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 to thousands
00:45of pounds. The cost of a wheelset can be impacted by brand, material quality and manufacturing processes
00:53among with some other variables. I think it's wise to set a budget for yourself before
00:58you start shopping, mainly so that you don't get carried away but also it works as a handy
01:03filtering tool to remove options from you that simply aren't right for you and ensures you get
01:08the most for your money. I would recommend setting your budget to the nearest 500 pounds or dollars
01:14because as a starting point this tends to work very well as a way to group together different levels
01:21of wheelset. Next up is a very important category indeed, choosing the right depth of wheel. There's
01:30no right or wrong when deciding how deep or shallow to go, you just have to consider the type of riding
01:36that you do and your own anatomy. Shallow rims that are 25 millimeters or less are a better choice for
01:44cyclists who prioritize stability and handling over aerodynamics. Shallow rims offer better stability in
01:51windy conditions making them a good pairing for those that live in windswept environments but also
01:57for riders who weigh less as lighter weight riders will be more susceptible to wind gusts. Shallow rims are
02:03also lighter in weight which can help make your bike easier to ride when climbing hills. Deeper rims with
02:10depths of 40 millimeters or more possess a different set of pros and cons. They are more aerodynamic and
02:16provide better speed on flat roads. They're well suited for riders who prioritize aerodynamics and speed
02:23over weight and stability. However these rims are more likely to be affected by crosswinds which can make
02:30them less stable in windy conditions. However again if you're a heavier rider this might not impact you too much.
02:38In a nutshell shallow rims are better for hilly terrain while deeper rims are better suited to flat riding.
02:46If you care more about weight and stability go shallow or if you prioritize speed and aerodynamics
02:51then 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 of the rim.
03:29Over the past 10-20 years these two measurements have slowly gotten bigger and bigger especially
03:36with the introduction of bikes with disc brakes. That has allowed for cyclists to run wider and wider
03:42tyres. This in turn has allowed for greater comfort and grip while out cycling. So you can see why it's
03:48happened right? To decide what rim width is best for you it's a good idea to reverse engineer things and
03:54start with what tyre width you would like to run. 28mm is now the common choice for most road cyclists
04:01that favour performance however 30 and 32mm is often chosen by those who want extra comfort and grip.
04:09If you're in the former camp then opting for something with a 20mm internal rim width
04:14will suit you fine. If however you'd prefer to run 30 or 32mm tyres then you may want to look at something
04:22a little wider like a 23mm internal rim width. Those wider tyres will still work very well on a rim
04:30with a 20mm internal width but 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 but we have to ensure what you're
05:30looking at will actually be compatible with your bike. There's a number of things to consider like axle
05:37type, wheel diameter and brake compatibility. For instance a wheel set designed for rim brakes may
05:44not work for a bike that has disc brakes. To work out what's right for you check the spec sheet for
05:51the wheels that came with your bike and the specifications of the ones you're looking to upgrade to.
05:57Also be sure the wheels you're wanting to upgrade to align with your intended use i.e don't buy mountain
06:04bike wheels for a road bike. Wheel sets often come with different free hubs depending on what group
06:09set your bike has. If you have a SRAM group set then you'll need a SRAM free hub. The same goes for
06:15Shimano and 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.
06:25You 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 to
06:44ensure you fit hookless ready tyres to them which can be an extra layer of confusion which you might
06:50not want to get into when you're buying your first set of carbon wheels.
07:00Finally we're on to 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 I think it's at least
07:11important to give it a bit of a thought before committing to a super swanky set of wheels.
07:17More expensive wheels can come with fancy ceramic bearings which are said to reduce rolling resistance
07:23and make you faster. But in reality that saving is minuscule and if that saving really makes a
07:30difference then it's likely you're a professional cyclist. Bearings like these can wear out quite
07:36quickly and can be costly to replace so while they may sound exciting the reality is for most people
07:43they can be left alone. If you buy wheels from a reputable brand like Hunt then you can choose the
07:49wheels you're after and opt for stainless steel bearings and select the right free hub for you
07:54making the buying process much easier. I would always recommend buying from a well-known brand like Hunt
08:00so I've left a link down below to the wheels that I've shown you in this video if you want to find them
08:06for yourself. If you have any questions about buying carbon wheels then drop them down below
08:12and I'll do my best to answer them.
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