[Closed] Longterm carbon wheel users

I have a set of LB carbon rims, had them for nearly 2 years now. I run stupidly low pressures, I only pump them up if I feel the rim hit a few things. 5 weeks in Whistler and they were still straight, despite dinging the rim on some trails. Still straight, no cracks and only a couple of rock strike scratches. They are definitely stronger than the Aluminium rims I had, they would be dented from low pressure/rocks.

I would definitely buy Carbon rims again.

I’ve 3 sets, on trail (enve AM), XC (DT XMC1200) and enduro (enve M70) bikes ridden for 4 years now, (2 on the XC bike) they’re all still in one piece and straight. Smashed through plenty of rock gardens and cased landings too, but then I’m not a habitual kit wrecker.

as for the ride, it’s ok, you might find yourself pinging off a few more rocks etc, but wider rims and tyres with lower pressures will help that.

will be buying another set, but not at enve money (SC reserves most likely)

I bought LB 38mm rims when they were $180 and there were $1.5 to the pound.  No regrets, they've been great.  Wouldn't buy them again just because the price has gone up thanks to the exchange rate and it's easier to get an aluminium rim around 500g than pay more and wait longer for a 440g carbon rim.  Ride quality, I'm far from a connoisseur but I may actually prefer aluminium though you have to remember my carbon rims are well chunky and stiff.

Yep, two sets of ICAN carbon fatbike rims. Holding up really well on beaches through to Torridon Ben Damph and the classic lollipop ride. Coping with rocks and stuff well. No spokes pulled through the carbon as well as regular summer / winter tyre changes over 3 years, so thats a lot of tyre lever work as well.

Would be happy to recommend ICAN.

I cracked a rear completely screwing up a hop "over" a lovely square edge. I'm confident saying I'd have toasted an alu one. Put a tube in, finished the rude without paying much attention to the rim.

Got home took off the ruined tyre (rim went clean through the middle of the tyre in two 10mm or so long parallel cuts.) At that point found several big splits in the rim. Put a new tyre on tubelessed just fine, ordered another rim and forgot to replace it for ages, the busted one just kept on going.

Build wise it was the first carbon rim I've built up and it was a lot easier than alu for that too.

I'd have no qualms about using carbon again (though I'm currently building an alu set because i got the rims at a very good price)

Edit 30mm lb carbon for ref.

I really can't tell a difference in ride quality other than they're a reasonably light set of wheels which makes them feel more sprightly. Any additional stiffness etc. I'm pretty sure it's completely masked by 2.5 minions at low pressure.

Set of LB rims on the anthem have been flawless for 3 or 4 years. Generally XC, though, so not seeing big impacts week in week out. Would get another set direct from China without question, although maybe not LB in particular - like rubber buccaneer says above I though the prices looked less appealing last time I looked.

I wouldn'd say i'm a long term user, as they have, all brands, without fail, cracked on me.

I race a reasonable amount, & IMO they just aren't up to the job. the last set I broke about 16 months ago, built the wheels up with some DT Swiss XM481 rims which I've been to the Alps twice on, Finale Ligure to race on & have generally been battered. I would have gone through 3 or 4 carbon rims in the same time.

Oh, and the aluminium rims ride nicer. They are less harsh & the flex gives an improved feel 🙂

I won't ever buy carbon rims again on a bike that's used for racing Enduro & DH, Alps riding & general mucking about.

I'd run them on my HT though, the benefits make more sense there, and the bike doesn't get abused.

Have a set of roval carbons on my enduro, along with a set of stans arches.

The carbons feel stiffer and more direct, maybe a little harsher, have them setup with dry weather tyres (minion/minion ss). Clanged the rear wheel into rocks, not had any breakages, until the other week when a spoke snapped. Wheels have done approx 700miles of riding, getting the rear wheel rebuild with new spokes as quite a few have nicks in them from rocks.

