What is the difference between a carbon bike and an aluminum bike wheel?

Carbon fiber bike wheels are lighter, stronger in the same volume, and the carbon fiber structure strengthened in the same direction has amazing tensile strength

1. Price

Generally, the price of a pair of entry-level carbon fiber bike wheels is about 600 US dollars, and if it is some big brand wheels, the price range is 1000-2000 US dollars, and there are more expensive carbon fiber bike wheels is about 600 US dollars, and if it is some big brand wheels, the price range is 1000-2000 US dollars, and there are more expensive and high-end styles on it, the price can be Reaching $ 5,000 a pair, such as German handmade Lightweight wheels. The price range of aluminum wheels is 150-1000 US dollars, which means that the most expensive big-brand aluminum bike wheels are also cheaper than big brand carbon bike wheels.

2. Appearance

The appearance of carbon fiber wheels is undoubtedly very good. The all-black high-frame rims look very fast, and the brake edges of aluminum alloy wheels are slowly worn away even if paint or layers are added, so most aluminum The wheels will have silver brake edges.

However, at the moment when disc brakes are slowly becoming popular, aluminum wheels no longer need brake edges and have the appearance of carbon wheels.

3.Weight

A pair of entry-level aluminum wheels (such as those on some complete vehicles) can often weigh more than 2kg, while a pair of 55-frame high-open carbon wheels weigh 1,500 grams, which is at least 1 kg lighter. Already. In addition, some manufacturers who are seeking extreme lightness have even made carbon wheels to the extreme weight of only 1kg for a pair of wheels.

Lighter wheels (mainly rims) make the car lighter to accelerate, which is especially useful in lap races or hill-climbing attacks. Although the lightest aluminum wheels can also achieve a weight of 1300-1400 grams, the difference between the seemingly small three-hundred and four hundred grams is very obvious in riding.

4.Pneumatic

One of the biggest advantages of carbon fiber wheels is that in aerodynamics, a higher frame rim can reduce wind resistance during riding, allowing you to ride faster with the same force. Due to the limitation of the material of aluminum wheels, if they are made into high frames, the weight will become very heavy. Therefore, the maximum height of aluminum wheels generally does not exceed 40 mm.

At a speed of 40 km / h, a pair of carbon wheels with a frame height of 50 mm can go up to 30 seconds faster than a low-frame aluminum wheel. This may be the same for low-speed casual riders, but in competitions or long-distance riding, the difference is very large.

5.Brake

In terms of convenient braking, carbon wheels are actually inferior. Aluminum wheels are better than carbon wheels in terms of braking power and heat dissipation. This will be magnified in a humid environment such as rain. In fact, some people have tested it. The braking performance of aluminum rim brakes is only slightly worse than that of disc brakes and far better than carbon rim brakes. At the same time, the rim brake will also cause wear problems. Not only does the brake side of the aluminum wheel wear more slowly, the cost of replacing the rim or the entire wheel is also lower than that of the carbon rim.

In addition, for heavy-weight riders or the wrong operation of pressing the brakes on a long downhill (or pure rim inferiority), the carbon wheel may "burn the frame". The resin on the rim may be overheated and cause Melting, delamination or deformation of the carbon fiber of the rim.

However, if you change to a disc brake, the material of the rim will not affect the braking performance at all, because the braking force of the brake will come from the disc, and there is no need to worry about wear and tear.

6.Crosswind

Whether the high-frame carbon wheels will affect the control in the crosswind is a problem that many people worry about. In fact, anyone who has passed the high-frame carbon wheels knows that this effect is actually not large, especially if the popular "fat circle" is used now. .

However, for particularly light riders, the impact will be greater, so generally these riders will choose relatively low-profile carbon wheels to reduce the impact of crosswinds while ensuring a certain aerodynamic benefit.

7. rigid

The rigidity of the wheel set is an important performance indicator. No one wants a pair of wheel sets that will stop braking when they step on a sponge or shake a car. Rigid wheels are also more reassuring when cornering and tend to be more durable.

In fact, the rigidity of both carbon wheels and aluminum wheels can be done very well. This depends more on the design of the manufacturer and the level of the knitting wheels. Under the same conditions, aluminum wheels will be slightly heavier.

After all, wheels are only part of the equipment, so riding a bike is the true meaning.