Why I Don't Ride Carbon MTB Wheels (And Probably Never Will!)

[@WorldwideCyclery]

**Note!** This video is over 3 years old & my opinions have changed as the modern carbon rims have changed for the better. You can hear my new thoughts 6 minutes in to my latest bike check video here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJq4qYCQfc6soNU - Jeff

[@sinterior2626]

Very humble Jeff, people like honesty and humility today in this ocean of sponsored morality. Respect

[@mentaltreadmill]

Wait, this video is 4 years old and nobody commented that you have a sticker on your chest across a zipper hoodie?,.. or did they?,.. and I didn’t actually scroll very far to see if they did🤔😁,.. either way, love your videos,.. 👍

[@johnbcardin]

Did you just put a sticker over your hoodie?

[@CarReis28]

lol

[@---GOD---]

Hahahahaha

[@mexicant72]

Dead

[@Sheldonmiranda07]

That's not made of Carbon

[@oliversch7271]

Now that was great honest video on the pros and cons of a carbon wheel

[@donchristie420]

Except the title of the video, it should have said - probably won’t use cf again lol😬

[@HeathenRides]

Was sam Pilgrim trying to ruin he's riding down massive stairs and crashing up stairs jumping etc without Tyres or tubes,,, Just riding straight on the carbon rims

[@charlesholland6851]

I can't afford anything but stock rims....on a huffy

[@hwah9484]

Lol

[@arcadeportal32]

Mines is a $100 mountain bike from Walmart, suprised it is still in one piece after the last time I rode it. Minus the chain and chain guard falling off lol

[@TB-nh4wi]

My bike came with ritchey carbon rims on it 🤣🤣

[@laflammechristophe4548]

@@TB-nh4wi hahahahaha so funny 🤣

[@laflammechristophe4548]

@@TB-nh4wi what is your bike?

[@PedalingDave]

For me personally, I run both Alum wheels AND an Alum bike and it isn't because I hate or mistrust carbon. My personal reason is because I don't race or otherwise compete. I have no need nor desire to beat someone up or down the hills. My goals are simple, have fun and ride. I can pay in the neighborhood of 1000 dollars less on a bike....about a minimum of 600 less for wheels and still get within 10% of the performance of carbon fiber (this is my own very unscientific percentage value, YMMV). The argument of carbon lasting longer can't hold water (for me) because as tech and standards change, new bikes, wheels, whatever will be purchased. Carbon rocks, I have to agree BUT FOR ME, I can't get enough return in dollars to performance gain at this point. If carbon comes down more I'll be first in line!!!!

[@thexardas8395]

"I can't get enough return in dollars" Maybe 5% of all riders can doesn't stop people to spend crazy money on CF bikes. Interestingly Germans and UK small and medium bike manufacturers producing a lot of aluminum models last few years. Personally I see no real difference between CF and aluminum besides 1-2lb weight difference and aesthetic.

[@someguy9520]

That's a very good point. Spending that much more money for a bit less weight and maybe vibration absoprtion is crazy if we're real. But for some people that's totally worth it and I respect that

[@dannybeeh6332]

Pedaling Dave I don’t race either, but ever since I got carbon rims, my XC bike feels so much faster and I destroy Strava times. I’ve always been a great climber, and sat in the top 10-15% of Strava. Now, I sit in the top 3-9% of Strava. With a carbon rim, every time you plant your foot on the pedal, it feels like your bike wants to speed out from underneath you. It justifies every extra cent I spent.

[@joelsherrer8784]

Republic Thunderstreak cool story!

[@giannizamora7247]

Funny enough we were riding in whistler last summer and a guy who had a carbon rim literally bent it, we were right behind him and we all hit the same jump. It sucks he was all pissed because he only had them for like a month I think.

[@Cycle_Smith]

Maybe mine is an odd story but I’m a big guy and I dinged and bent aluminum continually. Mostly the back wheel. Since switching to carbon lightbicycle all mountain rims 2 years ago I have trashed 4 tires that would’ve at the very least dented aluminum. Carbon has been my answer to reliability. All the aluminum ones failed due to my riding style or because they burped air and I kept riding. Good video thanks for the opinion. Unfortunately I think most my brand biases are based on who left me stranded on the trail even if it was completely my fault.

[@paulwintermute1495]

Agree totally. I have dinged the hell out of aluminum rims in the past but my lightbicycle DH rims have been indestructible. Going 4 years and no signs of letting up.

[@ronchang9791]

Same story as you 2. I watched psi meticulously, learned proper lines and techniques through dh coaching/racing, but I killed rear rims. I have built 4 wheels with Light Bicyccle rims and have not had a failure. And they stay true.

[@topspot4834]

Yup. My first pair of tires were Magic Mary/Hans Dampf and my first ride I ripped a hole in the sidewall. Completely my fault, was new to MTB and any tire would've had the same result. That said, I've never bought and never will buy a Schwalbe tire ever again because of that experience.

[@derekadaway6390]

@@topspot4834 oh magic mary great tyres, in my opinion especially the DD version , might just be like me popped a corner knob, split at bottom of knob first ride minnion , but it was just bad luck, not a bad tyre

[@christianholmstedt8770]

It's unusual to hear a sober point of view from this industry.

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Thank you!

[@sparky9864]

@@WorldwideCyclery I completely agree - it was a good, honest, point of view. But sober!!?? I saw the mostly empty bottle on the desk!! HA!HA! Keep up the great work! The videos have solid content and are funny too! One day I want to visit your team in California. You guys are awesome!

