Craft Racing wheels - carbon spokes 1180g

[Rabble]

So I had the chance to borrow and ride a set of 65/75 for a week. I did four rides, each roughly 40 miles, almost completely flat.
20 minutes commute to the ride, then around an hour at race pace, and then 30 minutes back to work. I've done something over 13,000 laps of this place, so I know what the power looks like for a given effort. This isn't a wind tunnel, but the conditions are pretty well known.

The hour effort was done on all four days at between 290-310w NP, doing circuit laps at 28ish mph.
My reference wheels are Farsport wave 45/50 with cx ray.

Short version is this- the CRW are unreal. I've never ridden any wheels where I could accelerate from 29-36mph as easily as this. It was addicting.
I don't have a particularly high FTP so I'm not usually able to ride the break at 400+w.
It was much easier with these things.

I had already ordered a set of LB Turbo65 so it'll be interesting to see how they feel in comparison.

The only thing I did not like about the 65/76 was the 16 spokes in front. I'm between 84-86kg and I'd prefer a 20 spoke wheel. I didn't notice anything weird, but having only done 160ish miles on excellent pavement in controlled conditions, this was still something to wonder about.

I've had a lot of wheels over the years and these were just remarkable.

[Gattsu]

what about NO.6 50/58 vs CRW 5060?

[BeachRdWarrior]

So I had the chance to borrow and ride a set of 65/75 for a week.

Any experience in cross wind conditions?

[Rabble]

So I had the chance to borrow and ride a set of 65/75 for a week.

Any experience in cross wind conditions?

They were much better than expected in a 10mph crosswind. That said, these are really deep and should be used on days when high wind is not an issue.

[ChinaCycling]

So I had the chance to borrow and ride a set of 65/75 for a week. I did four rides, each roughly 40 miles, almost completely flat.
20 minutes commute to the ride, then around an hour at race pace, and then 30 minutes back to work. I've done something over 13,000 laps of this place, so I know what the power looks like for a given effort. This isn't a wind tunnel, but the conditions are pretty well known.

The hour effort was done on all four days at between 290-310w NP, doing circuit laps at 28ish mph.
My reference wheels are Farsport wave 45/50 with cx ray.

Short version is this- the CRW are unreal. I've never ridden any wheels where I could accelerate from 29-36mph as easily as this. It was addicting.
I don't have a particularly high FTP so I'm not usually able to ride the break at 400+w.
It was much easier with these things.

I had already ordered a set of LB Turbo65 so it'll be interesting to see how they feel in comparison.

The only thing I did not like about the 65/76 was the 16 spokes in front. I'm between 84-86kg and I'd prefer a 20 spoke wheel. I didn't notice anything weird, but having only done 160ish miles on excellent pavement in controlled conditions, this was still something to wonder about.

I've had a lot of wheels over the years and these were just remarkable.

I've been super busy with Black Friday stuff, but reading this made my day... thanks!

[justinfoxphotos]

I've been super busy with Black Friday stuff, but reading this made my day... thanks!

I bet you have Joe! My mate Nick Turner and I have been busy too, shooting Jen Kay's new SL8 in the studio! Her bike looks amazing. Was really awesome to finally be able to check out the CRW's and some other goods you sell in real life. Was really impressed with the quality for sure.

PS: I just bought an S-Works SL8 too.
PPS: I surely won't be able to keep it stock.
PPPS: Cut me a deal on some weenie parts? Hint Hint Nudge Nudge?!

[Blurrr001]

Iam currently trying to decide between the CRW 50/60 and the Farsport Evo S

CRW ( Craft Racing Wheels) 50/60 - Seem to be more comfortable ( not as stiff ) as the EvoS, have had some bearing issues in the past, rim has been built specifically to use with carbon spokes, ride weight of 100kgs I assume due to lower spoke count, seems to have some imperfections typically in the gloss rims, and 25mm front internal 21mm back internal, not a fan of the 21mm internal on the back seems a bit outdated but I suppose there doing it to fit more frames, but overall most people seem to like them, and also seem to be fast, claimed weight - 1290Grams

