I found these American classic carbon wheels on marketplace place for 120 usd and I was wondering if it’s worth the upgrade or if it’s even an upgrade. I’m currently riding giant p-sl. My other wheels are fine but I think going to carbon could be fun. The American classic wheels also include the cassette (dura-ace 10 speed).
by Lil_Hondo
8 Comments
If you can afford it why not.
These look like tubular wheels (I.e. made for tubular tires). If that’s the case, no, they are not worth it.
Look for “clincher” style wheels.
Are the carbon wheels clincher or tubulars? Usually when I see carbon wheels at a great price like that, they’re tubulars which nobody likes dealing with anymore.
If you do get these, remember you also need to swap your brake pads for carbon-rim-friendly brake pads. Braking performance will likely be less than your machined brake surface wheelset when it’s dry and be near useless when wet. Love my carbon rim brake road bike, but it’s 100% my fair weather go fast bike.
Those are really old. Braking was generally pretty bad back then. 120 is pretty cheap though
You shouldn’t get carbon wheels on a rim brake bike. Just not worth the worse braking and expensive wear surfaces. Disc brakes are one of the big things that made carbon wheels reasonable as an upgrade for normal people.
As others have mentioned, these are probably tubulars too.
Those look like tubular wheels. Tubulars are way more hassle than clinchers, and that’s why you can pick them up for $120 on Marketplace.
Superteam. They go on sale for less than 250. I have 3 sets and all work well. They are new (made in 24 and 25). I have disc and rim brake models. The basalt rim brake track is plenty aggressive. They are clincher.
Not worth the hassle with rim brakes, much less if they’re tubulars. The pros were doing exactly this a decade or so ago, but they also had professional mechanics.