Switching to light tubulars from DA c24 wheels?

[adamstokes8]

Hello.

I'm new to the forum. I'm looking for informed opinions and advice about upgrading my wheels from lightweight aluminium clinchers to lightweight carbon tubulars. Having read a lot around related topics there are so many opinions and I still can't decide, so I thought I'd ask my specific question directly for advice.

I live in Yorkshire. The terrain around where I live is undulating with some quite big climbs. I would say I'm not a very gifted cyclist, only a hobbyist, but I enjoy it and spend quite a lot of time doing it. I like to be able to accelerate and try to get up the hills as quick as I can. I don't really mind very much about aerodynamic advantage on flat terrain or descents. I cycle around 5 times a week as my main exercise, mostly short outings 15-25 miles whenever I can fit a ride in around work and baby. Occasionally I'll do 35-50 mile rides on a weekend. I currently have Dura-Ace c24 clincher wheels. I use a DA Di2 groupset with rim brakes. I'm light, around 65-70kg, probably closer to 65kg.

I'm thinking of getting some really light carbon tubular wheels for rim brakes with Extralite hubs. I'd probably source the rims from FarSports. Whether this is a sensible move is what I'd like opinions on.

I thought I'd carry some CO2 and sealant to fix flats if they occur? I don't mind too much about fixing flats or replacing tyres within reason. The tarmac I cycle on isn't often very smooth and there are often potholes, but I hardly ever encounter really problematic loose debris like bits of glass or metal. Occasionally there might be loose little stones around but seldom anything worse. The main issue I anticipate is the uneven tarmac itself which occasionally produces impacts that I'm concerned carbon rims won't do well with? Any thoughts on this are very welcome.

On clinchers I hardly ever get flats. I had some continental GP4000 which lasted several thousands of miles. I've now got some Michelin Pro Road ones, which seem similar and are doing fine. Could I hope to get >1000 miles on an appropriate pair of tubular tyres?

I do like my c24 wheels they seem durable and sturdy and pretty light, but I'm always looking to shed weight and improve the ride quality. I'd like any opinions and advice about getting these new wheels, i.e., is it worth it? Thank you all very much in advance for any and all help. If I do take the plunge, then as I progress along, I'll try to post how things go and share any insights if I get any.

[Emmodd]

Watching with interest. Living in the same neck of the woods and after similar wheels for hill climbing.

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

[markyboy]

I have these for sale which are like new fulcrum racing light xlr rrp price on these were £1900 but now they are around £1200 i will sell for £600 minus the tyres or i can supply some vittoria corsa fitted in black.
F4DBECD6-A78C-44C0-8517-7D66F0BF8BF9 by mark anderson, on Flickr

[alcatraz]

While I think there is something very attractive with extralite tubulars, I gotta admit that you're unlikely to see any significant gains from them.

Your tire choices are going to diminish and expenses go up.

For descending safely on rim brakes tubulars are a very sensible choice. The ride quality is high too.

For undulating terrain, lightweight wheels can be a disadvantage as they slow down more for every obstacle you're going over. It's hard to explain but when you start to look at strava climbing data you might notice that the lightest wheels don't necessary produce the fastest times.

Extralite hubs and carbon rims (clincher or tubular) are probably what you are looking for. For even steep inclines lightweight will make a difference, but remember that there is nothing stopping a guy, like you, on a heavier wheelset to pass you on most real world climbs (undulating).

How about a 38mm clincher/tubular wheelset laced to extralite hubs? Pick the rims carefully and use a healthy spoke count and you'll get a very nice allround wheelset.

[adamstokes8]

Hi. Thanks for the measured advice. I will consider a deeper rim option. I'm not overly concerned about the overall fastest times when descending and ascending, as much as the feel and responsiveness when ascending. Your point about "healthy spoke count" is interesting. Since I'm pretty light I was just gonna go with a 16/20H option - d'you reckon better to go with 20/24H?

[alcatraz]

Both spoke counts are possible. The latter will be more responsive.

If you intend to do really steep inclines like 15+ deg where you might run out of gears to remain seated, then even 20/24 could turn into a creak fest on extralite hubs.

The more torque you intend to put through the wheels the more bracing you're going to need to keep the stuff stable. You won't break anything with 16/20 but you'll notice earlier that there's a limit to what you can do.

The reason why I suggest 38mm is because it's more likely to be usable when your plans change. It's a very versatile depth. It also produces a stiff rim on average which helps with responsiveness etc, which you're going to need if you get stronger. When your average speed goes up the modest aero advantage of a 38mm rim is going to come in handy. Even when climbing. It's "free speed" in several ways.

[adamstokes8]

Considered advice again, thanks. "Creak fest" sounds ominous! I frequently find myself in my lowest granny gear and am out of my seat. There are lots of inclines of I'd guess in between 12-17 degrees on an average ride. I'm a bit of a glutton for steepness. I'm leaning towards a deeper rim but maybe not quite 38mm with 20/24H. Cheers for the help.

[alcatraz]

The lightest way to build a usable climbing wheelset is to stay with 24 spokes in the rear and go with extralite hubs and tubular rims. If you choose the parts wisely you could land around 900-950gr even with 30-38mm rims. Use very light spokes on the NDS side and medium weight spokes on the DS.

That would be a hillclimb competition wheelset.

For more endurance hubs maybe Carbon-ti. Extralite exposes the bearings to the elements which is going to require more servicing. Also the freehubs have only two pawls. Bit risky to put massive pro level torque through (unless you're a light rider or remain seated).

I like the older extralite hubs more. The ones with a J-bend nds flange. That way you can cross both sides and eliminate creaking even with a 20h rear. (The wheel would still flex like a 20h wheel but it would stay silent.)

[adamstokes8]

Cheers again, I do see what you mean - for the added stiffness and small aero advantage, 30 or 35mm rims landing somewhere in 900-1000g seems not too large a weight penalty versus 25mm rims coming in at 800g-850g. However, for a 65kg rider whose not all that strong and probably won't get much stronger, will the extra stiffness make any difference? I hadn't thought very much about J-bend versus SP. I suppose the bend allows the spoke to flex slightly where the SP would cause a creak? Probably leaning towards 24H rear with SP though. I'm only going to use these wheels in fair weather and by the accounts I've read it seems the Extralites are pretty quick and easy to service, so I'm leaning towards the Extralites (if I get the wheels at all!) They recommend servicing every 3 months apparently, but the figure seems pretty arbitrary since it'll surely depend on how often and how far you ride. If it's a 15-20 min job then that seems okay. Thanks again.

[dmetzinger]

You may want to consider Caden Decadence or Campy Bora One/Ultra 35mms used. Tubular Boras can be had for a song these days, have a loooong service life and brake wondefully with Campy red pads.