light bicycle carbon rims

bigjim: Cool. I can give you a shout when they’re available if you like – just send me your email (my email is in m’ profile). No worries if you change your mind later. They quoted me 10 days for manufacture of the XC’s so I’m guessing about a month by the time they clear customs.

On the tubs side I am quite intrigued. 320g is insanely light and it seems like a flat rim bed ought to have a lot of advantages. Schwalbe list some 2.2 tub 29ers here: http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/off-road_tires/racing_ralph_425

I keep seeing Nino flatting on them, though (suspect he is a slightly faster over the rocks than me however…)

320g is insanely light and it seems like a flat rim bed ought to have a lot of advantages.

Mmmm, it’s not really. Certainly not heavy, but only 40g lighter than their clincher, AX Lightness tub rims[/url] are 255g and Innolite ones are 285g. Clearly both vastly more expensive, but their clinchers are competitive with the expensive brands.

Schwalbe list some 2.2 tub 29ers here: http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/off-road_tires/racing_ralph_425

Ralphs are fairly readily available, not cheap, but not insane.

I did wonder about using some of their 20mm road tub rims for MTB use, but they’re 320g too, FarSports do some based on 250g rims, but not available separately.

Edit: here you go Carbonality 250g 23mm wide tub rims. No idea how long they’d last, or if you’d even get a decent width MTB tub on there!

first ride today, really good, happy with my build, no pinging spokes. rims are light and stiff, tyres are massive on them and I would struggle getting a big tyre in my rear triangle on these rims. Spoke tension decreased a lot when I put the tyres on but returns when I take them off so I might tighten them up a bit more to compensate.

Just ordered 29″ 35mm (AM) 32h. I want to use a pair of old pro2’s on them.

Absolutely no idea how to build wheels so im going to give them to some one and say ‘make wheels’, but just wondering what size spokes and nipples would be recommended? I understand the website dimensions are not exact scanning through the threads.

Finally! Picked mine up today. Silver spokes which was not the plan, apparently correct size spokes for DT240s with these things are hard to come by… But they look good.

What doesn’t look good is the 5mm or so of valve that’s all that sticks out with my normal tubes and tubeless valves. Just wondered what valves people are using for tubeless?

Just wondered what valves people are using for tubeless?

Yeah just using normal stan’s valves and they take a lot of messing around to get a pump on them. Bought some valve extenders but they don’t work with these valves it seems, they leak and tyre goes flat in about 30 mins. Going to buy some longer valves I think, superstar do some longer ones.

Yeah, only in red though I think.

Need to do some measuring tomorrow. Got a hub problem to sort so got a little time…

there is a longer notubes valve too

Aye, 44mm extra long Stan’s.

I wonder if these would be overkill. http://www.notubes.com/Pair-of-40mm-Threaded-Valve-Extenders-P611.aspx

My 35mm wide 29er rim finally arrived, 395g !! Wow.

I use these valves, 52mm long and perfect!!

Effetto Caffe

How much import duty are you guys getting hit for with these rims?

I’m sure it’ll already be in the thread somewhere but i can’t be bothered to read through all 15 pages 😆

I got charged £36 duty and Parcel Force charges on 4 rims.

I paid £37.26 duty and charges on my complete wheels.

I use 44mm valves cut from a couple of old tubes as I object to paying £15 for two valves when I could have half a dozen tubes (with valves) for the same price. But maybe that’s just me being tight. And I payed around £25 duty most of which was to bloody parcelforce!

Is anyone using these in the Alps? I’m thinking of getting some in the DH flavour as I’m continually denting my DT Ex5.1s to the point I’m about to give up on tubeless as I keep getting leaks at the rim that won’t seal, or would I be better off with a beefier metal rim? I’m looking for something I can run through rock gardens at 25psi without worry rather than low weight

Cheers Proutster, look perfect!

Steve – I’m pretty sure the carbons would be fine in the alps if you put sufficient pressure in your tyres.

Hitting the rim on stuff will spit no favours. More pressure, or less force hitting rocks would solve your problems.

