Are carbon fiber bicycle wheels so amazing?

Fitness players increase their attention to the wheels

Carbon bicycle wheelsets are more important and expensive components. As a cycling enthusiast said: "When choosing bicycle parts, you can only choose two of the three attributes of hard, light and cheap." Obviously, hard and light parts are not destined to be cheap.

As the concept of green travel has gradually taken root in the hearts of the people, there are more people riding bicycles. And many consumers who use cycling as a fitness method have increasingly demanding requirements on bicycle equipment. Components such as carbon fiber bicycles and wheels have gradually entered the field of vision of ordinary consumers.

Due to the development of production, nowadays, with the increasing variety of finished wheels, cyclists no longer have to buy and assemble wheels by themselves as in the past. Therefore, many entry-level cycling enthusiasts are also eager to try to upgrade the wheels.

According to various publicity reports, the most high-end wheel set product, the ultimate goal for cycling players is carbon fiber wheel set, because it can improve riding speed and vehicle performance. The popularity of carbon fiber wheels is increasing day by day, and it has a tendency to surpass aluminum alloy wheels. With the reduction of manufacturing costs, more and more brands have begun to pour into the competition of carbon fiber wheels.

Carbon fiber and aluminum alloy, which is better?

Even ordinary consumers are no strangers to the advantages of carbon fiber materials: high strength and low weight. According to professionals, a wheel set of the same size and a wheel set of a certain brand with a frame height of 40 mm can immediately reduce weight by 300 grams if carbon fiber materials are used. From the aerodynamic point of view, the performance difference is also obvious. In addition, the shape of carbon fiber wheels has a lot of freedom, which is unmatched by aluminum alloy wheels.

However, there is still a gap between theory and practice.

Although carbon wheels have more aerodynamic advantages than aluminum alloy wheels, and there are related wind tunnel test data demonstrations, the actual time and energy savings are not obvious.

The data in the wind tunnel test is obtained after a long-term high-speed test. In addition, the resistance reduction indicated in the test does not apply to all wind directions. In actual riding, a small change in wind direction may produce a major change in resistance. In addition, the riding posture, the frame used, the width and pressure of the tires and even the helmet worn will have a certain impact on the riding speed and energy. In fact, the time and power that any wheel manufacturer promises to save is basically not up to the maximum value they claim in a real environment. Of course, if you directly upgrade the old aluminum alloy wheels to aerodynamic carbon fiber wheels, the difference is still quite big.

Will get closer and closer to ordinary consumers

The reporter searched on the online shopping platform and found that although there is no shortage of carbon fiber wheels ranging from thousands to tens of thousands yuan, the prices of some carbon fiber wheels are staggeringly low. On a second-hand trading platform, the price of a carbon fiber wheel set with a new quality is only 200 yuan, which seems to be quite cost-effective from the photos posted by the seller.

The defects of inferior carbon fiber wheels are often invisible to the naked eye and can only be detected by advanced instruments.

Some consumers have raised questions about whether they can buy "unstandard" wheels. In this regard, the opinion of experienced players is that it is not that "unstandard" wheels have defects, and that "standard" wheels will also have the risk of cracks in the carbon fiber layer. It is just that mature manufacturers can generally improve production and quality. The control process is minimized.

In addition, many cyclists have reported that using carbon fiber wheels will have a "unstoppable" feeling, which also reflects that carbon fiber wheels have always been difficult to match the aluminum alloy wheels in terms of wheel frame braking performance. In addition, it is understood that long-term hard braking can also cause delamination of carbon fiber brakes, bulging and even puncture. Because of this, in order to reduce the heat in the brakes, many carbon fiber wheel manufacturers will require buyers to use special carbon fiber brake pads. According to professional players, although brake pads can reduce the risk of overheating the rim, they still cannot eliminate the heat generated during braking. It is also understood that carbon fiber wheels cannot be repaired after they encounter a collision and fracture. This is also a major disadvantage compared with aluminum alloy wheels. In fact, for players who like low-frame wheels with versatility, aluminum alloy wheels are more advantageous, because aluminum alloy wheels are also competitive in weight and have better braking power. No need to consider the overheating of the brake side.

Although carbon fiber wheels have some shortcomings, carbon fiber wheels also provide players with more advantages, especially for performance-oriented drivers. With the popularity of road bikes with disc brakes and the emergence of more and more cheap wheels, carbon bike wheels will inevitably get closer and closer to ordinary consumers.