How Much SLOWER Are Shallow Aluminium Wheels? Carbon Deeps v Aluminium wheels Speed Tested

[@markusseppala6547]

I like how you skipped showing the testing and concentrated on the results, unlike GCN that shows every test with loud music.

[@dpgrenfree]

You're killing all my justifications for additional expenditure ;)

[@tyrionlannister9376]

Deep rims, I ride 60mm myself, make a difference in flats, when you ride at around 35 or more km/h and you feel the rhytm and pace. Could be problematic in crosswind. Most of all, the bike looks great and encourages you to get on it.

[@DnDMF]

It would be interesting to see a low budget carbon wheel in the upcoming alloy wheel group test. Curious how today's low budget carbon does against medium/high-end alloy.

[@gaza4543]

Hunts with their Areodynamist (alloy) 34 wheels test very well against wheels costing many times more, I can vouch that they are fast just there hubs are junk, my rapides really weren't any noticeably faster and most of my PRs are still held by the hunt wheelset. The hunts have the upside of being stable it pretty much all conditions. I found Rapids very predictable, but i had a few moments that fought me off guard. The Hunts as an everyday wheel set are more than enough for 95%. If someone were to come to me and say i want an areo wheel for 400 quid id say the hunts over any of the Aliexpress wheels as they have a dealer network.

[@josh33172]

Only drawback is that many people have experienced broken axles on the hunts.

[@BartKestelyn]

Having just experienced 50mm deep wheels in 35 km/h crosswinds, while braving motorised traffic, I'm in the shallower section camp 😉

[@AquidoSquido]

you can practice leaning on one side on flat, win win lol

[@mipko]

That is why I love my Rapide cl38... Shallower, much much cheaper than CLX's and still pretty fun to ride :D

[@aluminati9918]

Very interesting. Thanks. As a modest amateur at 56 I still find myself riding at around 40km/h when in a group. But have to admit I run my carbon 50s mostly for the looks. Easy to dismiss marginal gains, but added up the difference is big. 5% faster tires, 4%slicker jersey, 7%more aero frame& cockpit… it all adds up.

[@kiuk_kiks]

Who’s have thought that riding as a group not only sets a fast pace but also created aero advantages because being solo creates too much turbulence to sustain high speeds.

[@kentwong3818]

that stuff adds up in a gran fondo finish time, even for us recreational/weekend warrior cyclists - its a testament that yes aero matters

[@alessiob8700]

The gains are well documented, we know what works and what not at this point. The problem for amateurs is the cost per W saved. Is spending 10k to gain 20W at 40kmh worth it? Unless you expect to ride all the race by yourself, I say not really. You could budget those 10k for vacation time instead, to put some serious volume in your training, and maybe a trip to the wind tunnel and the biomechanic to dial in your body position on the bike.

[@aluminati9918]

I agree. As I wrote, I run carbon wheels partially for the looks. My biggest investment in $$ has actually been in more slick cycling apparel, and have found that to be more effective than the wheels in fact. Apart from that, rider position is the #1 aero factor of course. Thanks for your comment. Ride on and enjoy your cycling. 😎@@alessiob8700

[@rangersmith4652]

Yes, it all adds up to a hell of a lot of money spent on incremental gains -- which also add up, to be sure. But everyone who knows anything about cycling admits, the biggest gains to be had are those directly attributable to the rider. Not clothing, not the bike. The rider's ability to hold an efficient position and his or her strength and power are far and away the biggest "increment," so I'm focusing on those factors before twiddling on the margins.

[@nicholkid]

I would really love to see the same test but also include the cheap alloy wheels that come on an entry level bike like an Allez.

[@quarkonium3795]

The quality of the tests here impresses me. Obviously not perfect and there's definitely variables that could have been controlled for that were not taken into account but overall I would say these results are significant, unlike a lot of the tests we see today on cycling KZbin. Keep it up!

[@bando-q8t]

Impressive work averaging 38km/h for 17 minutes too

[@ricardorusso1462]

Great video! More than anything it shows you can still get great value for money and great savings from aluminum rims!

