Well I haven't had clinchers, but I did have tubulars. The hubs were smooth sealed bearings, the spokes were really crappy flat blades and the rims were just OK. My biggest complaint was the braking performance. They absolutely sucked unless you ran cork pads and they squealed to beat the band in some situations. One brake track also started to wear through very quickly. I probably used them 6 or 7 times and then gave them to my nephew. They still suck, but they didn't cost him anything.

I would buy a set of Flo 30s instead. Yea they aren't carbon, but they are almost certainly going to be a better wheel.

Hello
I have bought several pairs of chinese wheels over the years. Its because I was given a very nice frame, and found out it was a chinese frame. The guy was doing a lot of work to create a youth cycling team and was traveling to asia often and decided to check out these bike and wheel carbon manufacturers. Some of these bike manufacturers had bike boxes from floor to ceiling with the likes of Colnago, et al.
Anyway he said much of the carbon made is from china, the technology is getting better, and aside from the top dollar stuff, most is created from chinese companies, shipped with a variety of stickers on them and put out the door.
So I first started with 88mm rear and a 60mm front Tubular, Loved them and they rolled great. I bought another pair for my road bike, but more along the lines of 38mm. Again tubular. I did get tired of the tubular so I bought a pair of of front and back 88mm clincher for the TT bike, and 38mm clincher for the road bike.
The only thing I have had to do is replace a nipple on nearly each one. So last year I was descending Pikes peak and by the time I got about a mile from my car I had warped the braking surface of my rear wheel from heat, and then it bust a tire. Yes this could have been pretty scary, but The descent is so steep and technical its actually hard to hit high speeds on a lot of it. Anyway. So that wheel was ruined.
I went back and bought another rear wheel and front but with ceramic hubs, a U-shape instead of V shape, and better nipples (brass instead of alloy)
Now. Up to date. What I would do, is buy these wheels and have them either retentioned here or even rebuild with your choice nipples and spokes.
This latest batch my U-shape with upgraded nipples don't seem to hold the spokes well and they have been De-threading. Yes thats right, in the first week I got them I had what sounded like a broken spoke, took it to a shop while out riding and they simply got the same nipple and put it back on the spoke. Both were fine. 3 days later in a stage race. That same rear wheel dethreaded 2 spokes. I had the whole wheel rethreaded with blue loctight that night.
Now I got back and my local mechanic said they simply need to be re-done. with better nipples and spokes. They are still true, and still rideable, and are fine, but if I have the time and $40 per wheel, I just don't have the patience I was going to wait until you know, the snow hits?
Heres the deal. They are all staying TRUE, and out of 5 pair I have only had 1 brake surface issue, (again very heavy descending) and 1 rear wheel dethreading. I still like my wheels and I am nearly through 3 years with my 88mm wheels. NO ISSUES. IF I had some spare change I could upgrade those nipples (currently alloy) and spokes.
For $400 for a pair shipped to my door. This is less expensive than 1 wheel crash replacement of Zipp. Do Zipps fail? Yes, Do reynolds, lew,rol, hed ? They can all have issues. Now What would I buy if I was a self made..... triathlete? Probably Enve. But on a budget, I am quite happy with what I paid for.
The squeaky braking can be fixed by "toe in" your brake pads and the type of pads.
Have fun.

Yep have 50mm's and 60 mms. My Farsports wheels (50mm's) have been superb. Stiff as my zipp 808s. Allow me to just glide up hills. The feeling was incredible first time I rode them before I was used to that. Have ridden them for a year and absolutely no problems. I had them made with sapim cx ray spokes and novatec hubs.

The 60s I bought through DHGate from Feifan sports. I actually haven't ridden them yet. Aesthetically pleasing, true and seem to be in great shape. Also had built with Sapim cx rays and novatec hubs. I will ride them for first time this weekend.

Don't be afraid. Build with good parts like the novatec hubs and better spokes and buy from a reputable dealer like Farsports and you will be very pleased.

I have no direct experience with the Chinese production carbon wheels or frames, so you may discount what I have to say, but this is WHY I have no direct experience with these products -- I won't buy them because of their QC issues.

I work in commercial aerospace, and we work with Chinese suppliers specifically in carbon layups. I've seen what these suppliers try to get away with WHEN WE'RE WATCHING THEM LIKE HAWKS. No way will I buy a product where they're left to their own cost-cutting measures. One of the latest flaps was regarding them sanding layups IN THE CLEAN ROOM! As in distributing a nice layer of dust into a layup. Our production specs clearly forbid this (the sanding), and anyone with any sense wouldn't add a layer of what amounts to parting agent into a layup that is relying on adhesion of these layers to each other.

