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(Cheap) Chinese Carbon Rims?

2M views 9K replies 1K participants last post by  chomxxo 
#1 ·
I've seen multiple discussions of carbon 29er frames, but no such discussion of 29er rims. Current domestic carbon rims are more expensive than one of these frames. Anybody found carbon 29er clincher rims cheap?
 
#7,867 ·
Inverted | Sapim

Inverted nipples are used in special rims. Because the whole nipple remains in the rim, it gives a better aerodynamic profile as well as a better design. Due to its special use, Sapim offers inverted nipples in 8,5, 10 and 12 mm.

Picture says 9 and 12mm.
Presumably this means you have to pull your wheels and rim tape off if you need to true your wheel or change a spoke? Seems awkward.
 
#7,837 ·
I would send them pictures and see if they will warranty them.
If they do ask them to send a call tag so you can ship those back at their expense and not have to pay return shipping charges.
If you get lucky they might just tell you to keep them.
 
#7,848 ·
Guys can you help me understanding these:

I have a schwalbe Snakeskin Magic mary on 22.5mm ID wide rim
And i have a schwalbe Supergravity Magic mary on 28mm ID wide rim

With first setup the MM tire is much wider, how the hack is this possible?
Like said before, did you measure the casing or the knobs?
When the tire is rounder (narrower rim) the side knobs are in a bigger angle and that may contribute to wider tire at the knobs. But the casing width should increase in size with rim width.
 
#7,846 ·
Couldn't take any good pictures indoors, got a few but situation on photos is even more extreme than in flash.

Yes sure they are both 2.35"..

The stupid thing bothered me so much that i installed the "old" magic mary on rear 28ID carbon rim and new SG MM on front 28ID carbon rim and they are identical, the old one could be a millimetre or even less wider due to stretching..

So bottom line is that with 22.5mm internal dt swiss wheelset the tire was way more beefier than both magic marys mounted on Nextie 35mm rims (28mm internal)..

Havent got a single clue how this is possible i was like 99% sure its the tire fault but it obviously not.
 
#7,847 ·
This is comparison between:

Magic Mary 2.35" on 28mm internal wide nextie rim and
Hans Dampf 2.35" on 22.5mm internal wide dt swiss rim (muddy one)

Its really hard to capture photo that would show the actual situaton, but i can tell you that hansdampf on 22.5mm rim is wider for about 2-3mm compared to magic mary (which is much more beefier tire) mounted on 28mm id.

This is really frustrating

Shadow Synthetic rubber Slipper Outdoor shoe Walking shoe
 
#7,849 ·
YOu are right, i was measuring the knobs which were wider like you said but the tire cassing itself is a bit wider with new rim.

But i dont understand why my friend with 25mm internal width rim has bigger MagicMary tire than me on 22.5mm ID... And how the hack are other users get their tires that big, is it difference between 28mm ID and 32mm ID really that huge than..
 
#7,850 ·
This question has been languishing here for a while, so I figured I would add a couple other things to consider. You have offered up a confusing mishmash of dissimilar tire and rim comparisons and your unit of measure seems to range from "less wide" to "more beefier" so it is really tough to say anything for certain. You did provide a few usable bits of data though, and, if you want to continue to try to sort it out, I can suggest a few other things to check.

The stupid thing bothered me so much that i installed the "old" magic mary on rear 28ID carbon rim and new SG MM on front 28ID carbon rim and they are identical, the old one could be a millimetre or even less wider due to stretching..

So bottom line is that with 22.5mm internal dt swiss wheelset the tire was way more beefier than both magic marys mounted on Nextie 35mm rims (28mm internal)..
This is the only really valid comparison. Comparing a HD to a MM is not going to tell us anything for certain, and even comparing two different casing MMs throws some uncertainty into things. You need to compare the exact same tire, at the same pressure, mounted on two different rims, which you did here, and so you seem to have confirmed that the same tire appears "beefier" on the 22.5mm DT rim than on the 28mm Nextie.

YOu are right, i was measuring the knobs which were wider like you said but the tire cassing itself is a bit wider with new rim.

But i dont understand why my friend with 25mm internal width rim has bigger MagicMary tire than me on 22.5mm ID... And how the hack are other users get their tires that big, is it difference between 28mm ID and 32mm ID really that huge than..
OK, so in this first paragraph here you establish that you were looking at the knobs, not casing, which may explain the "beefier" appearance with the narrower rim, as the knobs splay out more on the narrower rim. You also seem to have now observed that, in fact, the casing is wider on the wider rim, just as one would expect.

But then in the second paragraph you introduce a whole other, previously unmentioned, rim (25mm), and say it's MM appears wider than on your 22.5 rim, again not telling us if you are looking at knobs or casing. If you are looking at casing, of course it's wider on a 25mm rim than a 22.5mm! And when you say "how are other...users getting their tires that big", how do you know that theirs are bigger than yours (which gives me a chuckle to even say) if you aren't actually measuring yours with calipers?

