don't use carbon clinchers....if you try and train on them they will eventually wear and need to be replaced, each time you brake it heats the rim and causes the surface to wear, in cases of extreme breaking it can cause poorly built rims to fail, some of the nicer higher end rims, like enve, are much improved, but still over time a year or two if you train on them they will need to be replaced....unless of course you're made of money and just a weekend warrior

While we don't have many mountains in Texas, we do have lots of roads with poor surfaces and my set of Reynolds Assault carbon clinchers which have been used as daily training wheels for the past 2-years do not appear to have suffered any ill effects.

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Michael - The Anaerobic Threshold is neither...

Thanks for all for the advice and recommendations! I'll admit, it wasn't what I was hoping to hear... but it's a really great perspective.. and one I can totally understand/relate to. Those are things I hadn't even considered.

I have a set of alu Mavic Ksyrium SL's which I might end up going with.. but was hoping to get something a little lighter. That was based on my experience of using them vs a set of 1080g MadFiber tubulars (which are *great* btw.. the recent review of them on pelotonmagazine.com is spot on if anyone's curious as how they ride). But the 400+g might be a good tradeoff to get a better braking wheel (the diabolical double is 16,000' of climbing, and the descents are a "concern")

I've always wondered why anyone would want to have a set of wheels built.. and I guess now it makes sense... I'm 135lbs (on a bad day) and don't really need a set of wheels built for someone who's 190lbs. So if I could get a set of ~1,000g alu clinchers... now that would be cool. I'll check out manufacturers that a few of you mentioned.

Again, thanks for all the advice from those that have done it before. Very helpful.

True for those of us in "flat" areas it is not a concern, but if you tried to decend 16000 ft on carbon clinchers you'd have to replace them at the bottom.....if you made it. Sustained, high temperature braking is very different than the braking you do pulling up to stoplights.

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2012 Fuji Altamira SE - 6.42kg

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I would suggest emailing PSIMET or Troy Watson at Fairwheel bikes.......there are many options and they'll help you sort it out.

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2012 Fuji Altamira SE - 6.42kg

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American Classic Magnesium clinchers (1108 grams) or their Road Tubeless (1179 grams). Best of both worlds, weight and decent braking.
http://amclassic.com/en/products/roadwh ... incher.php

Add me to the list of those who would never ride a carbon clincher in the mountains.

I've ridden LW clinchers for 2 years now...up/down plenty of long descents (~100+mi/16k ft climbing/descending on several occasions) and not one issue. Don't ride the brakes, brake smart and no problems at all.

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Thing 1 & Thing 2 & Thing 3

It depends on the roads. I've done a two day 29,035 ft race on carbon clinchers many times and they work fine. But there's only one out of six descents over the two days that have any significant technical sections, and even that one isn't that bad. Long high speed descents are fine; its the braking that's a problem.

I overheated the same front CC rim descending less than 1000ft- but that was on a very steep road with 10 mph turn after turn. The tire came off the rim, fortunately on a straight rather than a turn.

The point that many posters bring up about bike or car traffic making you go slower than usual is important.

The OP isn't racing (unless he's competitive in the Sportif) so saving a few minutes due to better aerodynamics isn't worth the risk of a braking-induced failure. Better to use light but reliable aluminium clinchers.