This is only the latest of MANY issues.

You wanna place your life on those kinds of QC issues, fine. I won't. Doesn't mean that the product you get is going to spontaneously explode on you, but there are no guarantees, and even fewer avenues of recourse.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

doesn't matter the brand or QC, there are no guarantees period.

Have you not noticed the several dozen recalls/stop sale notices with MAJOR manufactures parts catastrophically falling that are posted right on these forums?

I haven't, really, but I don't find it surprising. As I said, there are QC issues even when they're being watched. I shudder to think of what they do (and get away with) when left to their own devices.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

Who said the failed named brand products were Chinese manufactured? Some may have been, many were not.

The OP asked for experiences you have none and seem to not even have knowledge period about failures in this industry.

I purchased a set of 88mm deep carbon clinchers, rode the rear all of last year/season. The front for about half before ordering a wide set of 88mm rims and wanting to get back into building some wheels. I built and used the front for the second half of last season and so far all this season. The rear I built just before this season and have a few races and handful of rides on it. I smashed the crap out of both into a pot hole just prior to the first race and they came away flawless (but double flatted), I even probably have the spoke tension on the high side, which could have pulled a nipple through the spoke bed but they are fine.

A few weeks back i ordered a set of 60mm deep wide carbon with alloy brake surface to build as my road wheels, that the GF can race on if she wishes and will also be my back up race wheels if it is really windy or wet.

I have three sets of mtb rims, some cx (disc) tubs and a teammate has a wheelset or two from LightBicycle.

I had all of my wheels built up locally as I believe (nothing to really substantiate this) that the wheel will only be as good as your builder. Other than that, every transaction I've had with them has been awesome and the rims arrive around 3-4weeks later round/straight.

I haven't talked to my buddy about his wheels specifically but he would be squawking if something was out of sorts.

ymmv

Then you can go ahead and discount what I have to say. I'm fine with that.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

Your post was of no value to begin with, not much room for a discount unless you plan to send out checks paypal would work too. Please send as a gift though.


Seems you may be involved in selling slightly competitive products, which is fine, just be honest about that when you post in a thread speaking down on things you have never actually used.

Right, I said up front I have no experience with the products in question, but I do have experience with QC issues in a related industry, and specifically with carbon layups. It's the same cultural mindset that put lead in paint on toys for young children, and arsenic in baby food. If you want to divide out "this industry" from everything else produced there and say it's going to be different, well, go ahead with that delusion.

My frames aren't competing with Chinese carbon knock-off products, and I don't sell wheels. Not sure where you got the idea I'm all butt-hurt by that. It seems that I have offended you specifically somehow, and that was not my intention, so I will apologize for whatever it might have been. As for the OP, I'll let them decide whether my input is of any worth. Maybe you could do the same.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

I purchased a set of 88mm deep carbon clinchers, rode the rear all of last year/season.

Where did you buy them?

I still like my wheels and I am nearly through 3 years with my 88mm wheels. NO ISSUES. IF I had some spare change I could upgrade those nipples (currently alloy) and spokes.

Where did you buy them?

Nothing wrong with aluminum nipples in general BTW.

Ron, here's my experience:


60mm Carbon/Alloy hoops off Ebay (this seller and these hoops, to be specific): http://www.ebay.com/...;hash=item3aab3ae191

I bought a pre-assembled hub, and a rear 24H rim that I laced to a G3. I think I've got about 6000 miles on the rear (very few on the front--see Powertap), and, other than hitting some awfully huge piece of metal while commuting home in the dark that dinged the brake tract, they've been altogether boringly wonderful. Heavy as sin, though, if that's a concern.

Have not tested their "aeroness."

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The question of who is right and who is wrong has seemed to me always too small to be worth a moment's thought, while the question of what is right and what is wrong has seemed all-important.

-Albert J. Nock

i bought carbonspeed11's 80mm 23mm-wide hybrid rim to put my Powertap Pro+ into, ordering a 32h drilling, built it up myself(first wheel, whee) over last winter and have about 2500 miles on it.
so far so good, as it was my first build, it came out decent; i'm sure a more experienced builder would find things to take note of. it seems as though the aluminum rim is a tiny bit softer than say, a Mavic Open Pro, but not wobbly or bendable by any means. the carbon fairing is perfectly smooth with no blemishes, the layup looks consistent with no weird patterns, the bonded area is clean and smooth too. i have hit a few unavoidable potholes/seams with no obvious damage, so i guess i'm happy them. they roll well and make a subtle rumbling noise as you go, out of the saddle sprinting is fine, no rubbing on the frame or brakes, braking is as expected with the Al brake track.