EvoS - S5/S6 58/50s - Sound like they are stiffer then the CRW 120k rider weight, rims off shelf not specifically made to use with carbon spokes, but seem to be a little more durable, I know some say ceramic bearings aren’t a necessity on bikes, but considering its $600 to buy the wheel bearings directly from Ceramic Speed, and for only $200 more then the steel you get the Ceramic Speed version seems like a steal IMO. The 24mm internal for both front and rear seem more appealing to me then the CRWs, claimed weight - 1240Grams

So question would be which would you guys choose, Seems like buying the stiffer set and running 30mm tires makes better sense then running 28s on the softer CRWs ( and iam sure they are not soft, but using that as a comparison to the Evos Ss) Aestheticly I like the look of the CRW over the far sports with the silver lines on them, which these manufacturers would just leave them blank and throw in multiple decal options.
Sorry for the long winded rant here, but would love and very much appreciate opinions, and if there is another wheel set that compares iam just not aware of iam all ears. I also posted this over on the farsports wheel page, as Iam sure the subjectivness between the two threads will coem through.

[Rabble]

That 21IW is a hard no for me in 2024. Sorry, there is a noticeable difference in road feel going from 21 to 24IW. Add in the additional spokes on the FS- especially if you are more than 60kg- and the FS becomes the clear winner.
The CRW's are nice, but 21IW and 16 spokes is not great, IMO. Having only ridden the 65/75 CRW, I was blown away by how light they are and how fast they spin up, but I wont buy a set of wheels with 16 spoke front.

Iam currently trying to decide between the CRW 50/60 and the Farsport Evo S

CRW ( Craft Racing Wheels) 50/60 - Seem to be more comfortable ( not as stiff ) as the EvoS, have had some bearing issues in the past, rim has been built specifically to use with carbon spokes, ride weight of 100kgs I assume due to lower spoke count, seems to have some imperfections typically in the gloss rims, and 25mm front internal 21mm back internal, not a fan of the 21mm internal on the back seems a bit outdated but I suppose there doing it to fit more frames, but overall most people seem to like them, and also seem to be fast, claimed weight - 1290Grams

EvoS - S5/S6 58/50s - Sound like they are stiffer then the CRW 120k rider weight, rims off shelf not specifically made to use with carbon spokes, but seem to be a little more durable, I know some say ceramic bearings aren’t a necessity on bikes, but considering its $600 to buy the wheel bearings directly from Ceramic Speed, and for only $200 more then the steel you get the Ceramic Speed version seems like a steal IMO. The 24mm internal for both front and rear seem more appealing to me then the CRWs, claimed weight - 1240Grams

So question would be which would you guys choose, Seems like buying the stiffer set and running 30mm tires makes better sense then running 28s on the softer CRWs ( and iam sure they are not soft, but using that as a comparison to the Evos Ss) Aestheticly I like the look of the CRW over the far sports with the silver lines on them, which these manufacturers would just leave them blank and throw in multiple decal options.
Sorry for the long winded rant here, but would love and very much appreciate opinions, and if there is another wheel set that compares iam just not aware of iam all ears. I also posted this over on the farsports wheel page, as Iam sure the subjectivness between the two threads will coem through.

[Tomppa]

That 21IW is a hard no for me in 2024. Sorry, there is a noticeable difference in road feel going from 21 to 24IW. Add in the additional spokes on the FS- especially if you are more than 60kg- and the FS becomes the clear winner.
The CRW's are nice, but 21IW and 16 spokes is not great, IMO. Having only ridden the 65/75 CRW, I was blown away by how light they are and how fast they spin up, but I wont buy a set of wheels with 16 spoke front.

Iam currently trying to decide between the CRW 50/60 and the Farsport Evo S

CRW ( Craft Racing Wheels) 50/60 - Seem to be more comfortable ( not as stiff ) as the EvoS, have had some bearing issues in the past, rim has been built specifically to use with carbon spokes, ride weight of 100kgs I assume due to lower spoke count, seems to have some imperfections typically in the gloss rims, and 25mm front internal 21mm back internal, not a fan of the 21mm internal on the back seems a bit outdated but I suppose there doing it to fit more frames, but overall most people seem to like them, and also seem to be fast, claimed weight - 1290Grams

