Like many others I have a set of Chinese 50mm carbon rims (Hong Fu) + bikehubstore hubs for road use and am very happy with them. I'm thinking of doing another build for cross use and wondered if anybody had done the same? If so, how is the durability and braking and what spokes did you use?

Cheers.

Quite a few companies out there produce cross wheelsets using the same rims, just re-branded to their liking.
The rims would be just fine, raise the spoke perhaps to 24/24 (guessing, others may offer better insight here), get some nice hubs on them.
The BHS hubs look good, perhaps a bit more stout of an axle diameter would be needed, depending on your weight/how you ride.

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Exp001

I built some HongFu rims on DT Swiss 240s using DT Swiss Competition spokes, 20/24 and raced them all last year. The wheels did great except early on I had an issue with poor braking. I switched to SwissStop yellow pads (and Avid Shorty Ultimates but I think it was more the pads) and braking was fine fine from that point on. Just for reference, I weigh 165 lbs.

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Ridley Noah FAST = 7.38 kg
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I built a set of 50mm carbon rims with some OffTheFront hubs and used Sapim spokes and nipples.

The wheels are great, especially on dry days. They are significantly lighter than the alu clinchers I was riding previously.

Unfortunately, in the wet, the braking is less than suboptimal. I run yellow cake pads, but even with them, the braking is pitiful compared to normal alu rims and appropriate pads.

One other positive of the rims is the ability to cut through mud and deep water like a rudder.

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My Vellum Equilibrium
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Thanks for the feedback.

Did you find the bed of the Hong Fu rim big enough for cross tubs?

hong fu. is that the name brand of the rim or the ebay sellers name? i see alot of the generic carbon 38/50 mm rims on ebay. i too are wondering if they are worth buying. thanks for any help

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its cross season buddy

It's the company name. They sell through their own website (http://www.e-hongfu-bikes.com) but the ebay rims are similar. I've got no problems with my road set but I wonder how wider cross tubs sit?