@Steve… 5.1s are as soft as shite. But, all that really does is amplify the problem, if you’re banging the rims often that’ll cause you grief with any rim sooner or later.

Nothing specific about alps rocks that are bad for wheels but ime it generally means riding fast and blind over chunky terrain for extended periods so stuff gets whacked more. I’ll probably put my battlescarred old Flows back on, not because they’re tougher, just because I care less about them. And because I don’t mind the weight increase so much with uplifts.

Just signed up to post that? Smells spammy.

Their website’s dreadful on iPhone at least. I’ll stick to Light Bicycle.

I concur with moar pressure.
I was running mine sub-20psi and between punctures it was a right laugh until the rim cracked.
LB have been good to sort me out with a replacement for the cost of postage although it is not a quick process so I built up another rim as a stop-gap.
I make sure my pressures are at least 25-30psi now.

sub-20psi

must have been like riding through treacle!

Not at all, faster rolling speeds on rough ground and enough support from the wide rim to prevent any rolling of the tyre in corners.
I was using WTB Vigilante on both ends so not skinny light weights but remarkably fast rolling for the amount of grip they offer.

Not sure if this of any significance or relevance, but may be worth noting anyway, but I just had a bead on a high roller LUST break before seating on the rim at 30psi, jeeebus what a noise! It was pretty tight to get onto the rim and it would seem popping onto the bead shelf was just too much strain for it. Wouldn’t want it happening when riding. 26″ 33mm rim.

I’ve found that running Hans Dampf on 29er 35mm rims, I’m running about 20psi or just under and I’m 14st!

To those running these rims – have you ever damaged alloy rims in the past?
Im tempted to get the LB rims but my current alloy ones have a few dings in them. I don’t run low pressures (30psi + or so tubeless)

If I “ding” a carbon rim is it for the bin?

I’m not too bad on rims and tend to bunny hop drainage bars etc rather than hit them. I”ve not written off rims with dents but have a few dents in my old arches. I’m not expecting a long life from a carbon rim to be honest.

Not used LB rims, but have run various other carbon brands. Never been a habitual rim dinger, even when racing DH.

Carbon rims don’t ding either, they just crack instead.

My replacement Derby’s are here, so I will build them up shortly. I’m expecting a 10% increase in speed. Until they crack. Again.

Hob Nob – Member

Carbon rims don’t ding either, they just crack instead.

Or rather, most of the time they do nothing at all.

I went with a discounted pair of deemax I found in the end. If they can hack it at 25psi I might look at carbon down the road but if not then it’s a better way to find out I need to run higher pressures.

My 35mm 29er rim came in at 395g – I asked for a light one, hope that wasn’t a mistake! Combined with my carbon fat rim, 660g trimmed off. I was raped by customs, £37 for 1 rim :((

saw these, thought of this thread 😆

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chris-King-iso-Hubs-Mavic-XC-717-Mountain-Bike-MTB-Wheels-sl-slr-sx-xtr-ti-enve-/311029062385?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item486ac6daf1

Anyone know how much altogether for 2 hookless 35mm 650b rims inc imp duty?

Cheers

Duty varies, and as they price in dollars it’ll depend on your FX rates too. Assume c£35 for fees, not hard to work out everything else.

Just about to buy spokes and nipples for my 29er XC LB rims.

Rose bikes have a warning on the DT alloy nipples not to be used on rims without eyelets – is this true – can they be used on these rims?

Never heard that before- I’ve seen factory wheelsets with alu nipples on eyeletless rims. A corrosion thing?

Never heard that before. I’m running DT alu on mine.

Alu galls quite badly IIRC, so I guess a soft alu nipple in a soft alu rim is a bad idea without the harder eyelet inbetween. No idea about carbon. Can’t see how it could be corrosion unless the alloys are vastly different?

There is something about corrosion with steel spokes and alloy nipples with the carbon rims – mentioned lots at mtbr for some reason. I guess alu seatposts seize in steel frames so maybe related. I bought brass nips anyway, tiny weight gain.