[@insanebmxthomas]

@RollinRat Hahaha, company i worked for imported their products, electronics, from China. We also had alcohol in case we got a shipment that was badly QA'd and would never pass CE licensing restrictions. Would usually mean leaving a customer without products and a setback in terms of deadlines.

[@insanebmxthomas]

@RollinRat For sure, lots of whisky. Occasionally drinks would just magically show up around 16:45, and the covid crisis was a bad one. Nearly ruined the company with 600K losses, they had to scale down and unfortunately i wasn't essential. But at least i was buzzing hahaha.

[@insanebmxthomas]

@RollinRat And you didn't get shut down? Nice job dude! California is such a beautiful place... Except the housing prices, taxes and politics there are pretty wacko indeed. Look at what happened to Pelosi's SanFran. I guess Texas or Florida would be my kind of state. I've been educated as a bike mechanic at a local, but huge Dutch manufacturer; Gazelle Bicycles. Selling is not my forte though, might be better now i'm older and slightly more comfortable making conversations. I have my issues since i have aspergers and prefer working in small informal teams. Definitely thinking about getting back into the bicycle industry since it's been a passion of mine for years now. Here in Holland it seems like bike shops are doing OK, but stock is almost nonexistent. I barely managed to pick up a new MTB this summer; could only get it second hand and there were 3 other buyers ready to pick it up.

[@liquidSpin]

I've damaged both aluminum and carbon rims but I'm still riding on carbon rims. There's absolutely no point i'm trying to make here. 🤣

[@zooromain]

fuck yes

[@sdqsdq6274]

ermm what sort of damage ? carbon crack apart

[@_Steven_S]

Doesn't take spare wheels on a multi-day MTB trip? Pfff... Me neither :-D

[@brakesforsnakes757]

I've been on carbon since 2013 and will never ride aluminum again. I did ruin an Easton XC wheel back in 2013 but it was rider error and I was on weight weenie tires. If you know how to choose a line and are riding with the proper tires, PSI and sealant it's going to be very rare to destroy a carbon rim. I'm riding ENVE's now and for 5 years anything that happens on the trail is covered, and they pay for shipping both ways. Yes they are expensive but I can afford it and having a top shelf bike is better than having a sports car at this point in my life.

[@scottpratico1315]

Carbon is over priced. I'd rather spend my money traveling to ride new places.

[@Monkeyseemonkey79]

And/or upsizing my breakfast burritos.

[@AJ-we9kd]

carbon is the same price and weight as aluminum these days....

[@loadsled]

Ankit j let me know where. A good wide aluminum hoop is $80. Carbon $400.

[@mazditzo]

ankit j drink water before you comment .... carbon woth aluminum price mean disaster for wheel

[@AJ-we9kd]

maz ditzo I’ve never heard that one before. Anyways, I bought it off ebay seller is shlbikes. I used a 20%off ebay coupon. The seller stands behind the product. I paid $80-90 a rim. My aluminum rims cost more than that. I know what you might think in regards to quality, and I was concerned when the spoke hole failed on the truing stand, my wheelbuilder may have overtensioned but still... The replacement is amazing. I still run the ultralight weight rim on the front and take it to the bike park on my trail bike no problem. I have become a bit particular about checking pressures and am running higher pressures than I was with aluminum (10/15 to 22/28 Trail 25/32 to 30/38 bike park). I went from 550grams a rim to 330 that’s a big difference per rim. I don’t feel comfortable sharing sources for other retailers on WWC’s YT page. I spent about $300 for a brand new rear wheel with dt350 hubs, carbon rim, db sapim race spokes, the 54t star ratchet upgrade. I didn’t include the cost of spoke wrench, and wheel build labor (I built it and had it trued by my shop). I’ve used the reserves featured in this video as well. The only other carbon rim I’ve ridden are dt xmc1200, which are rock solid in terms of stiffness. The reserves were strong yet complaint. The rim I built is between the two. Like I said very similar cost and performance. Biggest gain is point and shoot precision IMHO. The carbon rims are stupid light ~340grams.

[@topspot4834]

Carbon rims are so strong nowadays, and combined with 5 year to lifetime warranties make it a worthwhile investment IMO. Unless I'm doing a ton of rocky tech like Jeff said, or was into enduro racing, then I'd only consider aluminum ... but there's some really good choices out there now like Nobl and Reserves which are actually somewhat affordable. Take the warranty and crash replacements into account and over the long run you might actually be able to save money.

[@zed5129]

Yeah, this hasn't aged well... nor has a 2014 point of view on carbon rims

[@sultanabran1]

carbon rims aren't meant to be paritcularly lighter. they're meant to offer much more stiffness for the same weight. in any case, i had carbon rims and the rear lasted two years before i bunny hopped sideways into a rock on a fast rocky trail. rider error. big loud snapping sound, it was done. having said that, i've ding the rims, front and rear, quite a few times and it never broke, till that time. i'm not a super fast rider or am i heavy. i love the way they feel. they cost a lot so i didn't go carbon again. they make you look cool and heaps of chicks gave me their phone numbers when i had them. so much experience is similar.

