Disc Road Wheels: Carbon vs Aluminium

Aluminium – Hunt Aero Light Disc Wheelset, 1490g, £400.

https://www.huntbikewheels.com/collections/road-wheels/products/aero-light-disc-road-wheelset-1449g-28deep-22wide

vs

Carbon – Parcours Grimpeur Disc Wheelset, 1530g, £790.

https://www.parcours.cc/products/grimpeur-disc?variant=1257809641482

Price aside, are there good reasons to go for carbon over aluminium?

Not really.  I have both.  Nettie carbon rims on CKs and H-plus son on CKs.  The carbon rims feel stiffer at a given pressure, but unless you’re really looking for it, I doubt that you’d notice and to be honest, on a blind test, I doubt I would either. Tyres make far more difference.

In true STW recommend what you own fashion, I can recommend the Hunt Aero Lights. Amazing value and Hunt have been fab to deal with.

Carbon wheels look baller?

Nettie carbon rims

they’re **** toilet !

Slightly left field reason.

Looking onwards to end-of-life,  aluminium is more recyclable than carbon so possibly a more environmentally friendly choice.

I have the Hunts. They’re ok, not aero, not anything special. Hunt are very good to deal with though. Does annoy me using the term aero. Are these going to be ridden in bad weather? Be worth checking to see if there are any reviews or discussions about the hubs on the Hunts if you plan on wet weather rides with those.

Also have a set of 40mm Vision Metron Disc wheels, much prefer these over the Hunts.

I cant necessarily feel a massive difference but the carbon wheels just look better.

I also have a set of Reynolds 62mm Carbon Clinchers, these are noticeably better than both the others. But also a different price.

I would go for the 40mm carbon wheels personally.

Road disc wheels is a place I’d definitely consider carbon rims.

You probably need to be spending more to get massive benefits though, although those carbon rims are a deeper section so should be a touch more aero (not that it’s going to make a difference that’s worth £400, unless you already ride with an aero helmet and skinsuit).

Of course, as others have said, carbon looks nicer

Are you planning on riding this wheelset through the winter? My 50mm carbon rims had quite a bit of water sloshing round inside after a particularly wet ride last month.

I’ve put ally wheels back on for the winter now.

I would buy the ally ones now, and save up for some nice aero carbon wheels for next summer.

I have a summer bike on budget carbon rim brake wheelset & winter bike on alu Hunt 4Season disc, both Trek Domane. The winter bike rides smoother on the alu wheels.

So if I replace the older summer bike for a disc frame just wondering whether to go carbon or alu with the wheelset. For the same weight & double the price will the carbon be better?

Impossible to say about the two wheels and whether you would notice £400 difference. But the Hunts are just a Kinlin rim and a novatech hub. I do think it’s worth reading about the weather proofness of the hubs.

My vision metron 40mm wheels are on my winter bike, while there’s not much difference performance wise (if any), the deeper wheels look aesthetically more pleasing.

My winter bike is also a Trek Domane, I do think that a 40mm wheel looks better on a non aero frame. I use 32mm slicks on my Winter Bike with the carbon wheels and it’s immensely comfortable.

Another option could be the below, good weight, DR Swiss Hubs.

https://www.wheelsfar.com/38mm-x-25mm-road-disc-tubeless-wheels-with-dt350s-model-fsc38-cm-25d.html

The hubs in my hunt wheels survived LEL (which was 1400 soggy km) plus another 4-5k of London commuting after that and still going strong.

Summer bike? Carbon all the way then :)

Spokesman wheels do a nice set of carbon 50s for sub £600.