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Yup, these are my lb rims, 26er, 32 spoke am rims (33mm wide hookless, 27mm internal width... Wanted a subtle look so 3k weave matte finish.. Loving them.
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Subtle would have been UD finish, what you chose is just 90's tackiness 😛
Carbon 29er wheels are a great upgrade, much stiffer than ally ones, but can feel a little harsh at times.
I've been running 2 sets of LD wheels for over a year now. Awesome.
I'm thinking 26" carbon wheels must be pretty harsh. 😯
Erm...
No. I think Mav wheels are better and have better warranties.
Mavic? 😯 Maybe if you've got two pairs!
Subtle would have been UD finish, what you chose is just 90's tackiness
The 3k weave on top of the structural UD rim actually gives it some impact protection I believe. So it's worth having.
id rather have no protection, although thats been the story of my life in recent years 😳 😆
Possibly, I went 3k mainly as UD would look too plain to me with out some sort of decal.
Superstar AM Carbon? I shall tell you what they're like once I've managed to get a f..king tyre on..
I can't make any comparison to LB etc as these are my first mtb carbon rims, but I immediately noticed that steering/tracking in very rough descents is miles better than the Stans crest/archex. Don't find them that harsh either.
I am a bit biased as they sponsor me, but I've seen what goes on in terms of r&d/quality and they really know their onions and they really involve themselves in pro teams, builders and events to keep developing.
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Had some, broke them - crash replacement was basically distributor cost anyway, so still rediculously expensive.
Stupid design on an MTB with the nipples hidden in the rim so you have to remove the tyre and rim strip to true them.
Probably the weakest of all the carbon rims I have run. Otherwise I couldn't tell the difference between them and any other carbon rim i've used.
I did post on here a few weeks ago with my opinions of carbon rims on an MTB being used and raced in a gravity environment being largely b*llocks, so i'm not the biggest fan.
That said, LB warrantied the cracked front rim of the pair I ruined recently. The Derby rim on the back? No warranty this time.
So, would I buy them if I had the cash? Well I do have the cash, and nope, not a hope in hells chance would I buy them.
Had the money and the SC Nomad CC to put them on but went for Mavic Crossmax enduro instead and have never once had to inspect my wheels for damage and cracks.
My mate has ENVE's on his bike and just looking at those spindly little spokes fills me with a total lack of confidence.
The rims are good but they really need to make a wheel where the rim,spoke and hub technology come together.
I think mtb hubs will get a look in...
and just looking at those spindly little spokes fills me with a total lack of confidence.
what the spindly little spokes that make up 99.999999% of the worlds wheels? 😆
mavic don't have the best track record with spokes 😉
Its not if they are affordable or not. Its about value for money. My LBs, without stickers, rims were bought from the classifieds, built onto existing Hope hubs by 18 Bikes, cost less than £400. Got two sets of Superstar one for £350 and one last week for £300. Both sets have been hammered this year and still look good. Cant see the Enve been that much better for our riding
They're eight.nine.ten times the price of an LB rim, with the aforementioned hassle of removing the tyre to true them or tighten a spoke.
There's just no justifying that premium in my mind. Especially for a product that is, whether Enve or LB, somewhat flawed. Pinkbike have had three or four sets crack during reviews alone.
Dunno, I'd need to try them TBH.
But realistically when I'm sweating about buying a bike ( currently MTBless) prob not!
On my road bike however!!
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I have had Enve and have Derby rims, 29 and 27.5. The Enve's in my opinion do feel different. Generally backed up by people that have ridden my bike with them and then got their own, generic LB or Derby or similar rims and been happy with the wheels but always say they just don't feel the same, often talking about compliance or a magic feel.
The same happened when someone rode my bike and immediately wanted the frame. I sold it to them but they always said it never felt the same, even when they put their own carbon wheels on.
I let mine go when I built a 27.5 custom after my 29 customs but if I had the money would have no hesitation about getting another set.
My 29 Enve's are available again I know as the friend has defected to 27.5 after being bewitched by Chris Porters Nicolai collaboration.
msg me if you want me to put you in touch. I think you'd get them for a comparable price to a good quality new build with Chinese rims.