[@roadcc]

Look out for our alloy wheel group test coming to the channel in a few weeks time - We're excited to see which ones come out on top!

[@thedownunderverse]

@@roadcc So, where's this at?

[@BetaFax]

@@roadcc This alloy wheel comparison test would be very useful right now. When can we expect to see it released?

[@clippingin1593]

Good video, and there wasn't a lot in it when you consider the price difference. It would be good to include a set of more typical carbon aeros 40-50mm in the test. I wouldn't say 'con', but rather super-deeps are speciality items, not something you can ride every day - especially the front. The descent in this video was a drag-strip, how would they cope with fast sweeping bends and a cross-wind? In the 90s/00s I had a set of HED Deep which were 90 mm including the alloy braking surface, and using the front with cross-winds was terrifying, leaving me unable to control the bike from the aerobars and losing the aero advantage of the deeper rim.

[@cauldron101]

Great video! You made my wallet smile as I have been saving for a pair of roval wheels for some time now. Over time, I got the feeling that they come a lot cheaper when buying a bike with such wheels. But then it all comes down to your budget.

[@robbchastain3036]

I like your demonstration and in response to your saying 'budget-conscious' I'd probably say more like life-conscious. All of us, I suppose, would like to buy the best and most expensive, but life simply doesn't allow that, only a relative few can spend and spend and spend with nary a care. And it is great to have such a wide range of high-quality offerings from which to choose.

[@savagepro9060]

Just like OSPWs, deep wheels may not 𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒚 be advantageous, but dude, they sure look sexy AF!

[@davidcroxton8306]

A very well constructed and performed test. Measuring resistance to lateral deflection is a seldom measured and underrated wheel performance parameter. Measuring wheels trued to different tensions would be interesting. 😊

[@seraph4581]

Great video. I'm fine with my shallow aluminium wheels.

[@davemoss6976]

If your rides are significantly hilly, the limiting factor on the downhills is likely to be skill,or courage or even fear of damaging your expensive wheels on a road defect. This would make cheaper wheels faster. Since deep carbon offers little or no gain on the uphill, the only gain is therefore the flat. Apart in races, it would be better to spend the money on other things

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Jamie knows a good wheel! The Rapides are superb!

[@WowRixter]

On one of my bikes I've got 44's and on another 55's. I'm not a heavy rider and the 55's are noticeably twitchier in the wind. In the offseason, I'm going to rebuild a pair so that I've got 44's up front and 55's in the rear on both bikes

[@19corentin69]

Very interesting test ! I would believe in the alloy world, comparing these Roval against the DT Swiss PR1400 Dicut would be quite useful as they seem to share a lot of similarities

[@thedownunderverse]

Because DT makes the rim.

[@edmundhodgson2572]

I love a quiet bike, deep wheels spoil that for me. I would use them I a race scenario, but they weren't invented when I was doing that. (And 25/28mm tyres were for touring holidays, but I wouldn't ride less than 32mm now!)

[@MrMattie725]

I can't find a aluminium comparison video :( I want to know how my 35mm, heavy aluminium Fulcrums hold up :D

[@Gugner]

Thank you!! Faster without spending a fortune 🙏🙏🙏👍🏼👍🏼😊😊

[@SetigoAndram]

I am happy with aluminium 35mm deep, a bit over the weight of those on video. I know some days, or sometimes, I am stronger than other moments, if I have fresh energy, eat very well days before, have rest a bit, I might be at full force, many people admire my speed climbing. If I had abused all time, I might have a sudden drop of energy, having to slow down. So for me, I am along the ones that say, we should weight ourselves + the bike, if we are light, ride with more heavy cyclists, we better stop dreaming with lighter bikes or wheels, and just train better, ride more than once a week, vary the training, do full efforts and also learn to acumulate energy for later.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Having just upgraded to and ridden on a set of 55mm deeps for a little over a week now. I would say for the average joe who mainly cycles for exercise/recreation and maybe the odd club run or _'fun run'_ or sportive like the Dunwich Dynamo every year -- if youre paying top end prices then no it isnt worth it at all. If you already have a good set of wheels but want to spend money anyway then maybe looking at other parts like your stem, handlebars or seatpost or saddle to reduce some weight over stock factory parts might be slightly more worthwhile otherwise take that money and spend it on a gym subscription if you want a substantial improvement.