[@richardking6985]

Been on carbon rims about 4 years , broke 2 rear early on. Switched to DH versions for the rear and had no more problems (even on my DH bike. )

[@themidnightrider6805]

I just wanted to say I shopped Workdwide Cyclery for the first time over the Christmas season. I had the most help I’ve ever received from a bike shop and I felt confident in what I finally decided to buy! My son was super stoked! Thank You and I’m looking forward to giving you our business from now on! Customer service is EVERYTHING! Happy New Year Worldwide Cyclery🤘

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Thank you so much for your order! Very happy that you were able to get exactly what you wanted, our goal is to always make sure the customer is 100% satisfied. Please let us know if you ever have any other questions :)

[@snowcreature47]

Fair enough! But being an early adopter trying cutting edge technology you should probably expect a certain degree of breakage. At this point carbon rims are pretty well engineered and sorted out. I ping Ibis and Santa Cruz carbon rims pretty often with no damage that I can see. Nothing wrong with avoiding carbon rims, but you also avoid carbon frames and are careful not to fly on a 787 right?...

[@danytheunicorn95]

jeff: I will probably never ride carbon rims again. *3 months later* Jeff: hey look at this moto carbon rims that flex, I love them!

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Haha true! Those Zipp rims impressed the hell out of me. Probably still won't ride them though because I still doubt the reliability vs alloy. But they do work better than any other carbon or alloy rim I have ridden.

[@JitinMisra]

Worldwide Cyclery do you think carbon forks are worth it?

[@danwebb6766]

As someone mainly gravel riding, this video actually sold me on carbon rims as an upgrade. Thanks.

[@mudbutton2]

When you have a 150mm dually with low pressure 2.6" tyres....but MUST have stiff rims!

[@coolbeans7274]

I love my carbon wheels, Easton's Haven 's. I couldn't believe the huge ride quality difference and if you search long enough you can find close out wheels for 50% off. The climbing difference is amazing enough i bought set for my X country bike as well. Carbon wheels turn your bike into a whole new ride. And Jeff the same can be said for carbon frames, but no matter how real steal is i'm not switching back.

[@adamsimpson5520]

What carbon rims were you riding? When the image of your damaged carbon rim came up, the 3K weave outer layer of them made me instantly think, "Those look like rims made by Light Bicycle" - which, four years ago, was notorious for light, inexpensive, and delicate carbon rims.

[@mediaburn2]

I have a set of LB RM29C19 with 10k KM for on a set from 4 years ago. I've broken two carbon bikes but have not broken any rims in that time tho.

[@RGCastro7]

Jeff, assuming that you could have been on aluminum wheels instead of carbon on that trip, and still had made the same mistake and dented or ruined the aluminum rim to the point of not being usable, what would have changed in the story? I get your point, but I'm not seeing how you would have fixed the issue of a useless wheel regardless of rim material.

[@mtb-couple6145]

I'm guessing his point is that carbon snaps and fails, while the aluminum wheels would ding and bend.

[@RGCastro7]

@@mtb-couple6145 you can still get the aluminum so bent that it's left useless. No way to know what the damage would be on aluminum rims in that particular case, but I'd like to know what his stance would be if it had been a total failure on aluminum. Would he now not ride aluminum wheels because of it?

[@GettingthruLife]

@@RGCastro7 i folded my aluminum rim years and years ago going through a concrete drainage ditch to jump out the other side. Came down, rim folded and I flipped over the bars. No way on God's green earth was i taking that rim off my bike and folding that back and riding home. Trying to bend back all the bent aluminum spoke while mounted in the bent rim would have been near mission impossible. If someone is a rock garden crusher where that tends to be their terrain they incounter more often then like most things....carbon rims probably not the right/best tool for the job. To just dismiss something on a large internet plateform as fragil and self distructive is ones prerogative but make me question the intent or reasoning. Hey, if someone doesn't like carbon fiber that's ok. It's like the debate of clippless vs. Platform pedals which can be debated til Jesus comes back. People seem to get really emotional or passionate about certain things but that's ok. Why not make a post about why i like aluminum rims. The user could generally say aluminium is stronger where he/she could then point to brands with user history of being a strong brand.

[@RGCastro7]

@@GettingthruLife I agree, bro. I actually don't have a preference for either one when considering performance, but I would normally favor aluminum due to price. As you stated, it's about choosing the right tool for the job, and I think that saying he'll never run carbon wheels because one cracked under heavy use isn't a logical enough statement. Saying he'll never do so because of initial cost, repair cost, or riding feel, that's something I can understand.

[@GettingthruLife]

@@RGCastro7 I just happened to buy a bike that came with carbon rims after my aluminum framed version was stollen. These CF rims are 45mm O.D. 29er/27.5 fattie option frame. I have thoroughly enjoyed them over my previous aluminum 32mm O.D. aluminum rims. My Cf rims are lighter than my aluminum rims even though these are monster truck MB width. If I were to jump off a flight of the steep variety, 10 step of stairs and flat at speed, I'd be wary of both CF and Aluminum even though guys on the internet are going much much bigger. I'm 200-205lbs for the last 5 years. There for a while I was running 15-16p.s.i in my 2.8/3.0 tires where I took some slowmo footage of me going up stairs where I saw the first few square edges blowing through my tire sidewall and 99.8% sure making hard contact with my CF rims. No sign of any damage. I've since corrected this where when I'm riding concrete obstacles, which a do a lot, I've jumped up to 20-22ish p.s.i.

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Do you run carbon MTB wheels? Let us know!

