00:00So, you want to buy yourself your first set of carbon wheels? In my opinion, that's a wise move.
00:06For reasons you're probably well familiar with, you'll be able to enjoy less weight,
00:11better aerodynamics and potentially more comfort. To guide you through the process of choosing which
00:16wheels could be right for you, I've created this video which is broken down into different sections
00:22with each one hopefully providing useful guidance on every major part of the wheel selection process
00:28and how to ensure you end up with the right ones for you.
00:39An important place to start is of course, budget. Carbon wheels can range from hundreds
00:44to thousands of pounds. The cost of a wheelset can be impacted by brand, material quality and
00:51manufacturing processes, among with some other variables. I think it's wise to set a budget for
00:57yourself before you start shopping, mainly so that you don't get carried away. But also,
01:02it works as a handy filtering tool to remove options from you that simply aren't right for you and
01:08ensures you get the most for your money. I would recommend setting your budget to the nearest
01:13500 pounds or dollars because as a starting point, this tends to work very well as a way to group
01:19together different levels of wheelset. Next up is a very important category indeed, choosing the right
01:29depth of wheel. There's no right or wrong when deciding how deep or shallow to go, you just have to
01:35consider the type of riding that you do and your own anatomy. Shallow rims that are 25mm or less are a
01:42better choice for cyclists who prioritise stability and handling over aerodynamics. Shallow rims offer
01:50better stability in windy conditions, making them a good pairing for those that live in windswept
01:55environments, but also for riders who weigh less as lighter weight riders will be more susceptible to wind gusts.
02:01Shallow rims are also lighter in weight, which can help make your bike easier to ride when climbing hills.
02:09Deeper rims with depths of 40mm or more possess a different set of pros and cons. They are more
02:15aerodynamic and provide better speed on flat roads. They're well suited for riders who prioritise
02:21aerodynamics and speed over weight and stability. However, these rims are more likely to be affected by
02:28crosswinds, which can make them less stable in windy conditions. However, again, if you're a heavier
02:35rider, this might not impact you too much. In a nutshell, shallow rims are better for hilly terrain,
02:42while deeper rims are better suited to flat riding. If you care more about weight and stability, go
02:48shallow, or if you prioritise speed and aerodynamics, then you'll benefit more from deeper rims.
02:59We're going to talk about rim width now, and I'm going to keep this as easy to understand as possible,
03:04because the subject can become quite convoluted and nuanced very quickly.
03:10When discussing rim width, there's two measurements you may hear banded around – internal and external
03:16width. The internal rim width relates to the measurement taken between the two inside edges
03:22of the rim. The external rim width is the measurement taken between the two external edges
03:28of the rim. Over the past 10, 20 years, these two measurements have slowly gotten bigger and bigger,
03:35especially with the introduction of bikes with disc brakes. That has allowed for cyclists to run
03:40wider and wider tyres. This in turn has allowed for greater comfort and grip while out cycling. So,
03:47you can see why it's happened, right? To decide what rim width is best for you, it's a good idea to
03:53reverse engineer things and start with what tyre width you would like to run. 28mm is now the common
03:59choice for most road cyclists that favour performance. However, 30 and 32mm is often
04:06chosen by those who want extra comfort and grip. If you're in the former camp, then opting for something
04:12with a 20mm internal rim width will suit you fine. If, however, you'd prefer to run 30 or 32mm tyres,
04:20then you may want to look at something a little wider, like a 23mm internal rim width.
04:27Those wider tyres will still work very well on a rim with a 20mm internal width,
04:33but they'll perform just that bit better on something wider.
04:42By this point, you've already made some of the biggest decisions, but there's one more to consider.
04:48But happily, it shouldn't affect your purchasing journey all too much. Do you want to run tubeless
04:54or inner tubes? Like I said, this doesn't actually affect things too much right now as many carbon
05:01wheels do come tubeless ready, but if you're eyeing up a pair and they don't say they're tubeless ready,
05:07then you may want to consider buying some rim tape and valves to get them ready.
05:12We've made videos in the past on how to set up tubeless tyres, so I'll leave a link to that in the corner of the screen.
05:25We're nearly there with finding the perfect set of wheels for you,
05:28but we have to ensure what you're looking at will actually be compatible with your bike.
05:34There's a number of things to consider like axle type, wheel diameter and brake compatibility.
05:41For instance, a wheel set designed for rim brakes may not work for a bike that has disc brakes.
05:47To work out what's right for you, check the spec sheet for the wheels that came with your bike
05:53and the specifications of the ones you're looking to upgrade to. Also, be sure the wheels you're wanting
05:59to upgrade to align with your intended use, i.e. don't buy mountain bike wheels for a road bike.
06:06Wheel sets often come with different free hubs depending on what group set your bike has.
06:11If you have a SRAM group set, then you'll need a SRAM free hub. The same goes for Shimano
06:16and Campagnolo. Some simple checks here will mean you don't end up buying rim brake wheels with a
06:22SRAM free hub body for a disc brake bike with a Shimano group set.
06:32You may see some chatter online about hooked versus hookless wheels. In my opinion, if you're unsure,
06:38just go for hooked rims. That's not to say that hookless wheels are bad, it's just that you need
06:43to ensure you fit hookless ready tyres to them, which can be an extra layer of confusion which you
06:49might not want to get into when you're buying your first set of carbon wheels.
07:00Finally, we're onto our last consideration and this one kind of plays into the first one.
07:05Cost of maintenance. While this can be attributed to full bike servicing,
07:10I think it's at least important to give it a bit of a thought before committing to a super swanky set of
07:16wheels. More expensive wheels can come with fancy ceramic bearings, which are said to reduce rolling
07:22resistance and make you faster. But in reality, that saving is minuscule and if that saving really
07:30makes a difference, then it's likely you're a professional cyclist. Bearings like these can wear
07:36out quite quickly and can be costly to replace. So while they may sound exciting, the reality is,
07:42for most people, they can be left alone. If you buy wheels from a reputable brand like Hunt,
07:48then you can choose the wheels you're after and opt for stainless steel bearings and select the right
07:52free hub for you, making the buying process much easier. I would always recommend buying from a well
07:59known brand like Hunt, so I've left a link down below to the wheels that I've shown you in this video
08:05if you want to find them for yourself. If you have any questions about buying carbon wheels, then drop them
08:11down below and I'll do my best to answer them.
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