[@davemoss6976]

I just made a similar comment, but you said it better.😊

[@runnerdan785]

Love the video, keep this content coming! Great presentation too!

[@F1ll1nTh3Blanks]

I don't think I can do deeps. It's too windy by the coast here, I struggle to keep my line as it is with shallows sometimes.

[@robertpreato3891]

This is a great point. With strong crosswinds, there is a significant amount of additional fatigue in trying to keep the bike on course. Even if the deeps are faster, at the end of a long ride, the additional fatigue will likely wipe out any marginal gains

[@MazingerZX]

Got 2 sets of Roval CLX I’s and tried 35mm Gravel King SS (with inner tubes instead of tubeless setup) on one set. Made the wheels super stable in cross winds compared to the other setup on 26mm cottons. I guess there is benefit in descending with wider and heavier tires in strong cross winds.

[@jojoanggono3229]

​​@@MazingerZX absolutely agree with you. I change from Continental Speed CX 35c (440gr each) to Gravelking Slick 32c (290gr) and immediately notice handling is more squirelly with the Gravelking 32c. That was on tarmac in changing wind.

[@jevgeniardassov]

Same here, went for 35 mm deep ones, pretty good for windy roads, cheaper and lighter.

[@robertpreato3891]

@@MazingerZX Doesn't wide tires on aero rims kind of defeat the purpose. It's kind of like wearing a belt with suspenders. If you want more stability, go with a lower profile rim that is matched to the tire width. The greatest aero benefit is achieved when the tire sidewall transitions seamlessly to the rim wall. So mounting a 25mm tire on a 25mm outer width rim that is 30mm deep will be much more aero and faster than a 50mm deep rim with 35mm tires mounted.

[@M3GRSD]

I have really deep wheels on my Madone SLR, 65mm front and back. I love how they look, but maybe I should go shallower 🤔

[@josh33172]

I had a set of Light Bicycle AR47 with Sapim CX-Ray spokes and Bitex hubs (fantastic hub btw) in a 28sp config. IIRC, 1530g for $800 4yrs ago. I've used them for both gravel and road, run them tubeless and I absolutely can't fault them. Light, spin up quick, and I personally feel underrate in aero. But, I believe Roval did their homework here, and having their own wind tunnel for testing, have been able to just about maximize the potential of aluminum. I have also have a set of old ROL D'Huez with CX-Ray spokes that are around 1485g and I have a feeling these Rovals would be much better except for the climbs.

[@universe-juice]

Which set felt better? Thats all i care about. Switched to carbon frame from aluminum, and lighter or not lighter, faster or not faster, i dont care. Carbon frame felt so nice, i could never go back

[@johngannon1]

It’s taken me a while to get to it and a great watch. The deeps look sexy but the cost and the marginal gains mean I’m sticking with the Prime Attaquer Aluminium that came with my bike (unless your alloy test comes up with a clear winner 😊)

[@randallsmith7885]

Would like to hear more about the effects of cross winds on uour riding experience during the test rides. It was apparent from the video that it was quite windy.

[@CarlBaravelli]

Genuinely impressed with this video. Subscribed

[@roadcc]

That’s what we like to hear! ❤️

[@ruudboek]

I wonder if the Roval Rapide CLX carbon wheelset is faster then my Aforce AL33 aluminum wheelset with toroidal shaped rims at 32.5mm deep. They should be faster then Roval's aluminium offering.

[@mejdrichj]

The interesting observance is about how they felt…. As with many marketing campaigns, there are some parameters (looking at you crank stiffness) that we simply cannot perceive, though our brain may fabricate for you/us…

[@isitrachelorj3953]

Nice wheels, very nice presentation, excellent education and outstanding communication skills. Very nice to know that not all British cyclists "hum", "hah" and "yeah" their way through the English language like Cav, Wiggo and Pidcock.

[@glennicol1361]

Speaking of crosswinds... I found I get blown around abit when the wind catches my front disc brake.

