rubiksoval

You can run a 25mm tire on 15mm wheels. That's how it was back in the used-to-be.

If you're talking max aerodynamics, then the rule of 1.05 would need to be invoked, in which case you'd probably run a 23mm tire on a 25mm wheel, assuming ~17mm inner and a bit of tire expansion.

lykbutta

Came across this thread and I bought some superteam also. 100 miles in and they are awesome. Running 28’s on them as well. My 2020 GIANT contend ar1..disc brakes and running tubeless.

ericcox

I didn't realize they had a disk option...

bampilot06

Wife got me these for Christmas. Disc. 50 mm deep 25 mm wide.

pullings

Still going strong/true after 3K miles.
One bad fall (hit 4 inch curb) shredded front tire, but wheel is fine.
I opted for 50mm with/no stickers.
Hindsight I wish I went disc brakes. Braking when wet is not that great.

jaxgtr

what is the bike stand model you have there?

ericcox

It's a spin doctor stand. I got it years ago - it's ok. It works best for bikes with internal cable routing. For external cables, it can pinch the cables even though it has grooves for them. I have no idea if they still make it - it was cheaper, more compact, and more stable than a pro style stand.

J.Owen

Following up as another data source. I think i'm roughly 7500 miles in and everything is still running great. I'll have them checked out over the winter as general maintenance, but still can't complain.

Also, looks like the force is strong with Giant riders and SuperTeam wheels.

Laseranimal

So what makes Superteams so much less expensive than other carbon wheels? I'm looking to upgrade my stock wheels that came with my bike and I'm debating between doing a high end Aluminum wheelset or one of the more budget oriented carbon options in a 50mm with something like DT Swiss 350 hubs. I run disc brakes so I'm not worried about the wheels failing by overheating the brake track

ericcox

If I had to guess, it has to do with R&D, quality control and distribution. The manufacturer isn't spending anytime in the wind tunnel, and the rim design is not cutting edge. Comparing these wheels to anything from Zipp, Enve, Roval, etc., quickly reveals the difference in rim profile / shape. I would guess that if you are seriously concerned about aerodynamic performance, these are not going to come close to these higher end wheels. They are also not especially light - but also not especially heavy. I can also say that the hubs are fine (mine have the base hubs), but I don't have the same confidence in them I have for DT Swiss, Shimano, etc. I don't think they are crappy quality, but neither do they reflect more modern designs.

I also suspect that they don't worry as much about quality control. I'm guessing their manufacturing is cheap, and they don't mind shipping out replacements when they need to. I could be wrong on this, but I suspect it to be the case. I have a friend who had an issue with one wheel; they shipped him a new one immediately.

Finally, they are not worried with advertising, covering the cost of sponsoring teams, finding a distribution network, etc. If you look at the cost savings of say, Canyon, direct to consumer really does help eliminate a lot of cost.

Those are my guesses. I'm happy to be corrected by others.

jadocs

Good analysis

vespasianus

I would say marketing and employee cost. The wheels are made in China and I would assume the vast majority of employees are in China. Manufacturing and personal cost are thus lower than a full USA/Europe company.

I have personally come to the conclusion that for almost all things - from a washing machine, hot water heater to a bicycle, your money is only being used to increase the profit of the company and to pay for marketing. The idea of paying more for quality is gone (with exceptions of course).

msu2001la

This is an awesome photo and a great looking bike. Well done.

msu2001la

Also I've had my Superteam 38mm wheels for 7 months now and have zero issues with quality or build. For $329 they are an amazing value, and I feel like I've already gotten my money's worth out of them.

My only complaint is that the rim braking is awful in wet weather, even with a decent set of cantilever brakes. Dry weather is fine on flat roads. I'd probably think twice about using a wheel like this on a mountain descent though. The textured brake track does seem to wear pads pretty quickly. I'm on my second set already.