[@th_js]

No, because I like reliability and cheapness...And I smash my rims to rocks often (ding)

[@cyrusbaker4874]

As a large human and aggressive rider, carbon wheels are the only thing I can run on 29" bikes that I don't have to re-tension every month. I've found a cush core or Huck Norris to go a long way towards preventing rim dingers, and checking exact tire pressure before each ride. The stiffiness vastly improves cornering and jumping, although they don't save you much weight.

[@mallillinrjkaylec.6413]

No cause I can't afford one

[@blackdevil7183]

no no money

[@307mtb]

Can't afford them so never even looked into them. Loving my DT Swiss E1700 with 350 hub 54 tooth

[@douglasyoung927]

I have alloy rims on my mountain bike because I ride hard in rough rocky terrain and have been known to pinch, ding, bend, and even buckle rims from time to time. However I own a Specialized Diverge that I use for comuting and weekend gravel rides and I would never use anything but carbon on that bike. I have regularly taken it on some local single track but the natural limitations of the gravel bike make it nearly impossible to abuse the bike enough to damage the rims. The carbon feel is worth every penny.

[@daveleech5971]

After breaking 7 carbon rims I decided enough was enough. now I'm running alloy on the rear

[@dogdaysunrise1970]

Did you run CushCore or anything? I currently ride alloy myself but thought with a tire insert, maybe Carbon might be ok!?

[@Metal-Possum]

A guy I know spend many thousands on a YT Jeffsy, hung it on the back of his car and warped the rim on the exhaust heat. The quote for a replacement rim was $800 (NZD), so he's had this bike sitting in his garage doing nothing for quite a while now. If you're a low-paid bike mechanic like me, aluminium is cheap, and it's no big deal if they're not as stiff etc, because they're easy enough for me to replace.

[@joshpichon1489]

Thumbs up for taking a stance. Do carbon if you have enough disposable income to have a spare set on hand. Even then, I worry about when it does fail, how does the crash turn out... Explosive Carbon vs Bending Aluminum?

[@Wizler71]

4:56 yup did that to both (aluminum) wheels in one hit last year but didn't even crash! Trying carbon on my new bike just out of curiosity. I've noticed that rim-dings make me cringe harder not just because I'm worried about breakage but because the hit is really harsh (the stiffness factor). So I aired up my tires a bit more and it's been fine so far.

[@drunken_moose]

IMHO this video is slightly misleading. The new generation of high end (ENVE, Santa Cruz, etc) carbon wheels are stronger than their aluminum counterparts. Look up the video of Danny McAskill trying to break a set. The problem is when they fail they fail more catastrophically than alloy wheels which makes them harder to get off the trail.

[@jaredgulaga8367]

Okay, I don't think this is a very fair review as the wheels you tested are now almost 5 years old. Carbon has come along way and if you look at Danny's vid for Santacruz the reserves are almost indestructible. I my self am really hard on rims mostly because I'm not very careful with my line choice and have history casing some pretty big jumps. I was running Mavic EX723 rims which are pretty high up there for strength and I still managed to Taco one. After watching skills with Phil and how hard he rides and how reliable his wheels have been I decided to go with some NOBLE TR38 rims with I9 Hubs. What I found is that they are amazing. They are super stiff, like when I was at Whistler I was just bombing A line and I could totally feel the difference compared to my enduro bike which was running Ex471 wheels. As for the durability I have had absolutely no problems. Plenty of cases and smashes but they are still going so strong. I strongly recommend getting back on a modern set with a really great warranty. If you are worried about it, it is not to hard to bring some spare aluminum wheels on your trip.

[@RPierce84]

he specifically said he doesnt carry a spare set. So, his reasoning is plenty justifiable.

[@johnnymcmanus3]

Just got TR38s with I9 hubs myself. Going out later to see what they are all about

[@WhiteWeasel93TT]

My friends reserves broke day one and he's warrantied 2 more since then. There the only 3 wheels he's broken. I'd put them on the destructable side of industructable.

[@jaredgulaga8367]

@@WhiteWeasel93TT All wheels can break. At least he can get new wheels for free instead of having to spend another 700$ on a good aluminum wheel.

[@jaredgulaga8367]

@Robert Trageser That would suck! but if he broke a reserve he must have hit something hard! An aluminum wheel would have also broken/badly bend which means he would have also had to walk. At least this way he gets new wheels for free and doesn't have to spend so much on another aluminum wheel.

[@10acebikesjodybennettii19]

That yeti blue fox fork tho!!

[@nl3712]

10 a C e bikes Jody Bennett II that entire yeti build tho!!

[@Geordo1960]

Yes that bicycle kept distracting me throughout the whole video. It is a beautiful build/bike!

[@BurnDuration]

I did the Cycle to the Sun hill climb time trial in Maui HI, and during the downhill ride, my front LEW carbon rim overheated from the braking and delaminated and locked up my front wheel almost sending me off the handlebars. What sucked was this was my only wheelset while on vacation and couldn't ride anymore. Carbon wheels are great, but they have their limitations.

[@tommyestrada6464]

Wouldn’t you have still been in the same situation if would have been an aluminum wheel? I don’t have carbon wheels but would love to try some.

[@bluestraycat]

If the ding isn't too bad on an aluminium rim you can bend them back into shape with pliers and even if they still need replacing at least you can carry on riding in the meantime

[@badandwrong3383]

Aluminum rims are cheaper.

[@gnartarded]

As long as an aluminum wheel spins, you can just run a tube and finish your ride.