[@PhilippHofmann28]

great videos, its nice to see that sometimes , the marketing gets us :D

[@zedddddful]

Deep section wheels are sometimes just plain dangerous on descents when you get a bad crosswind.

[@MaxwellStarr]

I think anyone would have expected the Deeps to be better in every way, for the extra price they better be, but would be interesting to see a comparison with these wheelsets against a bog standard set of Axis Sport wheels from Specialized - a wheelset most people would be upgrading to these Roval's from. Are the Alpinists 95% of the performance gain of the Rapides against the entry level rims for less than half the money, or is it more like 60%?

[@roadcc]

We’ll get back to you with that one, sounds like a good test!

[@kevinpower5880]

I love my Hunt 44 carbon wheels. I dont thinkmtheyy are faster than my aluminium (winter) wheels but they look good and psychologically they feel better. However, I accept I may just be justifying paying out for them although at £950 I didn't think they were too bad.

[@theatomic430]

Great video.

[@schumzy]

Yes, why. 2 reasons. carbon fiber cloth layup is a pretty standard thing, the resins are pretty standard. Then you add in the fact that every new bike parts manufacturer always launches wheels at some point, shows you how, if you are on the supply side of this equation, wheels are a fairly straight forward build.

[@timwong6818]

Honestly I found the most beneficial side of expensive high-end carbon wheels is that they do keep me riding more compared to when I was riding my cheap alumium wheels. Better hub and stiffness also adds up in terms of riding quality, although you often end up cannot really tell which is faster. Comparing with cheaper carbon wheels, I mean Chinese brands like Winspace, I often struggle to find anything bad about them compared to my arc 1100 and 404fc, they are lighter, probably stiffer because of carbon spokes. I guess the only reason is that their product haven't mature enough that convince me to get them. I also heard them being mostly very stiff, which I don't think is the correct direaction for carbon wheels.

[@carlosflanders518]

The rims have a different internal width - 21mm vs 20 mm. Not huge but the current trend is to normalize psi for same casing tension depending on tire width. The CLX2 might be run at a couple of psi lower for a better comparison. Might make them even faster. Also, what's the equivalent watt savings for the flat test? btw, 18 spokes on the front is very low for a disc brake wheel.

[@carlosflanders518]

fwiw, assuming air resistance in watts varies as the cube of speed - the wattage saving on the flats would be about 1/3rd of that on the descent. Roughly 5W at 38kph. Which seems in line with expectations. Not huge but not small either.

[@Z-u-m-a]

Nice test.

[@bigwave_dave8468]

There's another aspect to consider wrt comparing wheels and that is "spun weight". The wheel with lower spun weight will be more efficient when climbing but figuring this is tricky as the deeper wheels have their mass distributed over a greater radial distance from the hub -- your CF wheels may feel lighter simply because it requires less energy to spin them.

[@carlosflanders518]

Not going to make any difference when climbing or on the flat. Only when accelerating after braking and probably not measurable.

[@bigwave_dave8468]

I@@carlosflanders518 I don´t think you can make the assertion without data ---we're talking marginal gains. Each pedal stroke overcomes the loss of velocity due to wind resistance, friction and gravity (when climbing) and the input from the cranks is not constant. The torque applied (force x moment-arm from center of axle to center of radial mass) will not be the same from the different wheels given the change in spun mass. I agree that measurement would be tricky. Can you detect it as a rider? That's a fair question. Anecdotally, from my own experience swapping Alu for Carbon..yes.

[@carlosflanders518]

@@bigwave_dave8468 Are are taking into account the fact that the wheel with the larger angular momentum slows down less between peaks? It should require less torque to get back up to speed. It's been simulated and, all else being equal, the largest momentum wheel is slightly faster. I've ridden dozens of different wheels of different materials and there is no way my sensations can tell which is faster.

[@bigwave_dave8468]

@@carlosflanders518 I think we're in the area of very subtle effects as compared to aero/wind-resistance so it may very well be moot.

[@gaza4543]

Got my self some roval 33mm CLX alpinists for great great price 900 quid on close out. Has some rapid CL's before didn't like them felt sluggish to get up to speed unstable in most conditions (i live near the coast and I'm light at 59KG) ultimately it was a battle on every ride. I just wanted to get out ride and not think too much and i was looking at the weather for windy days and ultimately not going out.