The rear hub is super loud, if that sort of thing bothers you. I haven't opened it up yet, but a little more grease in there might help quiet it down. People definitely know when you're coasting.

mcours2006

My set has about 5000 km on them already. Great value for the money. They don't brake well on wet so I try to avoid using that bike when there's a possibility of rain. But you'd expect poor braking on wet carbons and rim brakes anyway, regardless of brand.

ls01

I have 5 sets of Chinese carbon wheels. 2 sets from King Bike 888, 60mm rim brake, &60mm disk brake set. They are flawless and perfect. Bulletproof. I recently purchased a set of 50mm super teams from Princes Bike 123, and have a couple rides on them out side,they feel fantastic as well. I have every confidence they will be as good as my 60mm sets.
Now the bad. I have a set of 50 mm. That I cant remember the store name. I took them to Kentucky on an annual men's cycling vacation. And the front wheel is kaput! Under braking the entire bike pulses,, and the rear wheel bearings are stiff. Like the cones are to tight but its not a cup and cone set up. These wheels had less than 500 miles on them, and they are junk.
The other set, are 55mm and they are tubless compatible. The front wheel started to come apart. The sidewalls of the brake tracks are moving apart. Not only does the entire bike pulse under braking but the brake lever pulses in my hand. Again this wheels failed early, under 200 miles I was having problems. I had multiple conversations with the seller. He wanted video , pictures, measurement, gave me all kinds of assurances he would help me. In the end he did nothing. The stores name on ebay is Carbonzone.(he goes by the name Jack) I didn't even get to leave negative feed back because it expired while we were "working thing out" directly. Ebay nor pay pal would do anything to help either.
I just purchased a new set of U shaped 55mm tubeless rims to rebuild these wheels From Princessbike123 just this morning.
Someone asked if pricing would rise on the Chinese wheels. I have to say yes, it already has begun to creep up.
The hoops I just purchased cost me what a finished wheelset cost me 3 years ago. Still cheaper than the name brands but it has gone up.

primov8

Brake pads make a huge difference. Switch the pads out for a set of the Reynolds Cryo blue (6-slotted) power pads or Campagnolo red carbon pads. I’ve had them in the past, ridden in the rain multiple times and never doubted whether or not I would not stop when needed.

str8jakett

7975 mile update. This was yesterday:



Aaaaaaand about three miles after leaving the house this morning:






Riding in a debris strewn bike lane that I hate along a road I'm on very often. Thankfully a nice gentleman stopped with his truck and offered me a ride home so I didn't have to figure things out on the road. The internet is 50/50 on this kind of damage, so am I. I'm not in a position to buy a new wheel right now, nor could I match it so it's probably a full wheelset. Thankfully I've got a backup for now and I'll just figure it out later. I'm mad though, really fond of these wheels.

bampilot06

I have close to 3000 miles on mine, and have had zero issues. Really happy with them.

str8jakett

10,760mi.

Still rolling strong. No rebuilds, or truing required yet. Brake track still looks like new. Did a gravel cut through road earlier this year I thought could be the undoing of this set by my own dumb mistake, but we all survived somehow. No problems with the rim bed puncture.

str8jakett

End of year update 12,554mi.

I'm going to go ahead and preface this update with it will probably be the end for me and these wheels. New bike build coming in December sometime and this TCR, along with the Propel will be on the chopping block. I hate selling bikes, but that was the deal made with the wife. If I had extra wheels, these are the ones I would choose to keep as a road set for the '08 TCR on full time trainer duty. They've performed well above what I ever expected to get out of them. They spent some time recently on the shelf waiting on new tires while I rode the Zipps instead, and I wanted them back on the bike quickly. My experiences did provide enough confidence to pick up a $390 set of Superteam 38mm deep/31mm wide disk wheels marketed as their gravel wheelset. I've only had one mixed surface 50 miler so far but really like the look and feel.

bampilot06

Thanks for the update. I have 10,000 on mine now, and still tracking true. The only issue, the free hub body has started to get gouged so I will have to replace that soon. I’m buying another set soon, rim brake version of my Ritchey.

str8jakett

I did forget to mention that while I was riding the Zipps, they felt a bit held back, so I pulled the hubs apart and cleaned everything up. I did the Superteams as well and with everything apart, there was no abnormal wear on the internals and they were a lot less grungy than the Zipps, despite a much higher mileage total. Noticeable improvement on both sets after the cleaning and re-grease of course.

I forgot a photo... always need a photo.

rorfrancisco7

I have the same doubt, nowhere does it say what internal width they have.

tFUnK

Is the concern that the rim is too narrow for it to be aero, or that it's too wide to safely support the tire? I ride 25mm tires (all my frames can fit) on rims ranging from 19mm-25mm external width at 100psi (tubed clinchers), no problems whatsoever.