Having recently bought some other Chinese rims for my rigid and to try the plus sizes the quality of the carbon and the finish is not in the same league. Enve don't have to paint their rims, the finish is so good. That's not to say they aren't as strong etc, just that they are a quality product and I think, in the long run, worth it.
Chainline - MemberHaving recently bought some other Chinese rims for my rigid and to try the plus sizes the quality of the carbon and the finish is not in the same league. Enve don't have to paint their rims, the finish is so good. That's not to say they aren't as strong etc, just that they are a quality product and I think, in the long run, worth it.
Are they EIGHT times as good? Because that, give or take, is the price premoum over LB.
Most bike products have a cheap and an expensive versionm and I'm as much a sucker for that s anyone. A Nomad carbon frame is twice the price of some aluminium equivalents - that sort of thing isn't new.
But justifying a carbon rim that's eight times the price of the competition - I just can't. If they were indestructible, or their warranty was beyond reproach, you might consider it, but they're anything but.
Having recently bought some other Chinese rims for my rigid and to try the plus sizes the quality of the carbon and the finish is not in the same league. Enve don't have to paint their rims, the finish is so good. That's not to say they aren't as strong etc, just that they are a quality product and I think, in the long run, worth it.
Bollocks. The finish is no different. How are you discerning that the "quality of the carbon" is better?
If i had the cash....
I'd go for Superstar carbon AM rims built on CK hubs, available on their website for £1100.
This swayed it for me:
We are so confident in the reliability of our carbon rims that we have extended our crash replacement policy to completely rebuild your wheel with new spokes and nipples for half the retail price of a new rim.
I'd spend the rest on a nice holiday ?
Chainline - Member
Having recently bought some other Chinese rims for my rigid and to try the plus sizes the quality of the carbon and the finish is not in the same league. Enve don't have to paint their rims, the finish is so good.
Wait, wut? How exactly are you evaluating the quality of the carbon? And what is the comment about painting rims about? Practically nobody paints carbon rims. (let's be honest, most people with carbon rims don't want to hide it with paint)
I have had Enve and have Derby rims, 29 and 27.5. The Enve's in my opinion do feel different. Generally backed up by people that have ridden my bike with them and then got their own, generic LB or Derby or similar rims and been happy with the wheels but always say they just don't feel the same, often talking about compliance or a magic feel.
<cough>BS</cough>
Come back when you've tested them double blind, or even with some Enve stickered LB rims, so the riders don't know what they're expecting to feel. I'm pretty dubious about the "magic feel" comparing carbon to alu rims, but suggesting there's a difference between one carbon rim and another is taking it to a whole new level.
Having ridden the following:
MTB - Enve XC, LB XC and 38mm wide
Road - Enve Smart 3.4, Farsport 38mm and LB 35mm
I can report there was no difference in ride or feel (I have yet to find out what a 'dead' wheel feels like) between ENVE MTB wheels. However on road the 3.4 do hold their speed better and this is due to the design and not the Enve Carbon.
My Enve wheels can with bikes on stock build, keeping my road rims but sold my MTB rims. As for the quality / finish it hard to tell the difference. Also the Enve internal nipples are a pain.
I have yet to find out what a 'dead' wheel feels like
It's what it feels like to be dry bummed by a marketing man 😉
nipples are a pain
You can get cream for that.....
Nah, internal nipples being a pain is minor surgery I think.
Theres no way I'd spend that on a set of wheels for the bike, they're just not worth the money to me.
I owned a set of lightbike 26" carbon rims, but when I changed bikes to a 650b bike, I went back to bog standard aluminium rims. The upsides of the carbon rims were not greater than the downsides. So at 7 or 8 times the price the enve's are definitely not worth it for me.
I wouldn't. I feel like I've got the same performance from my Bird wheels including the same peace of mind.
I'd go LB rims and an extra trip to whistler/the alps or a few more weekends away, more performance enhancing.
It is pretty unanimous that alu rims do give you a better ride quality, carbon are just lighter and stiffer, more efficient, but harsher, both LB rims and enve's will give you this.
Until there's a carbon rim that stays as light as they are now, but give the compliance of an alu rim, they're all much of muchness, paying extra for nothing.
I'm a LB user.
Might get some for my audax bike
I have a Cervelo and Enve wheels, but im not a dentist! (Did they move onto Pinarellos now?)