http://www.ebay.com/...;hash=item3aa6037859
Sapim CX-Ray spokes and brass nipples from prowheelbuilder.com

i did have to make my own nipple driver from an old spoke and a spare nipple.

eventually, i'll probably purchase a pre-built 23mm-wide 50 or 60mm deep front to match the 80 i have. i chose the 23mm wide rims as the frames i have might have clearance issues with much wider(2008 QR Caliente, 2006-2008-ish Cervelo p2sl, cervelo S1(previously known as the Soloist Team))

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"...I try not to ever ride as slow as 20mph. ;) ... And even more than that, I don't race with a speedometer. My computer is set up to show Power // Cadence // Time. I don't actually ever know how fast I'm going. I only know that if I'm in 53/11, and it takes more than 100rpm to hit my target watts, it's time to coast." - Jordan Rapp on '09 IMC

The only issue is making sure the spoke is long enough to thread completely through the nipple.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

Which made every comment after that useless to anyone here or the OP. Everyone here has heard the ignorant opinions on chinese products.

The complete set was from aaron-bike on ebay

Glad you had a good experience, but I wouldn't buy from that source, or any other that requires you pay shipping both ways to receive warranty service.

http://www.bikeradar.com/...40042&t=12965272




Farsports, Light Bicycle, and Carbon Cycle are companies that seem to care about their rep.

Shipping one or even both ways for warranty service is far from a chinese ebay thing though. I would say 90% if not more of the items in my house that I would need to consider warranty service on require that.

The company I work for requires you to pay for shipping to us and we'll cover ground return, you pay the difference if you want it faster. Amazing how suddenly they figure out how to get the firmware uploader working and don't need to send it in afterall :). Sometimes shipping charges are just a deterrent, I'll often overnight no charge at all a returned item if it turned out they actually had a problem. Not necessarily the case here just policy on the surface isn't always what it seems.

Those wheels are since sold and 3/4 of the way through the warranty anyway so personally don't care.

Had their been a failure I probably wouldn't even have attempted to warranty them and simply bought replacements. I'm not the type that assumes everything is a defect and that any type of failure during a warranty period means that it is actually something that you would warranty, especially on a wheel.

Take the guy with the zipp wheels a few months back that smashed train tracks. I believe zipp required him to send them in for inspection on his dime correct? He refused and then was also mad they wouldn't replace them for free and had to pay the crash damage fee. Not saying zipp is bad, just saying that people don't know what forces damage rims and warranty shipping policies are often more similar than they seem.

No reputable seller would require the buyer to pay more than the original cost of the rims just to replace an obviously defective item. Yes, that is a deterrent all right!

It also means they have zero confidence in their product. So why should you?

There are better options (ie sellers) who cost a little more, but actually provide a warranty.

So you are saying that companies like zipp and many others in this very industry are not reputable? I may be incorrect in that one specific example but I thought it was their policy that the end user covered shipping on returns?

Reputable and deterrent are not the same thing. The fact that there is a fee may deter someone from doing business with that company, but it does not make them less reputable. It's intent is usually too actually deter less than reputable end users from abusing the warranty system, those do exist and are possibly more more common even.

You are saying that without a doubt and 100% certainty that the rim in that photo, only going by the photos was a defect? That no outside influence could possible be involved in the failure? I'm not saying that it is not a defect, I'm saying that there is a lot of room for doubt, which is why many reputable companies do in fact put the cost of shipping on the end user to return the damaged good.

I may be incorrect in that one specific example but I thought it was their policy that the end user covered shipping on returns?

If they are located in the same country as the support center or retailer, then shipping won't be that expensive (if any) and they will not be required to pay for *both* directions.

Reputable and deterrent are not the same thing. The fact that there is a fee may deter someone from doing business with that company, but it does not make them less reputable. It's intent is usually too actually deter less than reputable end users from abusing the warranty system, those do exist and are possibly more more common even.

I believe that there are probably as many people who don't bother seeking restitution for a product defect as those who do. And the ones "cheating" are very small. In fact I can't think of any customers in the 8 years I've been in the business who tried to cheat me.

You are saying that without a doubt and 100% certainty that the rim in that photo, only going by the photos was a defect?

Both rims had the same failure in the same spot.

You don't have to be 100% certain that it was a defect and not user abuse in order to issue a warranty. What would be gained from looking at the rims anyway, that couldn't be deduced from detailed photos?

The company response is in that forum also. Basically, F you. Our policy is to force you to pay more than the rims are worth to get them replaced, so too bad. That means no warranty period.