nice wheelset at $400. They have a 30mm deep profile and come in at 1527g. 30mm Rouleur Clincher - Boyd Cycling

yankeefan

Those are some nice wheels at that price. I've been looking for a sub $500 wheel upgrade and this may just be the winner. The only issue is that its not tubeless compatible, and I'm really curious about trying a tubeless setup.

seymour1910

The Boyd wheels are outstanding, his customer service is even better. For $400 I couldn't be more happy with the purchase. That being said, you can get tubeless ready wheels under your budget.

Shimano Ultegra 6800 11 Speed Wheels - Pair | Merlin Cycles

yankeefan

I'm 200lbs (targeting 180 by the end of summer), I need a 24/28 combo. Also I've seen on the forum people getting hit with large import duties on wheels from the UK. Apparently buying a groupset from Merlin is duty free but wheels seem to attract a lot of scrutiny even though they are similarly priced (must be the super large box they are shipped in).

seymour1910

Bummer. Well, I tried to help. If you don't find a set in your price range, you always have the Rouleurs to fall back on. I have 25 lbs on you and they perform with no issues, no flex at all. Going with 24/28 adds a little weight, but they still come in at 1571g. I bet they would look awesome on the RT-1000 too.

Blue Belly

A carbon frame will most certainly not be better than a good set of wheels. I'd try to find a set of wheels that roll really well, a light as possible & are designed for your weight group. A smooth rolling wheel, with a good hubset, at a light weight, is about as much as you can ask for, for every day use. A good set of deep dish carbon wheels are amazing to ride on. They can be amazingly smooth. My suggestion is always to save up for a good set & ride them on good, or race, days. A good set of modern wheels is a much better upgrade than frame material, assuming the frame you have fits & is designed for what you use it.

yankeefan

Its cool man. Its still one of the better wheels I've seen at that price range. The stock wheels on my RT are garbage.

loimpact

The only knock on the Rouleurs is they're still a traditional narrow width rim. (The Altamonts are now a more contemporary wider rim).

Without looking, I'm not sure on the Ultegras. Only issue with those is you will have to pay attention to bearing preload. Nice wheels, no doubt, but no cartridge bearings.

(shrug)

yankeefan

The Altamonts could be an option as well, though its a bit more than I want to spend and I would also have to get new brakes, since my unbranded ones probably wont fit a rim wider than 19mm. Its sucks though, as there is tons of tire clearances in the frame/fork and I could probably run a 28mm (or even 30) tire if I got long reach calipers. Maybe I'll try and pick up a 5800 pair off ebay, if the budget allows.

dvdslw

I've been riding on Ultegra 6700's with a 16/20 spoke count for well over a year weiging as much as 250lbs (now 218lbs) with zero issues whatsoever. These wheels appear to be bombproof and the tubeless option is great. You can find a set of these out there in the $400 range if you just look daily at all of the big US retailers like Jenson, Pricepoint, Performance, Nashbar, etc... It seems for whatever reason that a factory built wheel can withstand a heavier rider with less spokes as opposed to a hand built wheel with the same spoke count, not sure why but it seems to be the case. Here's two links to two good examples. The Ultegra's and a set of Vueleta Corsa slr's which have also had good reviews here and a great price/weight ratio and additional spoke count but no tubeless option.
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...73_-1___204727
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...49_-1___204727

loimpact

And I'm not totally sold on the wider rim. All the Cat1, 2 & 3 riders I ride with I think fewer than half of them are on a wider rim & the 2 fastest of those guys are on old-school narrows with 23 tires.

If you can avoid the import duties via Merlin, the Ultegra 6800 wheels are something around the mid $300's. (smokin' deal)

And as usual, the Bdop kit is a great one. Pay someone to build 'em up & you should still be well under $500.

seymour1910

I'm of the opinion that 19mm wide rims are just fine. As I said, I'm 225 and they are fine. No problems at all with them. I'm not one to try to keep up with the times either though. Just a few years ago there were no issues with 19mm wide rims, now some of these guy's act as if they can't ride their bike if the rim isn't 24mm wide.

Two years from now if wheels become 26mm wide they will probably feel the same way about the 24mm rims. It's up to you of course, but it's a solid wheelset and in my opinion one should always stay within one's budget.

rpenmanparker 

I'm puzzled why long reach brakes whould help with wider rims. What is that about? And why would normal brakes not open up to accommodate wider rims? Is it that when the caliper arms stand wider, they are effectively a little shorter? I can't imagine it is enough to matter unless your pads are already at the very bottom of the slots in the caliper arms.