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 ensures
01:08you get the most for your money. I would recommend setting your budget to the nearest 500 pounds or
01:14dollars because as a starting point, this tends to work very well as a way to group together different
01:20levels of wheelset. Next up is a very important category indeed, choosing the right depth of wheel.
01:30There's no right or wrong when deciding how deep or shallow to go, you just have to consider the type
01:36of riding that you do and your own anatomy. Shallow rims that are 25mm or less are a better choice
01:43for
01:44cyclists who prioritise stability and handling over aerodynamics. Shallow rims offer better stability
01:51in windy conditions, making them a good pairing for those that live in windswept environments.
01:56But also for riders who weigh less, as lighter weight riders will be more susceptible to wind gusts.
02:02Shallow 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
02:28by crosswinds, 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,
02:48go shallow, 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
03:03easy to understand as possible because the subject can become quite convoluted and nuanced very quickly.
03:10When discussing rim width, there's two measurements you may hear banded around,
03:14internal and external width. The internal rim width relates to the measurement taken between the two
03:21inside edges of the rim. The external rim width is the measurement taken between the two external edges
03:27of 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 wider
03:41and wider tyres. This, in turn, has allowed for greater comfort and grip while out cycling. So, you can
03:47see why it's happened, right? To decide what rim width is best for you, it's a good idea to reverse
03:53engineer things and start with what tyre width you would like to run. 28mm is now the common choice
04:00for most road cyclists that favour performance. However, 30 and 32mm is often chosen by those who
04:07want extra comfort and grip. If you're in the former camp, then opting for something with a 20mm
04:13internal rim width will suit you fine. If, however, you'd prefer to run 30 or 32mm tyres, then you may
04:21want to look at something a little wider, like a 23mm internal rim width. Those wider tyres will still
04:29work very well on a rim with a 20mm internal width, but they'll perform just that bit better on something
04:36wider. By this point, you've already made some of the biggest decisions, but there's one more to
04:47consider. But happily, it shouldn't affect your purchasing journey all too much. Do you want to
04:53run tubeless or inner tubes? Like I said, this doesn't actually affect things too much right now,
05:00as many carbon wheels do come tubeless ready. But if you're eyeing up a pair and they don't say they're
05:06tubeless ready, then 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
05:18in 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
05:37axle type, wheel diameter and brake compatibility. For instance, a wheel set designed for rim brakes
05:44may not work for a bike that has disc brakes. To work out what's right for you, check the spec
05:50sheet
05:50for the wheels that came with your bike and the specifications of the ones you're looking to upgrade
05:56to. Also, be sure the wheels you're wanting to upgrade to align with your intended use, i.e. don't buy
06:03mountain bike wheels for a road bike. Wheel sets often come with different freehubs depending on
06:09what groupset your bike has. If you have a SRAM groupset, then you'll need a SRAM freehub. The
06:14same goes for Shimano and Campagnolo. Some simple checks here will mean you don't end up buying rim
06:21brake wheels with a SRAM freehub body for a disc brake bike with a Shimano groupset.
06:31You 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.
06:59Finally, 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, 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
07:49the wheels 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
07:59like Hunt, so I've left a link down below to the wheels that I've shown you in this video if
08:05you want
08:05to find them for yourself. If you have any questions about buying carbon wheels, then drop them down below
08:11and I'll do my best to answer them.
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