[@mad4tar77]

Do carbon wheels (not necessarily deeps) provide more comfort over poor quality/bumpy tarmac?

[@stephenmorris6202]

I still run rim brakes and, after seeing videos by Luesxher Tecnik I won't run carbon rims, so deep sections aren't really an option. If I had discs, I would run a deeper section wheel but would be worried about cross wind if i ran rims that were very deep.

[@nickporter3531]

Do you race? Or do you just like the look? If the answer is yes to either of these the they are probably either worth the performance upgrade or they will make your bike look the way you want it too. Otherwise it’s probably not worth it!

[@alastair7399]

I can’t believe this video didn’t finish “ they’re more expensive, a bit heavier but in summary…they look awesome”

[@dennisdose5697]

Just speculation, but I suspect the shape of the rim matters very little. A mass of whirling spokes is going create enough turbulence to mask the shape of the rim. My guess is that the deep rim, with slightly shorter spokes, has a turbulent zone with a smaller frontal area.

[@domonkosscheiling5809]

could you please compare same depth clincher and tubular wheels? i'm very interested. (i use tubulars for ages with classic shallow rims)

[@manfredmustermann4303]

Cool test. Thank you for it. But how about the noise? My impression: Carbon rims are much more noisy than aluminium. And as more Carbon as more noisy it gets.

[@EndUser-yu7gg]

I got carbon hyper x wheels from my stock aluminum rims... Yeah for me on first ride with them i broke PB after PB ... I ride on roller loke terrain but i easily got 1 minute 39 seconds on my first go and my power demands were 25 w less... I am a big guy not a stick.... For me it was worth it I did a 100 mile century route i did previous year and expected i would be faster... I hit almost the same amount of time but the remembered i took a wrong turn which cut 4.5 miles last year off.... So i went further by just under five miles in the same amount of time amd again took me less power so o felt great Gains will always show as longer distance increases... Rims were 45 front 65 rear... If winds affected me i did not notice and i definitely hit my share of winds!

[@gabkoost]

These small difference become huge for pros and do win races for them. A couple of seconds every few km of flat and descent are enormous when we add them in 100 miles stages everyday for over 2 weeks. It's almost like you cannot compete for the win anymore if you don't have top gear.

[@SetigoAndram]

I had bent a tiny bit my rear allum wheel, on a sharp hole at high velocity. I could repare it to recover the almost perfet rim brake surface. They are cheaper to replace. How would be this history If I was riding carbon wheels that day?

[@vegantraveller]

I am imagining GCN hosts having a fit after watching

[@frasersteel4835]

I’m confused - what do you mean?

[@rangersmith4652]

A key reason for me to avoid deep section wheels is price. Another is that they're carbon fiber and not meant for rim brakes. Plus, unlike so many riders, I think they ruin the aesthetic of a "classic" bike. I guess they look OK on a swoopy, chunky, "modern" bike, but I don't like that aesthetic either. The deepest section I'll use is ~32mm. This video, and others like it, prove to me that the kicker is the lack of significant performance difference between really good but shallow alloy wheels and deep section carbon wheels. For my money, on my bikes, I'll run aluminum wheels.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

The Rapide CLX wheels are expensive, yes. However, the Rapide CL (without the X) is almost half-price. It's the same wheel but with a "lesser" hub and spokes.... but this is a good thing imo for a daily ridden road bike. The CL gets DT350 hub versus DT180 on the CLX. The CL gets standard round spokes versus aero bladed spokes on the CLX. In both cases the CL components are easier/cheaper to maintain/repair.

[@roadcc]

Absolutely agree, the Rapide CL’s are much better value

[@petersouthernboy6327]

Agreed.

[@ASTK974]

Shallow alloy for me. A lot of steep climbs here in Indonesia & expensive carbon wheelset won't save you from toppling over during a climb with crosswind. Cheaper wheelset like Mavic Cosmic Elite & Novatec Jetfly works like a charm in Indonesia.