[@RGCastro7]

I asked the same question, and it's also been ignored. If he'd been on an aluminum rim, and it had been ruined beyond being usable by that same impact, he'd have been in the same situation.

[@oregonphototrekker8894]

@@RGCastro7 "ruined beyond usable." Well yeah, of course. But the issue is whether aluminum, due to its abilty to bend rather than shatter, could absorb that energy better than carbon and continue to be used. Even if you have to use pliers to bend the lip back, it could still be quite usable - at least let you finish the weekend on it.

[@WERTYBD]

Ever since I’ve switched to carbon I can read the terrain much better. Love the stiffness for feeling when my back wheel is about to break loose. But other than that nothin wrong with aluminum, super strong and still pretty light.

[@WorldwideCyclery]

🤘

[@DadDoingStuff]

I’m with you bro. Just enough dings in my alloy wheels to make me steer clear of carbon. And the weight savings are negligible vs. the cost for carbon. Alloy for the win!

[@jeffg3975]

I think what I appreciate the most is your candor. You sell carbon wheels, but at the same time you’re not afraid to say, “I don’t ride that sh*t.” Respect. I need to spend more money at Worldwide Cyclery.

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Thanks Jeff! I certainly am a believer that the truth wins in the long run. We are not here to sell shit. We are here to be a staple in the mountain bike industry that brings value to the riders for decades to come.

[@krummesmurf]

Accidently drove over my front wheel in 4x4. A Giant carbon rim. Straight over the middle of it. Survived with barely a scratch, didn't even need truing. Still using it year later.

[@loftyfilius1792]

100% agree with you love the feel of them but me too like you have a history of denting/breaking alloy rims and have had a similar experience with my old carbon rims so don't trust them to hold out on my local rocky runs.

[@shotwide]

You earned a lot of respect from me for your honesty and for hitting the mark - for the majority of MTBers, whether they realize it or not, reliability and safety over the long-term is more important than the stiffness that carbon rims provide. Some bike shops promote carbon because, in addition to the benefits, they make more money that way. I’d rather work with an LBS or an online retailer who is honest and realistic with the assessment for the general, non-pro user. A thing many forget is that professional riders have mechanics who regularly go over their bikes and they have replacement parts at their disposal, so the product longevity isn’t as much of a concern - they use it for a season then they’re on to another bike. But most consumers will be riding that bike for several years. You’re now at the top of my list for online retailers. Thanks!

[@josemorenoporras7506]

I broke several Alu rims and never ever own a CF wheelset.Now I ride Hope 35W rims cos is the best value for the money. DH casing and HuckNorris is working fine for me, no more dents in last 3 months. Tyre insert is a must to protect your rims against dents/cracks,that is the only thing could give a chance to your rim in a bad impact. My bike have an offset rear wheel and for long trips I always carry an spare rear wheel just in case.Best advice ever to choose a carbon rim or alu one.

[@LCNismo]

Santa Cruz Reserve. As we are a dealer. They want you to break them so they can improve on them.

[@christianholmstedt8770]

+1

[@_Steven_S]

+ Me. Can you also drill them for 32 spokes ;-)

[@christianholmstedt8770]

I'm serious. Send me some samples for R&D purposes. What's better than a free employee?

[@triode1212]

So basically they are using their customers as guinea pigs....? If they were good designers and focused on safety, they wouldn't need to do this. I wouldn't touch a bike that has been designed with their ethos.

[@tomk0206]

Triode 12 I’ve read nearly all the comments in this thread, and Your’s good sir is by far the most stupid and inane

[@BoSoxYacht]

If you regularly damage your aluminum rims, you'll likely damage your carbon rims too. If you can't afford to replace a damaged carbon rim, stick with aluminum(or get a better paying job).

[@hardmtnbiker]

I completely agree and in part because I do ding my aluminum rims and don’t mind replacing them, a rim is a replacement part. Another reason is that stiffness is great if your a racer and love to jet your bike across the trail, but what if you wanna a bit of flex and want a supple feel? A hand built wheel set with 3x double butted spokes,custom built to your preference is an amazing feel. I’m not trying to PR a climb or decent every ride and like my bike wheels to take out the harshness of a stiff hardtail, of course mine being a fully rigid single speed is another thing. #1⚙️all year.

[@mountaingoat8788]

I'm a dinger! as for that and other reasons iv made my Mind to stick with Alum I have no desire for Carbon not even a Carbon Frame.. not Only because I can not afford it I can't right now. but also I just want Mountain biking to be fun practical and as you stated reliable.. another big one for me is that Carbon is not, recyclable Metal is Much more eco friendly so No Carbon for me.... right now I'm on a aggressive steel, HT alum wheels love it..

[@downallyourstreets]

@min. 3:00 basically sells us on carbon wheel rim not only holds up to catastrophic rider error but holds together enough to keep air in the tire to get to bottom of the run. I’ll be buying those ENVE rims now thanx

[@petercho4939]

I have Easton havoc carbon rims from when pricepoint.com folded over. They sold for $500 for 27.5 for a set. Been running them since 2016 and no issues...but then again, I ride peacefully in the bike parks without jumping and have never crashed. They are stiffer but then the suspension dampens the feel and it is a good balance.

[@Flacojandro]

Now for the real question, what pre-ride juice is in that nice looking bottle?

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Whiskey :)

[@zacharyevabs5392]

A.D. Laws four grain straight bourbon. Not a bad choice I must say.

