I don't know anything about the Chinese carbon tubulars...but I did get a set of aluminum tubular cx wheels built up last year and I'm really happy with them. I used the velocity major tom rim and velocity disc hubs. Couldn't be happier. I don't recall exactly what they cost but they would be just about in your price range. I got them through prowheelbuilder.com. I would definitely get tubulars for cx, which it sounds like you are going to do either way. If you do want a deeper profile rim, IIRC, velocity does make a deep tubular aluminum rim for about the same cost as their other rims.

Hope this is helpful

A few of the guys I race CX with have used Chinese carbon tubulars. They haven't had issues and some have been on the wheels for 3+ years.

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I have three sets of them. Never a problem. You do have to bring them to a wheel builder to make sure everything is good and tight. Sometimes all the spokes are not tight. Also get the 25mm wide ones. Bigger glueing area, and able to use less air to prevent pinch flats if you happen to put really good tires on them that have latex liners.

I should say I use disc brakes. Not sure how good the carbon would hold up with mud and grime digging in with canti brakes.

Unfortunately going with disc brakes at this stage is not an option. My bike is capable of being upgraded to disc brakes, but I don't have the funds at this time.

You mentioned going with the larger 25mm rim for larger gluing surface.... I like that advice, is 27mm too wide?

The wheel that I linked to above has a 27mm wide rim. My cross bike can definitely accept rims that wide, but will many of the popular tire options work on a 27 mm wide rim, or is that just too wide?

If you have a 10-speed non-disc bike, you're cheap tubular options are endless.

So many people are selling their old wheels OR you can easily build an aluminum wheel for under $500.

Riding tubulars is different from riding clinchers. There is a learning process.

You want tubulars because
1. The offer better traction
2. They offer a cushier ride that helps smooth terrain

BUT

Those two features require low pressure.
Low pressure requires you having to learn to be smooth, you have to ride with finesse.

Else, you'll be smacking rims and rolling tires.
To avoid this, many people pump up the pressure. Then their tubulars ride just like the clincher's they're familiar with.

I vote for cheap aluminum rims with something like Clement MXP's for a first pair. They'll be boarder-line bomb-proof and you won't be afraid to break them.
Learn to ride them for a season then upgrade and keep 'em in the stable as a backup set.

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I raced on a Gigantex carbon front wheel in cross for a while. The braking surface wore down quicker than I would expect, but the wheel is still ridable. If you plan on riding in a lot of mud, I would avoid them and stick with aluminum. The mud and grit will wear the braking surface quickly. Here in OKC, we don't have much mud and grit on our CX courses. It's mostly just grass and hardpack.

I don't have any thoughts about catastrophic failure of the rim. The hub on my wheel is garbage, which is the main reason I switched to something else.

Now I'm on aluminum Velocity Major Toms with 105 hubs. These are probably heavier than chinese carbon, but they were cheap and seem very reliable. I would much rather use these in the mud than the carbon tubies, and I think that the braking surface will last way longer on these than my carbon hoops.

If your brakes can open wide enough for them then yes I would do it. However I would pay attention to what others have said about being smooth and the brake tracks. If you wanted I could sell you a set of major tomes with clement lrs tires and chriss king hubs. They are disc but I would just keep the disc and you could use them with canties. 500 shipped. I paid 950 for them last year.

Out of curiosity why tubular versus tubeless. You probably can pick up tubies for cheaper than tubeless but for for Cx I think tubeless does offer a real advantage.

I guess I never really thought about tubeless. I've ridden tubular and clinchers on my road and tri bike and I am new to the cross and MTB scene so have no experience with tubeless. Are they more puncture resistant? Easier to manage? Cheaper? Lighter?

I'm looking for something that will perform well and look nice ;)

The advantage of tubeless is you can run almost the same pressure as tubless (as long as you are smooth like discussed before) but you can change out tires for different conditions instead of having multiple wheel sets like me. I would highly recommend that you get tubless specific wheels and tires instead of converting some. It will cut down on the burping and possibility of tires rolling off. I do know people who converted but you have to have the right combo of wheel and tire.

They really don't make a lot of tubeless carbon rims you know.

they should be ok but maybe won't last forever, but that's par for the course in cross. One thing that shocks me in cross is how quickly the braking surface wears in the mud, i'm not sure if the carbon wears faster. Running plain old 32 spoke box section wheels for cross is also a great option, something with hubs you can rebuild without a lot of fuss. Because you use so much glue and crap, it's nice to have wheels you just use for cross only, especially if you go down the glue + tape road, getting that crap off is no fun

Hey man, resurrecting an old thread. Which chinese tubs do you have? Looking to upgrade for next CX race season. I've been looking at the chinese stuff, seems like a good option especially with discs where you don't need to worry about the brake track.

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.

Couldn't tell you a name. I just go on ebay and buy the widest inner crossection ones on there and pick the options, I like. The only thing I would do different is buy the 11 speed instead of 10. I want to change but not sure the hub can be upgraded or not. Two full seasons with lots of bashing on rocks here and no problems.

Nice, thanks. Do you know which hubs you got? I'm considering just getting the rims and then building a set with moderately nice hubs (thinking DT 350). A bit lighter and smoother than the novatecs (or similar) that seem to be stock. That could be a rocking ~1450g set of budget race wheels.

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.

I have novetec. I would recommend your way if you get hubs that are convertable to thru axel. In few years you might get CX bike with thru axel. And they could be used on a 29 mtb.