[@tobznoobs]

we asians have lots of hills, in contemplating on those mavic cosmic and superteams, they have really good reviews so im wondering if i can get cfs at that price point same as alluminom then go for the cf

[@frankrhemrev3572]

Thanks for this. However, you are forgetting the additonal extra morale an awesome looking deep wheel set gives you 😂 thats at least 2 min on these strechtes for me 😊

[@dougpence3862]

What spokes and count? Makes a big diff

[@drivemenuts3011]

So, if you can only sustain trundling along at 25kph on the flat, the 1.3% speed difference at 38kph is scaled down to 0.32 kph at 25kph. Over 100km at 25kph, the 4 hour ride will be 3 minutes and 10 seconds slower. You can get good Shimano Ultegra C770's for half the price, which probably have similar performance, and are only 170 grams heavier. Hopefully, you include the Shimano's in your test in a few weeks. Nice wheels though.

[@quarkonium3795]

They did test a set of Shimano C50 wheels in their big carbon wheels test and they actually found them to be the worst of the bunch-probably should go for a set of Winspace Hypers if you want to save money

[@drivemenuts3011]

@@quarkonium3795 Yeah, I watched that. The thing is, Shimano C50 wheels and Shimano R770 wheels are very different. The only thing that they have in common is that they are round shape. The upcoming video will provide greater info as to whether all Shimano wheels are rubbish generally.

[@DoNuT_1985]

Even though such tests are hardly ever scientific, numbers make total sense. The difference on the lower-speed flat ride is just 1,2%, versus 2,2 on the downhill with higher speeds, well drag increases with speed - on the climbs, the near-equal weight shows equal results, assuming that premium wheels like the Rapide CLX are stiff enough for a climb. I'm pretty sure I've seen CLX'es on today's Giro moutain stage.

[@alolympic]

I still fund it odd that so many cyclists think these types of marginal differences are relevant. Fair enough if you are racing. But as a recreational cyclist who rides to enjoy it, be social or get fitter then do these matter? Do they make people enjoy riding more?

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Providing that you can afford it. I think it also has an emotionally and mentally uplifting if you get something really fancy for your bike. You might find that it looks cooler or you enjoy riding it more and thus ride a lot more often then you would normally do.

[@brotherfranciz]

I find it odd that you find it odd - why do you care what others are riding? Whether someone else is riding a deep or shallow wheelset shouldn't matter to you. Mind your own business.

[@alolympic]

@@brotherfranciz I find it odd that me having an opinion affects you in any way. I was merely commenting on the content. It would seem you think my opinion is your business though. Which is somewhat ironic based on you telling me to mind mine. I take it you own a set of expensive carbon wheels 🤭

[@cameronALR6]

I think the look of carbon rims alone is a huge reason why people love them. The gear and kit of a cyclist is half of the fun and I know I want to get on my bike and ride more when it looks fast

[@natedog5564]

i have the cl version of the rapides.. love them

[@savagepro9060]

Oh, who else remembers the original craze of DEEP carbons wheels, when 80mm was hogging the highways, with high-twitchy control? Today, the pro peloton are back on the average 60-ish wheels! If it's good enough for them then who is to question that.

[@gregmorrison7320]

I thought they were on closer to 35-40mm wheels.

[@savagepro9060]

@@gregmorrison7320 open to 'correction'👍

[@domonkosscheiling5809]

their job is to ride bikes. if the sponsors tell them to ride shallow wheels, they will. if they are told to ride deep section wheels, they will. it's mostly about what they want to sell, because physics and aerodynamics don't really change as much as the hype.

[@savagepro9060]

@@domonkosscheiling5809 pros are known to ride 'alternatives' by just transferring 'sponsored' logos, right?

[@slowcyclist4324]

But we aren’t pros; so we don’t need to really care about what they find best. All we have to do is ride what WE want. If we think a full disc is what we want because it’s cool, then that’s what we should ride, practicality be damned. We are in this as a hobby, for the fun of it, speed isn’t our priority.

[@nickjacobsss]

I would love to see how much a cross wind slows down a pair of deep wheels vs the alpinist. Currently these are $2800 vs $750 usd. Seems like a purchase that could only be justified on a $10,000 bike.