[@drcollie]

Best MTB videos out there - keep it up, Jeff.....I will support your company when I need parts because of them. (I have Industry Nine wheels on my SC Hightower, btw)

[@RamsayMacFarlane]

I have quite the opposite - I used to ding and wreck alloy rims, but now run some nice and chunky carbon rims from SixthElement and I haven't broken one yet (2 years!) They are so stiff and run sweet, agreed. I've also burst spokes out of the rear, dinged them super hard on sharp edges ruining countless tyres, but the rims are still perfect!

[@sutterl]

had a lot of dings in my alloy rims but never had a problem with my carbon rims so far!

[@freendeed8410]

Keep up the great work here brother. Always appreciate your experiences, point of view, expertise and humble delivery. No-nonsense and concise. Spot on man.

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Thanks for the feedback, happy to help :)

[@DriverDude100]

I am glad to see an expert rider say that carbon is not the best thing since sliced bread. I recently purchased some i9 aluminum wheels over carbon. The aluminum wheels were the same weight as the the carbon wheels that I was looking at.

[@JoeTaylor17]

Insert video of Danny MacAskill riding a bare carbon wheel down a set of stairs multiple times without damage... but great video

[@curtiscathcart4445]

Thanks for you opinion. Unfortunate that there wasn't more information in your video on carbon rims except for a single story of one bad day / bad line. More info would be great. As far as I'm aware there is good evidence compiled that there isn't a reliability or strength problem with carbon rims. You wreck some equipment, you have to replace some equipment.

[@davekelly8168]

Great video, perfect explanation and honest too.

[@pvflyer67]

Cool channel and some pretty awesome bikes. Looks like a cool shop, need to stop by next time I'm in your area. This is my POV. I will never go back to aluminum wheels. Acceleration,stiffness,cornering,braking, switch lines on rough trails and over ruts... it does everything so much better than aluminum . it was the best improvement I did on my bikes. this is the missing link for the modern MTB and linkage front suspension is the next one. I think if you're looking for pure performance and riding improvement this is it. CF vs Al is like Tyson versus Paquiao. Is just no match, the plastic fantastic is for real.

[@enduro_dano1143]

Good pro/con overview! The thing that strikes me and I keep thinking about, as an enduro racer, is that I and most everyone on the team are also running inserts (Huck Norris, Cush Core, Nukeproof ARD, etc.) to help protect our rims. Aluminium and carbon alike. I test rode a set of carbon wheels the other day and loved the feel. I think I'd have full confidence running an insert in a carbon rim on the race series. And if I'm going someplace extreme, I'll probably throw in one of the old wheels as a backup. On race day, kind of a moot point but on a trip, worth tossing to keep the trip from ending early.

[@dalelakusta8143]

Ibis 942 carbon with i9's here. Love the acceleration advantage and wonderful feel of them. Previous bike I upgraded to XTR trail carbon that made me never want to settle for aluminum again. Now the facts, I'm older, slow and do not go through extreme stuff. Not lifetime but the 7 year warranty on the 942's should be just fine until the next bike. I did put a huck norris on the back for some slight extra protection as the weight penalty for cushcore is just too much. Love your videos!

[@Wizler71]

Got the Ibis 942 carbons on my new Ripmo and I like them so far (first carbon wheels). The "acceleration advantage" is noticeable but I can't tell if it's the wheels or the bike (it's also my first 29er).

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Thank you! Glad you are enjoying the content :)

[@koho]

Agree on the 942's - I have 'em and like em much. True after two years and lots of bashes and scrapes.

[@koho]

@@Wizler71 How do you like that Ripmo? It's the one bike to come along that turns my head (I have an Evil Following). I have 942's, and I can say it's likely you'd feel a difference with the carbon vs. al even on such a nice bike. I did, felt the acceleration difference, and equally, the benefits of the extra width.

[@Wizler71]

@@koho Love the Ripmo. It climbs better than my 130 trail bike, it's playful and jumpy but can really smash the downhill. It's comfortable and not bobby on a long XC ride. It's a great all-rounder which is what I wanted in a bigger bike. Can't wait to take it to the parks next summer where I can really let it run!

[@willyjaybobindy3402]

I love this channel. Thank you for your honesty-refreshing to see from inside the industry. Respect.

[@Max-pt4tx]

Cool to hear your view on it. Personally Im nowhere near being able to afford carbon rims so thats a main factor. Would love to try a set though. There's a lot of advantages both sides for different riders. Itd be interesting to see you try out a new 2019 set of carbon rims (or do a comparison between a few) to compare with your aluminium ones. Especially since you loved the feel of them so much before. Surely they can only be even better now.

[@AndrewMontgomery]

Max try asking your local bike shops, I have a few around where I live that let you rent them to try out for a day or two.

[@jackhanson3649]

Just get Santa Cruz reserves, they will break the Rock. Life time warranty as well and are considered to be indestructible. Danny macaskill had to do multiple 5 ft drops onto stairs with no tube or tires, just the bare rim in order to crack it.

[@Sivart-508PIR]

This is a very good point. I will bring my extra set of Carbon wheels with me on my week long trip to Moab in April 2021.

[@Surfmus]

My only complain I have is mounting and dismounting the tubeless tires and scraping the heck on the carbon rims. I'm done repairing my self since I know how to work with composites. I'm going back to aluminum rim and avoid that hassle. I will miss the feeling and the weight but the cons over come the pros. I wanna ride more than I want or be fixing it.