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I'm finding this topic really interesting, just a bit curious about "feel".
With 160mm of travel and a 2.3" tyre at 25 psi, I assume vertical compliance is not the issue. I'm not sure I'd tell the difference between carbon and alu let alone two carbon manufacturers.
I assume we're talking lateral flex, how much does the wheel fold over in corners? Again, isn't there more give in the tyre than the rim? I can see that if the wheel is too stiff it will bounce over the ground in corners like a rigid fork vs a suspension fork.
Just curious about how big a part of this system the rim is.
Never have i thought my normal wheels weren't light or stiff enough to do what i want. Just like i've never thought my wheels are too small to get me up or down mountains. Or my tyres don't provides enough grip so i need fatter ones.
Point is, you really don't need all this stuff to ride your bike. If you think you do, you are wrong. If you think it/they make you a better rider you are also wrong. The only thing buying stuff like these wheels does is make you poorer. If you can afford the hit, then go ahead. Just don't try and justify you choice with crap about increased performance and all that other BS.
Use the money on a riding holiday or book a few advanced skills days and learn how to ride lighter/pick good lines and NOT batter the shite out of your bike. It wont make your bike look prettier or impress the car park crowd, but maybe you'll realise that it's not about the bike. If you are already awesome and still want the most expensive pointless wheels, donate the money to charity (just make sure you get a sticker so everyone knows how generous you are).
I think their logo is pretty cool but even if i was the richest man in the world, i wouldn't buy them.
No, not for mtb.
Road, possibly based on aero performance, but I'd have to debadge them!
Dont think I'd want to carry on to the end of a stage with a carbon rim if I got a puncture so probably not.
I have got 4 sets. Some tubular, some clincher. I have also got some Stan's Crest and some Mavic Open Pros.
They are lovely rims and a nice bit of bling, but anybody who claims that they are appreciably different to a decent alloy rim is kidding themselves/trying to justify the investment.
It's the same old story - a bad wheel builder can make a dog's dinner of the best components, but a decent builder can build a much nicer wheel with cheaper alloy rims. I think that spoke tension, lacing and the skill of the builder make more of a difference than the components. But, all other things being equal, ENVE do make a nice rim.
It's also the same old story on price - if you can afford it, why not? If you can't, they probably aren't worth not feeding the kids or selling an organ for.
For me, I like them, but I am not an evangelist for them. In some respects, I should feel better about spending this much on wheels, but ultimately they just go round and hold my tires on. Are they stiff? (yes depending on the quality and tension of the build). Are they light? (yes, but not appreciably lighter than an alloy rim) Are they expensive (yep!). Do they look nice? (in the eye of the beholder). Are they well supported? (in my experience, ENVE really do back up their product).
As for the stiffness debate, surely the width, compound and pressure of the tires squirming away under the rider make just as much of a difference as the perceived stiffness of the rims?
Back to the original question - worth it or not? - only you can decide. On purely objective grounds, probably not, but we are emotional beings us humans. If you have the cash, and like nice things, they are worth it. If you have to make serious sacrifices, only you can decide whether those sacrifices are worthwhile. So it was, and so it ever shall be. And this logic can be applied to any purchase of any product. That's why hyper expensive and hyper value products exist in every product category, whether cars, watches, groceries or bicycle rims.
Yeah. If I had the cash I'd buy a Foes DH to stick them on and go to Leogang every 8 weeks.
I go every 6 😛
Wouldn't fancy carbon rims down speedster all season.
I do have the cash but I wouldn't spend it on Enve wheels or anything like that
It's also the same old story on price - if you can afford it, why not? If you can't, they probably aren't worth not feeding the kids or selling an organ for.
At Ironman Wales the supporting bike shop had a stall, with a sign up offering Carbon Mavics on a special finance package "Just £500 deposit and £100 a month...". Maybe I'm old fashioned but I found the idea of resorting to finance to buy a bicycle component a little disturbing.
I do have the cash but I wouldn't spend it on Enve wheels or anything like that
My thoughts exactly. To answer the "if you can afford them, why not" thing, it's because, IMO, they're still not worth it!
I think they're worth it on lots of levels - to me.
But maybe we could all cap our bike purchases at £250 just for consistency.
(Bikes on finance ain't new either.)
they look a bit tacky to me, what with all the logos.