[@adamcoppock5018]

Same hubs, bearings and spokes?

[@MrF1ProductionZ]

What bike is this? Love the colour but can’t find it online

[@roadcc]

Specialized Allez sprint 2022 colourway so discontinued now

[@chrisjames1924]

I have a pair of Bora 50 tubulars (because I’m a dinosaur) and they’re the best set of wheels I’ve ever had. They’re stiffer than a donkey on viagra, last an age and weight 1190 grams a pair. I still get a kick out of the ‘whoosh’ sound they make when you brake. They’re fairly cheap at around £1200 a pair but they command quality tyres which set you back 200+ quid every tyre change (Corsa G+). No glue needed for UK climate, so it’s fairly straightforward to replace with tape. But, in terms of speed…I don’t notice any difference. In fact all my fastest times are on my old 9kg aluminium bike with a heavy set of Sciroccos. Ultra light carbon bikes always feel sluggish to me. No idea why, perhaps it’s psychological. Also, begs the question why I bother with ridiculously expensive bikes (every 5 years).

[@alexjohnson6462]

A fellow dinosaur here who rides tubulars. Other than the cost of the tires, I would much rather ride them than clinchers. While GP5000 (and all prior models) have been my favorite clincher, getting them on many rims is a nightmare. I have found tubulars much easier to change out because they have no bead, and thus stretch much easier once you know the trick of stretching them out hard as you put the first section on which leaves much more slack for the final part where it would normally be unbearably tight like it is with clinchers. Anyway, just bought my dream carbon aero bike with Campy Record, light tubular 60mm wheels expecting it to destroy my 10mile TT times on my 30 year old Merlin titanium bike with shallow section box rims. Despite hundreds of subsequent attempts, I have yet to beat any of my times despite being in the same level of physical condition. Something is not right, and we consumers are clearly being taken for a ride with all this technology wank. So..... I went back to riding my 30 year old Merlin Titanium with down tube shifter Dura Ace (which as an aside, shifts way better than any STI shifters on the market today). $7.5k down the drain for a carbon superbike that simply could not hold its own against a 30 year old dinosaur like irs owner. Unfortunate. I was expecting so much from this investment. I may just get a new titanium bike at some point since carbon clearly is not delivering on its promise. Funny thing is, even my older (somewhat retired) late-1980's Alan carbon bike could probably take on my new superbike, at least on certain terrain.

[@Poof57]

​@@alexjohnson6462What is your typical ride where you got records ? Like 30min on flat ? And also are you sure that the carbon bike perfectly fits you as the older alloy bike ? That everything is well greased ? The tires are at the same pressure ? Sorry a lot of questions... But I'm currently thinking to buy carbon wheels but if changes nothing not even the feeling or accelerations....

[@siriosstar4789]

Everything is a con when a company , any company , has profit as their main motive for developing a new product . so , are carbon wheels a con ? not really , but they certainly aren't necessary when well built aluminum wheels are so good and will be for a very long time .

[@Southerncyclist]

Depends how bad you want that KOM on Strava lol. If your missing it by a second sure 😋.

[@roadcc]

Haha - why do you think we always have deep wheels fitted 😉🤣

[@chm2]

Oh Liam 😞

[@stuartdryer1352]

I can buy excellent carbon wheels from ICAN or Yoeleo for ~ $750.

[@kimwarner6050]

Specialize play to to much. I fell out my chair when I saw the price

[@thebikeracer]

My friends keep saying to get deeps….I keep saying I will when you beat me…

[@mikewy192]

On my two bikes I've two sets of 50mm wheels (mavic and shimano). At high speeds, when descending for example, they are positively dangerous in high side winds. I'm not especially light 85kg, for somebody who is light, I suspect that this would be a proper problem. So I'd say, don't get 50's as your only wheel, as on a windy winter day, they're not nice to ride. Wheels above 50mm must be much worse - I'd just flat out avoid these.

