The quest for sub 1000g carbon clinchers

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argus
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:12 am

by argus

Hi there,
Been a long time lurker but finally decided to join :) I've been on hiatus from cycling since life after college and 7 years later I'm now getting ready to get back into it. YAY.
I've put brand new components, DA9000 on my then new '04 trek madone (one which I consider a classic since I literally had to scrape together everything while in college to afford) and am looking for a set of ultralight carbon clinchers that are hopefully sub 1000g or as close to, to supplement my Ksyrium SLRs for weekend hill climbing. So far the wheel components I'm gathering based on reviews and durability on this forums is this:

- Reynolds '14 Attack Carbon Clincher Rims 380g/each 20/24
- Extralite Ultrahubs SPM/SPX hubset 48g front, 134g rear
- Sapim Super Spoke 3.6g/each
- 12mm Alloy Nipples 0.31g/each

This puts the total at about 1114.49g.

Is there anything we can do at all to shave off the other 100g or so to come up with a true hill smasher? Perhaps another kind of hub I'm unaware of or another set of carbon clincher rims? I weigh approximately 70kg. Any help is welcome. Thanks in advance.

vinceflynow
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:45 pm
Location: Northern CA USA

by vinceflynow

Tune Skyliner clincher supposedly weighs 965 grams. From Tune's website (http://www.tune.de/portfolio/skyliner-clincher/):

Model: Skyliner Clincher
Rim Type: Clincher
Rim Material: Carbon
Rim Dimension: 25mm deep, 18mm wide
Rim Weight: 300 grams
Spokes: Sapim Super Spoke
Spoke Count: 20/24
Hubs: Tune Mig 45 and Mag 150
Wheelset Weight: 965 grams
Rider Weight Limit: 90kgs

by Weenie


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argus
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:12 am

by argus

Hi Vince,
Thanks for the reply. Those Tune wheels do absolutely look sick! I don't speak german so I can't really decipher much of what's on their website but any idea how much they cost for the set? I have a budget of around 2K for this project of mine. Thx.

vinceflynow
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:45 pm
Location: Northern CA USA

by vinceflynow

Hibike in Germany prices the Tune Skyliner clinchers at €2184 excluding VAT. In the US, you might want to contact Fairwheelbikes.

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F45
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by F45

Shimano RS81 C24 rim is 385g but stiff enough to use 16/20 spokes. You can get them in the wheelset for about 500 bones, then sell the hubs.

argus
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:12 am

by argus

Thanks Vince and F45,
I'm looking for mainly an all carbon rim mainly cause it looks better. Cheesy I know. Are there any other carbon clincher rims on the market that are sub 350g?

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

How much difference do you think saving 500g of the wheelset will make to your climbing rate? well I have done some sums of me an 80kg rider on a 10kg bike on 10% gradient putting out 250W. Moving to a 8kg bike saved me a whopping 5W. Saving 500g therefore would save me 1.2W. really how much difference will it really make. 1000g clinchers are full of comprimises if you accept those then fine but know what they are before you buy.

the C24 rim only make a "stiff" wheel buy using fairly stiff spokes. I say "stiff" because I think this wheel is not stiff but adaquetley stiff.

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WMW
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by WMW

A superlight special climbing wheelset? Definitely go tubular. You will be glad you did...

You can shave off 200g easily with similar durability.
formerly rruff...

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prowheelbuilder
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by prowheelbuilder

I am clarifying that the numbers below have no basis in fact they are simply to help make a point. In regards to the question "How much difference do you think saving 500g of the wheelset will make to your climbing rate". Referring to the wheels greatest moment of inertia mass i.e. the tire, tube, rim, nipple or the later 3rd of the spoke. If you were to save 15 grams at any one of the points and were starting at a dead stop on a 1 mile climb, the initial savings would be the full 15 grams however once up top speed lets say that drops to only 1 gram per pedal stroke (as even the smoothest peddler still has a surge). There is roughly 800 to 1200 pedal strokes per mile (of course this depends on cadence, speed, wind, power and bla bla bla). So lets say the average would be 1000 pedal strokes over a 1 mile climb at 1 gram per pedal stroke, thats about 2.25lbs per mile per 15 grams saved at the outermost point of rotation of the wheel. Now if the majority of the weight is saved at the hub, it is not occumulative and therefore is not nearly as significant i.e. save 100 grams at the hub and over a 5 mile climb you have saved 100 grams where as saving 15 grams at the outermost point of rotation would net you 11.25 lbs of weight. I will let someone else do the power conversion on this :)
"If the frame is the heart of the bicycle, the wheels are its soul". Richard Craig

www.prowheelbuilder.com

Zakalwe
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Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 3:15 pm

by Zakalwe

I weigh 70kg and I'd think long and hard before building a lightweight rim with 24 supers on the rear. You're only saving ~30g by not having a 32h wheel. Is a noodly, fragile wheel more important than saving 30 grams?

If weight is your number one priority, go tubular. It's really not that big a deal.

Geoff
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Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2003 2:25 am
Location: Canada

by Geoff

Well, as a system, the tubular wheel is inherently lighter than the clincher wheel system due to it's method of attachment of the tire to the wheel. The structure of the rim and the tire bead contribute to make the clincher system heavier.

With a climbing set of wheels, the other issue is that what goes up, must come down. Most people would feel more comfortable descending long cols on tubulars, which dissipate heat better and generally give you an opportunity to stop safetly in the event of a puncture.

eric
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by eric

Weight on the rim is exactly the same as weight on the hub, water bottle, etc. at constant speed. It's only when accelerating that the added inertia comes in to play. Even then it's pretty small. Under conditions of frequent hard accellerations, like a crit with tight corners, you can consider weight on the rim to count about 2x actual weight.

(see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_p ... ght_wheels)

When climbing it's less.
Unless you are making savage attacks on the climbs, you are riding at constant speed or accellerating gradually. No accellerations means no inertia effect.

That said I have a set of super light carbon tubulars which I use for uphill-only climbing races.

Most of the weight disadvantage of a clincher is in the rim. It's got to be study enough to resist the tire trying to spread the rim walls apart. A good clincher tire + tube weighs about 280g which is about the same as a good tubular + glue. But there are not many clincher rims under 400g and none under 350g, while carbon tubular rims can be under 300g.

kulivontot
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by kulivontot

Zzzzz discussed ad nauseum. Why bother is not up for debate, this is weight weenies. 250g for hubs, 200g for spokes leaves 275g per rim. I don't know that you can find that in any clincher rim.

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

Pro wheelbuilder your post make no sense in physics as pointed out by a later poster. If you do the light wheels as part of a package to shave 3 kg of the bike then fair enough it will make a difference (a little one) but if you are put 1000g wheels on a 7 kg bike which has 1500g wheels then the difference when climbing will not be that noticeable. It will make a small difference it crit racing though. Also 1000g clinchers are not going to be very robust wheels. each to there own though.

by Weenie


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argus
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Apr 17, 2014 5:12 am

by argus

Looks like there's been a fair bit of discussion on this topic. From the looks of it the limit is in the carbon clincher rim where the reynolds '14 attacks rims are the current lightest ones attainable at 380g each and they are fairly "high" profile at 29mm. I also found out that dash cycles makes a nice hub, the Michelle/Elle ones and am currently in the process of trying to get my hands on them. Maybe in the future some 300-350g clincher rims will be possible?

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