Do you really need carbon fiber wheels?

Carbon wheels make a big difference to how a bicycle rides and feels, and have become very popular over the last decade. Professional riders race on carbon wheels, which tend to replace traditional aluminum wheels. But are carbon wheels only for professional cyclists?

Surprisingly, they are popular outside of professional racing and circuits, with amateur racers and sports cyclists upgrading to carbon wheels. This is thanks to an increased choice and more affordable products becoming available in recent years. Manufacturers have solved most of the problems with early carbon wheels, and braking performance has significantly improved.

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of carbon wheels.

The advantages, in a word, are aerodynamic effects, light weight, and a cool appearance.

Aerodynamic effect. The biggest appeal of upgrading to carbon wheels is that they are more aerodynamically efficient than box-section aluminum rims. There is a lot of wind tunnel data from major manufacturers showing that carbon wheels significantly reduce drag. Whether it's a time trial or a road race, if you race with carbon wheels, you will clearly notice that carbon deep-section wheels make a significant difference at high speeds.

Lightweight. Building deep-section rims with aluminum results in very heavy wheels. Carbon is much lighter than metal, making it an ideal material for aero wheels. The lightest carbon fiber wheels feature tubular rims, making them extremely light. For example, the ICAN AERO35 wheels weigh only 535g! For hill climbing, carbon fiber tubulars are ideal. Stiffness and weight are superior to aluminum wheels.

Ride comfort and performance. A good set of carbon wheels can transform the ride quality of your bike. The stiffness is greater than an aluminum wheelset, giving powerful riders a clear difference in the feel of the bike and improved responsiveness. Some carbon fiber wheels can also provide a smoother ride on rougher surfaces.

Cool appearance. Don't underestimate how important this is. The sophisticated look of a road bike with deep-section rims is tremendously appealing. While many may not admit it, a large number of people invest in carbon wheels primarily for their appearance.

The disadvantages are braking performance, high cost, and durability issues.

Braking performance. Early carbon wheels were pretty awful at stopping, but manufacturers have figured out how to get past these initial problems. Many of the problems related to heat build-up. Significant improvements have been made in heat management, from the type of resin and carbon-specific brake blocks used, which were early carbon wheel issues. Modern carbon fiber wheels have significantly improved braking performance compared to these early designs. Nevertheless, aluminum wheels still brake better, especially in wet weather, but carbon currently does not brake as well. This is why carbon disc brake wheels have emerged.

Durability. Carbon is a wonderfully strong material, and carbon wheels are surprisingly durable, but unlike aluminum, they don't bend. They are more susceptible to damage from excessive loads, sharp impacts, or crashes. A bent aluminum rim can often be straightened enough to get you home, but a carbon rim is different and, in most cases, becomes unusable. Therefore, we recommend a manufacturer with a quality guarantee whenever possible. For example, ICAN, which offers a two-year warranty, is recommended.

Expensive. They are not as cheap as aluminum wheels. While some cost 50,000 yen, others can be 500,000 yen. However, prices have become more affordable in recent years.

Summary

Carbon wheels are very popular, with more options and lower prices than ever before, but they also have clear pros and cons. If you race and can afford them, carbon fiber wheels are easily justifiable, but if you don't prioritize braking performance or price, traditional aluminum wheels are still viable.