EvoS - S5/S6 58/50s - Sound like they are stiffer then the CRW 120k rider weight, rims off shelf not specifically made to use with carbon spokes, but seem to be a little more durable, I know some say ceramic bearings aren’t a necessity on bikes, but considering its $600 to buy the wheel bearings directly from Ceramic Speed, and for only $200 more then the steel you get the Ceramic Speed version seems like a steal IMO. The 24mm internal for both front and rear seem more appealing to me then the CRWs, claimed weight - 1240Grams

So question would be which would you guys choose, Seems like buying the stiffer set and running 30mm tires makes better sense then running 28s on the softer CRWs ( and iam sure they are not soft, but using that as a comparison to the Evos Ss) Aestheticly I like the look of the CRW over the far sports with the silver lines on them, which these manufacturers would just leave them blank and throw in multiple decal options.
Sorry for the long winded rant here, but would love and very much appreciate opinions, and if there is another wheel set that compares iam just not aware of iam all ears. I also posted this over on the farsports wheel page, as Iam sure the subjectivness between the two threads will coem through.

I've also been looking at both wheels, so I'm curious what difference you feel between the two, and does it correlate to rolling resistance?

Having fewer spokes on the front is part of what makes the CRW's faster than the Evo's, so it depends what you're after. Aerodynamically, the rim profile of the Evo is not up there with the CRW's either.

I would have liked to have gone for the Farsports as the build quality seems bombproof, and I was also put off by the bearing issues with the CRW's, but I decided against it as I will be using the wheels for racing and I can't bring myself to but a slower wheel.

In the end I've decided to wait for the Newmen Streem Vonoa's. Their own aero testing puts it very close to the Roval Rapide CLX ii's for most yaw angles. I also prefer the rim heights it's available in (49f,60f/66r,80r) compared to the CRW's (50f,65f/60r,75r). They also seem to possibly have issues with the bearings, but I saw in the thread for the Vonoa's that there was some kind of fix by using mtb hub caps.
They're also 22mm internal both front and rear.

[Rabble]

Have you seen any actual wind tunnel data on the FS or CRW wheels? I havent, and if it was available Id love to look at it. Looking at the rim profile and 'thinking' that one is faster than the other is probably not something Im qualified to do, given just how complicated it is to even interpret tunnel results using actual data.

I also have real doubts that increasing spoke count from 16-20 would cost you more than a watt or two at most, while it is definitely different in stiffness.

What I have noticed in riding wheels that have different IW back to back (going from 21IW to 26IW) is a significant increase in comfort and sharp edge bump absorption, a significant decrease in transmitted road noise/chatter, and a more planted feeling while leaned over, pedaling out of a corner.
I was able to try this with a FS Wave wheel with 45/50 depth, same hub and spoke setup, but different IW...done on the same day, same course, same tire, and same pressure.

To me, it was immediately noticeable. It's also December 2024, and I would like to have the wheels I purchase now to at least be current technology- not something circa 2019. TBH, I'd prefer the FS rim to be 25-26IW, but 24 is good so long as you are using 28-30mm tires which I am- and will- for the next few years at least.

That 21IW is a hard no for me in 2024. Sorry, there is a noticeable difference in road feel going from 21 to 24IW. Add in the additional spokes on the FS- especially if you are more than 60kg- and the FS becomes the clear winner.
The CRW's are nice, but 21IW and 16 spokes is not great, IMO. Having only ridden the 65/75 CRW, I was blown away by how light they are and how fast they spin up, but I wont buy a set of wheels with 16 spoke front.

Blah

I've also been looking at both wheels, so I'm curious what difference you feel between the two, and does it correlate to rolling resistance?

Having fewer spokes on the front is part of what makes the CRW's faster than the Evo's, so it depends what you're after. Aerodynamically, the rim profile of the Evo is not up there with the CRW's either.

I would have liked to have gone for the Farsports as the build quality seems bombproof, and I was also put off by the bearing issues with the CRW's, but I decided against it as I will be using the wheels for racing and I can't bring myself to but a slower wheel.

In the end I've decided to wait for the Newmen Streem Vonoa's. Their own aero testing puts it very close to the Roval Rapide CLX ii's for most yaw angles. I also prefer the rim heights it's available in (49f,60f/66r,80r) compared to the CRW's (50f,65f/60r,75r). They also seem to possibly have issues with the bearings, but I saw in the thread for the Vonoa's that there was some kind of fix by using mtb hub caps.
They're also 22mm internal both front and rear.

