hahaha… now the topic has shifted from carbon frames to carbon rims. We can start to discuss seriously.
Whether it’s 29" or 36", a carbon rim is a big upgrade.
Without a 36" carbon rim, I would never have ridden a 36" in the Alps, nor would I have race the UNICON hill climb on a 36".
I built a 28" gravel rim with a schlumpf to cross the Pyrenees. The rim is only 250g, the wheel is very responsive and the tire is also very efficient. I can ride 500m climbs at 8% on the high gear. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined that this was possible.
It’s like technology, you get used to the high performance stuff and it’s hard to go back.
Now when I ride my 36", I feel that the tire has a much higher rolling resistance than my 28" tire… I hope that one day a 36" tire specialized for the road will come out…
Back to the subject of the carbon frame. 2 years ago with Martin C, we met a specialist of composite materials, who makes mainly prototypes and pre-production. We had started to imagine a 36" carbon frame, but we had abandoned the project. Carbon would allow us to make a frame with a unique design, but in terms of performance I’m not sure that the gain is so important. I think the rim, tire and hub (and spokes) are more important factors. The frame is important but more in terms of design (integrated handlebars…) than material.
I love weight savings as well. But my opinion is also that, handlebars, body position, and comfort outweigh any weight savings from changing steel/aluminum to carbon fiber.
And if talking about performance (speed, balance), then riding more will almost always make a bigger difference when comparing people/yourself.
Of course, if frame design is mature, then the only reason I can see as to why not carbon, is $$$.
More expensive to make. More expensive to replace (potentially more often to replace).
Agreed, I find you get used to the equipment you have. And the nicest equipment doesn’t replace good fitness and weight savings are good but lightest is not always best.
For unipacking my handlebar by Qu-Ax is a must for comfort.
Also I had what I’d consider a standard uni last season.It weighed about 13-14lbs and I could do 80km rides with a 1.2kg tire no problem because I had built myself up to it.
My new carbon 29" wheels are 8 and 10lbs depending on the wheel and my fitness went down over the winter so I can’t do the same distance in spring now.
I think reduction in wheel weight is worth chasing. But with enough searching you can find really light aluminum rims. My first 29" build was a 21 ID rim I got off eBay for $100 that was 490g.
My carbon rims are 360 and 480g (23 ID and 40 ID respectively) and we’re about $330 each.
There’s weight savings that are cheaper to get in other areas but I just had sold my Ebike and another uni and it was spend it on whatever I want so I chased the weight savings.
It’s like bikes where there is a huge difference between a $100 Walmart bike and a $1000 bike from a good bike store. But the difference between maybea. $2000 bike and a $10000 are not as significant and it’s marginal gains.
If you have the money to get expensive stuff, free country and you do you. I think it’s not needed to have a good time though and there’s other areas I’d spend money first