[@FunMushizzle]

Is carbon faster? Yes. Simple physics, it's able to be made lighter for the same depth/width. Is that the be all and end all? Depends how you ride, and how long you want your wheels to last. If you race and have a sponsor, sure get carbon. If you're an amateur commuter or weekend rider eh so so go with whatever makes you happy.

[@TenSapphires]

Am I right to point out that Hunt alloy wheels are 40 grams lighter and 200$ cheaper?

[@roadcc]

We’ll soon be conducting our alloy wheel group test - that should give us a better idea of where the SLX wheels compare!

[@joeonejoeone]

This bike was really easy to assemble kzbin.infoUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.

[@johannscheer]

I think it's an issue at KZbin. But I just can't hear any sound, but only for this video ...

[@Marcus-us3ws]

Nice !

[@jds6206]

This is a rhetorical discussion, i.e., there is no reasonable answer. In fact, for 99% of us....super-enthusiasts of all ages, the young and the old.....excluding professionals.....aluminum wheels are the way to go. Less expensive and almost as good, in our hands, with our legs, with our max VO2 numbers, etc. Save your money...work on developing your "engine".....

[@towhee7472]

Me, watching this video at 2:58, thinking: What the f are you doing riding your bike in the wrong lane, jacka... oh wait, he's a Brit.

[@grosmince]

I think Campagnolo Shamal C17 two-way fit are tough to beat. In any comparison (aero performance, weight, durability, built quality) you will always come to… « all that for that price??? » just check the facts for yourself.

[@mclogged2280]

It would be interesting to see the differences between the best aluminium offerings from Roval and the Hunt.

[@MsPietpaaltjes]

I can tell from experience deep wheels make you alot faster for the same power output. Unless you never go above 30km/hour

[@SimonCurrey]

Marketing is always seeking new ways to empty wallets. I would add comfort to the cross window benefits of shallow alloy. In any case most of can't hold enough Watts to make aero really matter.

[@oscarbarquincaloca5762]

Everybody is talkin about the rim and the depth but nobody talks anymore about stiffness and power transfer to the road. Most carbon deep wheels are chinesse wheels with carbon rims, so you are riding low range wheels anyway. Remember when Tom Boonen won with fullcrum Zeros. Why is fulcrum the only brand that keeps putting flat wide spokes to the high range ?? They are undoubtely better for climbing, and you are not going to appreciate the marginal aero gain of a deep rim with your recretional speed

[@theavenger3363]

If you want to go fast, you train.

[@1nt123]

The coolness factor alone is worth 10 Watts in morale boost 😎

[@Ryanotokyo]

Duh, and al better for rim brakes. Remember, that’s kind of why we all went to disc

[@ynotnilknarf39]

Wheels are cheaper if you're not falling for the disc brake con. you can buy decent second user carbon rims for significantly less. I paid less than £400 (bought some new tubs with the bundle so probs nearer £350) for a near new set of Easton SLX 25/32mm deep carbon tubular wheels that are 1200g. When its windy theyre a bit nicer to ride than the Bora Ones which aren't chubby either at 1252g sans skewers. ATEOTD it's about being comfortable and certain wheels/tyres and pressures can make your ride less comfortable such that you're putting more effort in for same speed or you're left drained at the end of a longer/harder ride. Riding alu is generally cheaper and I think people shouldn't be seen to be somehow less for riding that over carbon, too many people riding bikes are snooty as fuck and looking dowy their noses at what others are doing/riding. Riding ful stop should be about being happy, if that's on a ratty hybrid or 40 year old MTB it doesn't matter.

[@attybong]

huge amounts of dollars for insignificant (at least for the ordinary rider) time advantage

[@dzat]

Insignificant differences in performance but very significant differences in price ....hahaha ...unless u're a pro or dont mind throwing your money...get one

[@ThePeter123a]

Half a km/h faster is not a marginal gain, it is a gain. For example, exchanging the bottle cage screws for aluminum is marginal.

[@tibbar1000]

Numbers at 7.56

[@SlingsAxes]

What helmet is that?

[@roadcc]

Specialized evade 2 😊

[@SlingsAxes]

@@roadcc Many thanks!

[@greghart6310]

Maybe a 'pound per watt' rating is most applicable to people who work for a living