Dura Ace C35 or C50 Clinchers or should I not bother?

[TheRabbit]

I've been watching the board for a while however I am now in need of kind advice because I need to buy something.

I'm building a team issue Pinarello Dogma 65.1 and because of this I'm looking at the Dura Ace clinchers.

First thing I noticed about the C50 clincher is that the spoke nipples are inside the wheel. I'm not sure how one would true a wheel like this so I did a search on youtube to see if someone posted a video on how this is done. Instead of finding a video on this, I found an Australian video about a problem with the aluminum brake track. Apparently he experienced a problem where the heat from the braking caused the brake surface to warp. He sent it back and got another one that did the same thing eventually getting his money back from Shimano Australia. Several others in his video comments had the same problem. This is scary.

Searching further I see that the C35 has spoke nipples on the outside, making the truing process at least straight forward. However these have the same aluminum brake surface so I wonder if these are all defective as well?

I already went through a "fun" adventure with my Zipp 60 rims last year that I use on my Pinarello Rokh. The Zipp 60 rear wheel has a tendency to go out of true after every single ride. I had it replaced and so far (knock on wood) it hasn't been AS bad.

I don't want to repeat that again with a new set of carbon clinchers. It would be nice to have the Dura Ace branded wheels on my bike to give that authentic team sky look however if they are all garbage, I will have to go with the Reynolds Attack clincher that my friend has and beats the heck out of with no issues.

What are your thoughts?

[mimason]

With these wheels you would need to unmount the tire for any truing required. I wouldn't call this a deal breaker as these are typically well built wheels. There are a lot of them out there so you are bound to hear about problems ocassionally. Fortunately, there is good company backing(warranty)that will sort out issues should they arise. Overall, they are considered solid and very good, albeit heavy. Definitely not garbage.

FWIW, I don't know when, but Shimano is coming out with a new hub design. I was talking to a rep the other day but it was during a ride so I couldn't get more info.

[itsacarr]

Having owned both of these wheels I can say you would be plenty satisfied with either. Regardless of how they re-design their hubs they are still some of the best that exist. As far as needing to true them these aren't exactly delicate wheels. They can take a good amount of abuse as can the c24's.

The shimano clincher lineup isn't "wide" yet but with 25's they roll awfully nice.

[upside]

Look at the Campy Bora One 35 or 50 clinchers.. super cheap on Starbike. I have them set up with Schwalbe Pro Ones tubeless. I have had a ton of wheels over the years and find these wheels a true winner. They will be lighter than the Dura Ace wheels.. I like the rear spoking and bracing angles which build a great stiff wheel.

[Zurcho]

+1 on the Campy Bora One clinchers- go for the 50 depth- so so nice!

[fromtrektocolnago]

Can't speak to C-35 or C-50, but have 10,000 miles and two years on C-24's and they are runnin flawlessly.

[Philbar72]

Have used the c24 and c50 clinchers and sold the c50’s

The c50’s were a fantastic wheel that would work pretty much anywhere except for one thing. The brake track was oddly not great at braking!

The c24’s have been through a lot of abuse, and are still rolling fine. They spin up really nicely but have no aerodynamic efficiency at all. They are very good in terms of feel and if as others have said, you put 25’s on either, they go pretty well. great for climbing and pretty bombproof.

One thing about the c 50’s. they aren’t very aero compared to the 24/25mm wide wheels if you have nice 25mm tyres on them.

[TheRabbit]

Thanks for the replies. I seem to be still on the fence though leaning towards the C35. I just noticed, the C35 has a 20mm wide surface while the C50 has a 23mm wide surface for mounting tires. My Zipp 60 has a 23mm wide surface and it seems kinda small for 25mm tires. I would imagine 20mm wide would make for a not so aero and rough ride?

Philbar, what sort of braking issues did you have with the C50 clincher?

[kevosinn]

you will love either. Iv'e owned several sets of both over the years.

[aerodynamiq]

Way too heavy for that type of money. Say bye to that little aerodynamic advantage with C35 clinchers and get something low and really great instead!

[AW84]

I had a set of C35's and had nothing but trouble with the braking surface. Right out of the box they started depositing metal shavings in the brake pads, to the point that on one particular ride, I remember stopping and removing both wheels to pick shavings out of the pads every few miles. I was able to warranty them and the second set did the same. I tried standard Shimano pads and an array of brand name aftermarket pads ranging from hard to soft all with the same result.

I can confirm that a couple of the four wheels that I had had uneven machining in the braking surface, evidenced by the pattern of residue. However, most folks seem to love theirs, so this may have been an isolated batch or just bad luck striking twice.

I will say, however, other than the braking surface, they were built extremely well, stiff, and rolled for days. If they'd produce a carbon clincher rim with that hub, I'd be all over them.

[eaglejackson]

I had a set of C35's and had nothing but trouble with the braking surface. Right out of the box they started depositing metal shavings in the brake pads, to the point that on one particular ride, I remember stopping and removing both wheels to pick shavings out of the pads every few miles. I was able to warranty them and the second set did the same. I tried standard Shimano pads and an array of brand name aftermarket pads ranging from hard to soft all with the same result.

I can confirm that a couple of the four wheels that I had had uneven machining in the braking surface, evidenced by the pattern of residue. However, most folks seem to love theirs, so this may have been an isolated batch or just bad luck striking twice.

I will say, however, other than the braking surface, they were built extremely well, stiff, and rolled for days. If they'd produce a carbon clincher rim with that hub, I'd be all over them.

I have a pair of C35s and a pair of C24s, both clinchers.

I did have an issue with a seam in the braking track that resulted in a shuddering or pulsing when I braked. I took them to the bike shop and they smoothed the seam, and it's been fine now. I've read online that others have had an issue with the seam, and the recommendation has been to reverse the wheel -- doable with a front wheel, which mine was.

I go back and forth which I prefer, the C24 or the C35. The C24s are noticeably lighter, and I appreciate it on the climbs. The C35s are noticeably stiffer; I appreciate it on fast descents. The additional stiffness makes the bike feel more confident and crisp. The stiffness though is a bit less comfortable on bumpier roads.

[mpulsiv]

C35 and C50 is a 4 year old technology, narrow rim in a "V" shape. Shimano made a splash with C40, which will be available shortly http://cyclingtips.com/news/shimano-dur ... ight-price

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[pdlpsher1]

The new C40 is a ripoff. The rim height is only 37mm high. Shimano is playing the marketing game by calling the wheel a C40. So if one is comparing the C40 to other true 40mm wheels it's not apples-to-apples comparison. In the wheel market even a small weight difference commands a big premium. Calling a 37mm wheel a 40mm wheel is cheating IMHO.

I had a C50 and also had experienced the metal-in-the-brake pad problem. I used to think the pads are to blame (I used Dura Ace). Now I think it's the aluminum formulation is to blame.


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[mpulsiv]

The new C40 is a ripoff. The rim height is only 37mm high. Shimano is playing the marketing game by calling the wheel a C40. So if one is comparing the C40 to other true 40mm wheels it's not apples-to-apples comparison. In the wheel market even a small weight difference commands a big premium. Calling a 37mm wheel a 40mm wheel is cheating IMHO.

I had a C50 and also had experienced the metal-in-the-brake pad problem. I used to think the pads are to blame (I used Dura Ace). Now I think it's the aluminum formulation is to blame.


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The big change for Shimano is modern rim profile not ~5mm in depth. ~15mm is bare minimum to yield aero benefit (e.g. from 35mm to 50mm).

I was never impressed with Dura Ace brake pads. Try kool-stop salmon pads. These stop on dime in dry or wet!