Would I buy carbon wheels, no, but they came with the bike. Specialized need to quit the weight weenie game with the enduro. £800 buys you a set of XM481's on DT240's with DT Revolutions, lightish/strong wheelset.

34 month user of LB rims built up by LBS on hope hubs and Pillar (?I think) spokes. They're on my full suss bigger bike so has done alps BPW and plenty of trail centre and local rocky stuff.  Apart from 1 broken spoke (stick I think) and some cosmetic surface scratches I'm v happy.

I ride tubeless but not super low pressure though as I don't like to feel the tyre wall squirming round the corners so maybe this helps with longevity.  I do like the stiff feeling of the rims though and also how nicely they spin up to speed compared to my other wheels.

As above I bought when LB was just getting its good reputation and the exchange rate meant a v good price. The calculation wouldn't be as straightforward vs alu now if I need to replace.

We are running them on most of the bikes, have been for quite a while, a mixture of Rovals, LBs and Sixth Element. Dont worry about them but never have and they have been smashed into alot of stuff. Would buy them again.

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I think I read that Sixth Element are offering a lifetime guarantee for a one off fee

Been riding Reynolds 36mm carbon rims on my Pivot for over 12 months. I ride with very little fineness and they've held up really well to all manner of abuse including regular Peak District riding, Stiniog, Revolution Bike Park and a weeks worth of savage Basque country rock gardens.

I run low pressures and 2.6" tyres tubeless and I don't worry about them.

Would I buy them again? Good question, they were an expensive upgrade but I could afford it so in the same circumstances I probably would if they were offered. If I was having a wheelset built I'm not so sure.

I think I read that Sixth Element are offering a lifetime guarantee for a one off fee

One of the reasons I'm considering them!

Yeah me too Nick. Although my last set from Blueflow Wheels (Stuart, lovely fella) have been fantastic on my Mojo3. Definitely more direct but it's not much more than marginal gains with me on top. They look fantastic tho!

I had two sets on a previous bike. First set were just too stiff. Ping-tastic. Didn't realise until I swapped for some Alu ones and preferred them, Second set cracked on second ride. Could have just been unlucky.

I'm going to get a set for the RipMo at some point. I'm going off Hope Hubs, don't like the i9 ones at a all so would want to probably get DT Swiss. At which point it gets' very pricy...

I went from Stans Arch (mk II I think) to Nextie 32mm internal asymmetric rims on my 120mm FS 29er.  I kind of felt that it was easier to locate the bike where I wanted it on the trail after that, noticeable on narrow rutted steep woodland stuff.  Possibly a result of the stiffness?  So I got some 36mm internal Nextie Alligartor rims for some 27.5+ wheels for my Genesis Tarn, then in 29er guise with Stans Arches.  The ride feels the same softness-wise, so possibly the 2.8" tyres are making up for the stiffer wheels?  I chose the Alligators because they looked a bit slimmer and possibly more flexible than the asymmetrics, though expensiver.  The 29er wheels were built with 32 Sapim D-Light spokes, the 27.5+ with 32 DT Revs.

For wider profile rims the weight saving with carbon is quite attractive, but for a long distance xc-oriented hardtail I might stick with ali for comfort.  On the back anyway, maybe carbon on the front (assuming my feeling about steering is not imagination).

But economy wise it is difficult to justify.

ETA - all in the past year, had a few touches but I am quite conservative tyre-pressure wise, so no major whacks yet.

I had a set of LB (23mm internal, hooked bead, it was a while ago) rims for a couple of years built on Hope hubs, had no problems at all including Alps trips/BPW etc. I do try to pick the smoothest lines though rather than **** into stuff! When it came to new wheels I found the prices had risen considerably so went with XM481's on 350 hubs with revs, came out within 50g of the carbon ones with a wider rim, I can't say that I feel I'm missing out by going back to ali!

Used a set of LB carbon wheels on a nukeproof mega AM for 3 years then swapped them onto a chromag wideangle for a year. I liked them on the mega but not so much on the chromag, they were too stiff on the hardtail.