After logging ~1K miles (road), my 38mm matte 3K carbon fiber clincher with Novatec hub has developed serious delamination on the front wheel brake track - despite of using the provided Ashima cork brake pads, and no excessive drag braking. The delamination is so severe that the clincher wheels definitely is not safe for any descending any hill (especially if brakes need to be used). Rear wheel appear to be fine.

Question is - what should I do with the carbon wheel? Throw the front wheel to trash?

Definitely learned my lesson - I will be sticking with big reputable brands with proven brake track in the future. Currently using Shimano Dura Ace clincher. Also hope to upgrade to some ENVE SES 3.4 soon.

Update: photos of the 2 delaminations (both are around 3 to 4 inches in length) can be seen below (look at the right side in the photo).

Sorry to hear that
It doesn't sound like it can be saved in my opinion

surely you'll send it back to them, seems a loss to just skip it.
They might send you a replacement that has no issues.

def get in touch with the seller. how long did you have them?
that sucks!

These things have such a hit or miss history in terms of returns though
Some have got issues sorted
But many others not so much
Once you factor in postage
It can kinda seem pointless.

I would be interested to know where you ride. Meaning ... what type of descents have you been doing on those rims? But heat and carbon fibre do not mix very well, as you know. Seems strange that the front has been damaged when braking stresses would have been similar on both front and rear.

No need to quote above

Been riding on paved California concreete roads. Never gone off road (into the dirt) with the chinese carbon wheels.

Depending the steepness of the hills, my bike route allows me to descend 30 miles per hour on them over fairly straight routes and slow without needing brakes). By the time I reach parts of my route where i have to use the brakes, usually traveling at 20 miles per hour speed.

It's definitely possible that the rear wheel has delamination or cracks too. I haven't seen anything yet. May be hard to see and possibly under the surface, but definitely not as noticeable as the 2 serious delaminations on the front wheel.

Use it as a bling turbo wheel?

What kind of rim tape or what type of finish is there on the inside of the rim/wheels? Not related to the problem here but curious about the what I'm seeing.

Thanks

I'd contact the seller and ask to get another wheel.
If this happens again then I would ask for my money back.

_________________
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Were the pads what the rim manufacturer recommends? The other chinese carbon rims I have seen (and the ones I have bought) all use rubber based pads rather than cork.

I would not get random rims off a random ebay seller. There are chinese rim makers (or more often, tradign houses that sell them) that have a reputation to uphold. Their prices are about the same as the unknown ebay sellers. They're not perfect either but then neither are major manufacturers.

There are good chinese rims and there are bad. You may have been unliky with a good manufacturer and a bad rim or just have picked a bad manufacturer. The rims ( I refuse to let someone else build wheels for me) that are in the post to me I believe are coming from a factory or should I say the sales office/trading house of that factory I would not trust so much an randon ebay seller as you do not know who has made them. Buy from a known company.

_________________
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Just goes to show which brake does most of the stopping.

You haven't mentioned the manufacturer/brand. I feel like that would be helpful.

Rim tape - not sure which brand, but I will admit, it's pretty cool. Without the rim tape, it's pretty rough inside and tubes won't last inside them without tape.

I've only had the carbon wheels for a couple of months. Rode for 1K miles.

On the brake pads, yes I was using the brake pads recommended and provided. They are Ashima branded, cork~rubber mixed. Most of the chinese carbon wheels I have seen on Ebay are providing the same brake pads for their carbon wheels. Definitely not 100% rubber like the standard SRAM Red Swisstop ones or Shimano 105.

In case if you were wondering, my front brake levers are very well tuned and very lever. I too am little shocked that 2 areas, on the same side of the wheel, have serious delamination.

As for brand/manufacturer, I don't know the exact name. I bought them from Ebay seller onlycarbonwheel. I suspect they came out of the same Chinese factories that makes many other generic Chinese carbon wheels that are found on Aliexpress, Ebay.

eBay links are not permitted, please refrain from including them