[@huntstyle]

I had ordered carbon rims, but as it turns out my bike only has boost spacing in the rear, and these rims were only boost spacing, front & rear. So I ended up going with i9 enduro 305's, which were actually the same weight as those carbon rims! I think I'm fine with aluminum, especially if they're going to be the same weight. P.S. can I have a cookie?

[@reubenbron6641]

I broke the front wheel on my brand new giant trance 29er 1 I pulled the spoke straight out the rim somehow and cracked it so I'm switching to stans wheels now.

[@Jeff-yy5fe]

I ride lite cycle carbon, cheap Chinese rims, and I've walked out twice after breaking the rim. Third rim I ordered beefier and haven't had an issue since. I live in Sedona and I'm rough on my bikes. 😲

[@englishsupaman9459]

I sometimes ride my dads bike which has carbon rims and i just love the stiffness it feels so nice and then when I ride my bike with aluminum rims I can tell the difference so much and I don’t have as much confidence

[@vincentgregory5220]

What use is any warranty when the rim fails with a 10 mile hike out the mountains? Ran carbon for 11 months and busted 2 rims and returned to good old bend-back-into-shape alloy. Been running DT EX471 rims for a while now.

[@koho]

Which carbon rims? It really seems to matter the brand, and it's helpful to know which ones are prone to breaking.

[@Cantrell907]

I’ve destroyed 2 rear aluminum wheels, 1 e13 and 1 spank. Got a set of we are one carbon wheels with flat tire defenders in them and have been golden riding harder and less tire pressure on the same trails I dented the aluminum wheels on, BUT I do like the Stans wheels might have to give them a go on the next build!

[@NoBrakes23]

Jeff's reason for not running carbon rims: He goes ham. My reason for not running carbon rims: I hate the Henry Ford color palette, (any color you want as long as it's black.) I also hate the dead, wooden feeling a lot of them have. The only carbon rims that don't feel horrible to me are 28 spoke Giants, and I've had those go way out of true in the course of one ride. For me it's shiny Stan's from Project 321 or GTFO. #silverrimsrule

[@bradleyburns255]

Great vid! Recently I needed to order some brake pads (actually the first time I've ordered pads) and I didn't know what the difference between sintered and organic was. So I Googled it and your website popped up, great help and explained everything very nicely!👍

[@perryirons1399]

Not yet. Would like to try them to see how they feel.

[@bigslacker666]

I have AL wheels on my enduro bike (and do ding a rim now and then) and carbon on my trail bike. I don't have a problem with carbon rims for aggressive riding though, they make them tough these days. If you're always dinging/denting rims but love carbon it's super cheap to pick up a set of take off wheels from someone that bought a built bike and upgraded immediately. Just have a set of spares in the shop or the truck if you're on a trip in the unlikely event that you grenade your fancy rims.

[@traillife]

I take 2 bikes and back up wheels for both bikes when I go to ride park. Having a day cut short with some type of mechanical is not a option.

[@marckenney979]

I rode a set of ENVE AM carbon wheels from 2013 until earlier this year. Never ever an issue and I live in Grand Junction and ride tough rocky technical trails ... a lot. Those ENVEs are still fine, I stopped riding them because I finally switched bikes (my new bike has DT carbon rims). That said I have a friend who goes through a 2-3 carbon rims/year. He also breaks frames and other components regularly too, so he is really hard on equipment.

[@charaburda616]

I run a set on my road bike but for my mountain bike, it's only been aluminum. love the feel on the road and would like to try on the trail but for this time a little out of my price range.....

[@moefoemonkey]

ahhhhhh I have been absolutely destroying my aluminium rims: bends, buckles, dents you name it I have done it. But then a got new bike and it came with carbon rims, I was sceptical but 10 months later I don't have any cracks and they're barely out of true

[@tristandesade8635]

I kinda agree. I ride really nice high-end alloy XC wheelset. For the price I could have bought really weak carbon wheelset (and I’m not rich). The weight would be similar and I would get not so nice internals (hubs). Also there is a pice of mind knowing that high quality alloy gotta be more reliable than low quality carbon.

[@Nseminole]

An honest assessment. Well done! I fall in the 95% that don’t ride as well as you so I went with Reynold Carbon rims for riding here at home in Tallahassee. However, when I ride out West, I am definitely sticking with aluminum. Again, thank you for a well done analysis.

[@WorldwideCyclery]

Awesome! Reynolds makes killer rims. Glad you liked the video 😎

[@jefersonlimonge8889]

Agree 300% on the on Jeff’s points, since had broken a rear Derby rim in Whistler, got the warranty but had to lace my wheel with DT FR 570 hoop that survived very well. Received the warranty from Derby, but spent around USD$250 in order to keep enjoying the vacation. Days before seen a dude braking both SC reserve rims from his bike, and he didn’t see when happened. In both cases the wheels didn’t collapse, but there are cases and this is certainly a major hazard. The point is that Whistler and carbon wheels don’t mix very well. Next time I will have a pair of aluminum wheels. The only point not discussed in the the video was the use of protection like Cushcore, that looks like can make the difference. So, maybe a video about wheels protection?

[@sohaibyounus]

Damn it, I have seriously dinged my front rim twice in 2018. Didn't think I had crashed hard enough to mess up the rim, but on the last crash I stretched DHF in a way where it needs to be replaced!