I'm not trying to be mean, but dude, you need to:
1. Get yourself some digital calipers
2. Start measuring casings and knobs and specifying which you are talking about.
3. Stop comparing the unmeasured appearance of your tires to the unmeasured appearance of tires in a photo on the internet, or other differing tire models for that matter.

If you actually do all of that and still find your wider rims are resulting in a narrower tire casing, then let us know. One possibility is if your Nextie's have a particularly tall rim sidewall, as many hookless rims do, they will constrain the tire to a few mm greater height than a shorter model like a Stan's do. I'm not sure where DT's stack up in the mix of things.

On a more exciting note, anyone got any hands on experience/ride reports with any of the asymmetric rims with the reinforced spoke holes that are showing up on the various rim websites?
 
#7,853 ·
Just finished carbon cycle 35 29 id asymmetric build 32 hole with 240 dt Swiss. Built after bigdrunk posted his. Came in at 720 front 810 rear with tape and valves. Three rides at 20 psi rear 18 front rr 2.25 rear 2.35 front. Seems glued to the ground but still rolls with buddy's in group ride. Highly recommend carbon cycle so far asked for 400 gram rims and that's exactly what I got. Also great luck with light bike rims three sets in our group for last three years trouble free. But they seem do be expensive compared to carbon cycles. Fwiw compare carbon cycle 35 to nox farlow they seem identical.
 
#7,855 ·
Supposedly my new bike is on its way to the bike shop (or possibly even being put together as I type). One of the long term upgrades I plan is carbon wheels. Only problem is I'm completely ignorant about what I need/want. Do any of you guys (or gals) have suggestions on a good place to start learning? I figure I have about 12 months to a year before I'll be able to pull off the upgrade. Plenty of time for research. I'm definitely leaning toward the no name option, but again, am ignorant of what's out there.

Thanks for any suggestions!
 
#7,856 ·
Supposedly my new bike is on its way to the bike shop (or possibly even being put together as I type). One of the long term upgrades I plan is carbon wheels. Only problem is I'm completely ignorant about what I need/want. Do any of you guys (or gals) have suggestions on a good place to start learning? I figure I have about 12 months to a year before I'll be able to pull off the upgrade. Plenty of time for research. I'm definitely leaning toward the no name option, but again, am ignorant of what's out there.

Thanks for any suggestions!
Read this thread, search and read other threads, and know that in 12mos you will have even more options. Good luck.

Hell, in 12months the wheel size of your bike may be obsolete and on clearance.
 
#7,860 ·
Making the decision. Going to order either LB, or Carbon Bicycle rims, the DT 350 hubs, Sapim Lasers with brass nipples, and tape/etc. to set up tubeless. Just deciding on the "normal" 35/30 rims for 29ers, or the asymmetric. probably will just go standard as it is cheaper, and seems to have worked for others.
 
#7,865 ·
Here are my LB 24/30 U-Shape rims laced up to White Industries MI6 hubs. I opted to have the new Avatar logo affixed as a decal at the valve stem location underneath the matte clear coat. I couldn't be happier with how they turned out and the quality.

View attachment 1056752
Looks great! I wish those hubs were within my budget as they look nice. How did you get LB to use the smaller sticker? I did not see an option when compiling a "practice" order.
 
#7,871 ·
Ok, here are the promised photos:

Bicycle tire Bicycle frame Bicycle wheel rim Bicycle wheel Bicycle fork


Bicycle tire Tire Wheel Bicycle wheel Bicycle frame


Bicycle tire Tire Wheel Bicycle frame Bicycle wheel rim


Bicycle tire Bicycle wheel rim Bicycle wheel Bicycle part Spoke


Bicycle tire Tire Wheel Bicycle wheel rim Automotive tire


Bicycle tire Bicycle wheel rim Bicycle wheel Bicycle part Automotive tire


Bicycle tire Tire Wheel Bicycle wheel rim Automotive tire


Clothing Tire Bicycle wheel Wheel Bicycle frame


If you want to see them without the stickers, I have first to find the photos I took without them :D.

I decided to apply stickers after swapping bikes with a buddy, and he hadn't rode for 10m and had already scratch them :eekster:
Using the Enve stickers allowed me to cover 3/4 of the rims on both sides, and they look rad, so win win :D.
 
#7,879 ·
Or....you can read all the threads on galvanic corrosion in relation to carbon rims and aluminum nipples. Some believe that the Enve issue was primarily due to poor anodization of the aluminum nipples. Other users have experienced similar issues when using cheaply anodized aluminum nipples. Enve addressed the issue by changing to a specially designed brass nipple that is very minimalist to address the weight issue (brass vs. aluminum). Many users have built carbon rims from many manufacturers using quality anodized aluminum nipples with no issues for years of use. If you are looking to lighten a wheel build, many experienced wheel builders would recommend using quality aluminum nipples.
That being said, there is no problem using brass nipples. They are just a little heavier.
 
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