i had a steel frame built for the cobbles and would prefer to use carbon rims, so I'm doing it opposite to astana.

195cm and 90 kg, yep, that qualifies as a big bloke
Maggie will always be one of my favorites because he is the only PRO who has the same dimensions as me!

+1 on nemesis + 27mm FMB. having ridden the ASO version of the course in April, riding carbon tubs on these cobbles is just plain ridiculous. If you pay me to do it this is another story.

I build this wheels. In czech rep are very similar road as Paris-Roubaix. For Paris Roubaix use another tubular tires - Viitoria Pave or model Roubaix from product Dugast, FMB, Veloflex, Challange

This wheels are made from - Mavic Reflex CD 32h. Chris King R45. Sapim Laser. DT swiss alu nipples

@LionelB and Kabush: good advice and nice build...

The phrase:
"would really like some carbon rims" is not what I think preparing Roubaix.

In the picture below, I am on old NOS Chorus 36H hubs with Mavic reflex rims on 27mm Vittoria open pave tubulars.
I could follow the BMC team during the recon quite comfortably and did not feel like I would need any carbon wheel to pretend like I would be a real pro (which obviously I'm not).



And if you send half of the pro peloton on carbon rims, ofcourse one day it will be won by carbon rims (same with carbon frames, I don't need to say that they aren't going any slower on steel frames do I?)...
I guess you can prove anything in Roubaix, but the wise choice is just something cheap/handbuilt with enough spokes and good tires/tubulars on the right pressure (that is: >27mm, 5-6 bar). I'm going to ride it too, 10th of June, and I will be using the setup as in the picture above.

disclaimer: I kept enough distance during my ride, no BMC riders were harmed.

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Bianchi EV3, Master Olympic, Pinarello Asolo

doubleposted.

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Bianchi EV3, Master Olympic, Pinarello Asolo

Cool picture !

After having ride the Paris-Roubaix cyclo in 2010 I can give you two advices:
1-Forget about carbon rims unless you are able to ride on cobbles at 40kms/h...professionals fly over the cobbles,the rest of us rode very slowly and it's much harder for the wheels and the equipment.Choose some flat aluminium rim,easy and cheap to replace in case of damage
2-Forget about tubulars unless you have a car to follow you,just one spare is risky for 55kms of cobbles.

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WORD!

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“I want to clear my conscience. I don’t want to be part of the problem any more.”

I had high hopes for these:





But they puncture if you so much as look at them- 4 so far, which is 4 more than I've had in the past two years (on other tyres).

Tubular is the only way to go. Pinch flats with clincher is the biggest issue there.

Yes, but you can easily take 3 inner tubes instead of just 1 spare tubular. When you'd ride 200+ kms on the bad roads in northern France, you'd be rather lucky when you have only 1 flat (especially when it is wet)

I had two spare tubs and one pit stop. I also had a pal with spare wheels and tubs that was a phone call away.

I have seen countless pinch flats on clincher on the side of the road.

Not one flat though for me with properly aged (18 months) FMB Paris Roubaix Pro 27mm.

a little clarification, i live very close to roubaix just across the border in belgium. So I'm used to bad roads and cobbles. Normally I ride a carbon frame with mavic open pro rims and conti 4000 or neutron with fmb

I got myself a steel frame built, and was thinking of doing it the other way around. If a carbon frame (isp) is quite capable of surviving the bad roads why would'nt a well build wheels with a carbon rim not survive the same roads.

and tubulars are the way to go, ever had a flat clincher on cobbles?