[Gattsu]

Iam currently trying to decide between the CRW 50/60 and the Farsport Evo S

CRW ( Craft Racing Wheels) 50/60 - Seem to be more comfortable ( not as stiff ) as the EvoS, have had some bearing issues in the past, rim has been built specifically to use with carbon spokes, ride weight of 100kgs I assume due to lower spoke count, seems to have some imperfections typically in the gloss rims, and 25mm front internal 21mm back internal, not a fan of the 21mm internal on the back seems a bit outdated but I suppose there doing it to fit more frames, but overall most people seem to like them, and also seem to be fast, claimed weight - 1290Grams

EvoS - S5/S6 58/50s - Sound like they are stiffer then the CRW 120k rider weight, rims off shelf not specifically made to use with carbon spokes, but seem to be a little more durable, I know some say ceramic bearings aren’t a necessity on bikes, but considering its $600 to buy the wheel bearings directly from Ceramic Speed, and for only $200 more then the steel you get the Ceramic Speed version seems like a steal IMO. The 24mm internal for both front and rear seem more appealing to me then the CRWs, claimed weight - 1240Grams

So question would be which would you guys choose, Seems like buying the stiffer set and running 30mm tires makes better sense then running 28s on the softer CRWs ( and iam sure they are not soft, but using that as a comparison to the Evos Ss) Aestheticly I like the look of the CRW over the far sports with the silver lines on them, which these manufacturers would just leave them blank and throw in multiple decal options.
Sorry for the long winded rant here, but would love and very much appreciate opinions, and if there is another wheel set that compares iam just not aware of iam all ears. I also posted this over on the farsports wheel page, as Iam sure the subjectivness between the two threads will coem through.

I had the same decision making few days ago. I had also the No6 50/60 in my selection but as I saw the video from GC Performance about the Farsports EVO S it was decided.
Ceramicspeed bearings, internal 24 and external 30,5 ( in the middle almost 32 like the No.6), more stiffer as the CRW front wheel is not so stiff was for me clear choice and of course I went for 58/58 size both wheels. I ride a XL framesize and bigger looks better.
As Torquepeak says all the wheels ride the same in aero resistance.

The only thing I will ride a 28 mm tyre because in real will it have 30-31 mm and this will be the best for the rule 105%. But they suit also for the 30mm tyres.

And the farsports look better, the hubs look crazy.

[Nickldn]

Lots of speculation here. The fact is CRWs make a bespoke carbon rims/spokes/hubs combination, they are designed to work a system and without compromises necessary for pairing the same rims with legacy steel spokes.

So yes 16 spokes at the front is fine, it's not an issue save for riders above the weight limit.

I do have some sympathy with comments about the rear wheel's 21mm IW. In reality comfort is not an issue on 28mm tyres due to the bespoke carbon build. I am pleased with my CRW 5060 wheels, it feels like a 2020's design which has not been constrained by legacy technology.

[spdntrxi]

throwing around bespoke like demure on IG... makes me throw up a little

[Nickldn]

throwing around bespoke like demure on IG... makes me throw up a little

????? Not on IG, so not familiar with this particular issue.

Back on topic........the point, is that many Chinese wheel manufacturers provide a choice of spokes, steel or carbon, for the same rim. There are also different hubs to pick from, all from different manufacturers. So all these wheels are modular and not a bespoke system. This involves compromises and diverse components may not work as well as a fully integrated system designed and tested to work together.

Think of it as the difference between buying a Shimano crankset to go with your Shimano groupset versus putting together cranks/spider/chainrings. Yes you'll get more choice, but not necessarily better shifting, in fact you may get poor shifting.

Barfing yet?

[apr46]

Lots of speculation here. The fact is CRWs make a bespoke carbon rims/spokes/hubs combination, they are designed to work a system and without compromises necessary for pairing the same rims with legacy steel spokes.

Not taking away from the CRWs, I nearly bought a set last month, but this is speculation, too and far from fact. I don't think anyone on this board except for maybe Joe and anyone affiliated with either PP or CRW knows how much customization, if any, to the rim layup has been done to make these specific to the spoke pattern or even the nipples used. Its another leap to say that the customization done is different than what Farsports or LB does for their rims used with their carbon spokes.