[@SkeleTele]

I build my own wheels and use nextie hoops... They build up great and have a good feel.. Never have had issues with them. I ride on long island so super flowy.. Punchy climbs and quick decents. Perfect for hoops for where I ride and live.

[@irvsstella]

What we all have to remember is that this is still new technology, it needs trashing so it can be improved, if the rims have a 5 yrs life, that's pretty good, how many of you are still riding rims from the 80s?

[@dominichirst4518]

I would definitely like to try Carbon to see how it compares to Alu. If I ever bought some though they would certainly need a life time warranty. Take the point on trips away though but I suppose it’s the same for all major components.

[@bikeva1557]

With people finally realizing 29ers are great, changing hub standards, and changing (wheel id and tire) widths, wheels lose value so quickly. That combined with the reliability issues and I have no clue why people lose their minds (and money) over carbon wheels. I'd rather spend an extra $1k on a carbon frame and suspension.

[@lsent3338]

ppl who buy carbon wheel most probably is alr running on a carbon frame with top end suspension

[@charlesb7831]

My son keeps trying to convince me to go carbon, but for the very reasons you mentioned I prefer aluminum over carbon. That and I love my Mavic crossmax st 29ers. Had them for the past 6 years on my Giant xtc that I treat like a hard tail trail bike and I've been so impressed with these wheels, just not the serviceable aspect of them.

[@MABFR01]

I do because my bike came out of the factory with TR249s so yeah.. I do only XC tho so it really doesn't stress the wheels that much

[@shaneoravsky6000]

i only run carbon rims on my enduro bike due to the fact i was always spending a lot of money building allo wheels and truing them all the time, they would always flat spot or crack and bend. a good set of carbon rims goes along way, I've had a set on my endure bike for 2 years and have smashed them a bunch and never have broke, I've raced at least 15other races with them done 100s of laps in whistler and queesntown and even at some of the old rampage sites in virgin I'm 6'4 and weigh 90kgs and i love carbon. ps never have had to true them once!

[@betweenthepines4000]

Mavic XA35 Pro Carbon wheels. Retail for something $2500 cdn. Got them for $600. Friggin love them. Dropped nearly 3/4 pound per wheel over my alloys, zero dings and have beat this piss out of them all spring/summer. Still true! No burping either! ID360 hub works great and havent had mess with the spokes yet! Impressed so far. My alloys (the rear) didnt last 4 months last season. I hit Pemberton/Whistler tech and chuck my bike at Whistler Park fyi. BUT I would never pay retail fir carbon $$$$$. Pinkbike is your friend.

[@BrianVaughn]

I never dinged my aluminum rims but I bent them out of shape. They needed trueing a lot and were probably too flexy for me. I bought a set of Noble TR38s and got the reinforced versions. Probably weight almost as much as my aluminum rims but they stay true and are great on the trails. I probably wouldn't ride park with them but for almost any other riding they seem good to go.

[@jaredgulaga8367]

I race downhill with TR38s. Skills with Phil hit crab apple hits on TR38. Many people have them equipped on their DH rigs. Almost bullet proof rims! Don't be worried about riding park on them.

[@HughTexJudd]

Thanks for the vid! little bit of feedback, i think the wider lesson learned would be to bring spares on long trips. custom carbon hoops tend to leave you with a perfect size of take offs for emergency replacement while you get your lifetime warranty fulfilled .. my 2c

[@MXJEFF94]

I recently purchased a Santa Cruz Tallboy with aftermarket rims (Reynolds) on a deal. They told me that for $150 more I can keep the stock rims. I bought the stock aluminum rims as a backup!

[@MikeinCC]

I ride an AL hardtail now, and never really wanted to try carbon, based on experiences from friends/acquaintances who've had them. Its really the stiff ride feel that I've heard from people who've used them, not so much durability. On a h/t, I need all the compliance I can get. Metallurgy also keeps improving, and a top-line AL wheelset is closer in weight to a decent carbon set. I opted for a Bontrager Line Elite 30 wheelset. No complaints.

[@lawrencerodeback]

I got an incredible deal on a Remedy 9.8 that came with the Bontrager carbon rims. I broke the front wheel, cracked the lip and they replaced immediately for free. It's still strange how easily it cracked though and I would never put my money into carbon replacements.

[@michaelmarley1879]

I run I9 alum rims with Cush core. Rides and feels amazing.

[@obecyclist5239]

Never in my dreams because of the price.... even if I become a billionaire.... no... there are a lot more useful things to buy than carbon rims

[@romanlovett5367]

And what about now? Do you ride carbs or alloy rims? 😉

[@myshots101]

Most people don't realize that carbon anything is extremely brittle when you hit anything. I love my heli carbon blades because they are the smoothest when flying. But when you crash those things turn into a million pieces. That's when I learned carbon wasn't the all solution for everything. But they do have their pros and cons like anything else.

[@Gumson99]

I'm loving my carbon wheels on my Trance, and what I would suggest is to have 2 sets of wheels 1 alloy super strong for those DH days, and nice set of carbon wheels when the terrain is not as mad

[@darrinkulyk9560]

Spares For Road Trips 😁

[@andymtb3212]

I built up a set of carbon wheels several years ago (light bicycle). I ran too low pressure and quickly crushed the rear but I too fell in love with the feel. I just got a set again since they have a lifetime rim warranty and I added cushcore. We’ll see how this goes. I have crushed many rear wheels.