Can I buy split carbon wheels? Briefly on the advantages and disadvantages of carbon spoke wheels

Since the application of carbon fiber to bicycles, various carbon fiberization has been a goal pursued by many manufacturers. Carbon fiber spoke wheels have always been an unattainable goal for any riders. Until recent years, domestic brands have gradually begun to develop carbon fiber spoke wheels. Make the carbon fiber spoke wheel set is no longer unattainable. So this article will briefly talk about the advantages and disadvantages of carbon fiber spokes.

Advantage

1. Lighter weight

Take a certain brand of carbon spokes as an example, select 5 carbon spokes with a length of 290mm, total weight 16.2g, and get an average weight of 3.24g (290mm) carbon spokes require special spoke caps, and aluminum alloy spoke caps weigh 3.2g.

As an example, the top-level spokes sapim cx-ray used in general weaving wheels, the total weight of 5 290mm lengths is 24.4g, the average weight is 4.88g, the Sapim round cap is 3.9g, and the polyax cap is 3.6g.

Carbon spokes are only about 65% of the weight of top steel bars. Because there are metal fittings on both sides of the carbon bars, when the length of the spokes is shorter, the weight difference between the steel bars and carbon bars will become smaller.

Take a pair of climbing wheels with 20 holes in the front/24 holes in the rear, and a total of 44 spokes. Carbon fiber spokes can provide a weight advantage of about 90g in spoke weight, which is a considerable gap.

2. Higher tensile strength

Compared with metal, carbon fiber has higher tensile strength in a specific direction, so carbon spokes are basically laid radially using UD unidirectional cloth to obtain the best tensile performance. 

Steel spokes are more likely to be elongated under high tension, while carbon spokes still maintain consistent tensile strength.

When pedaling the drive, the wheel set will receive a torsion force, and some of the spokes will receive a higher tensile force than the preset tensile force when the wheel is knitting. The stretch of steel spokes will be greater than that of carbon spokes.

This is also the reason why major manufacturers do not choose to pull the spokes with high tension, and it is also the main reason why carbon spokes feel better and more direct when riding.

Disadvantage

1. Expensives

Some people say that this is the main disadvantage. Actually, expensive is not its shortcoming. After all, production costs and technology research and development costs have become higher, and after-sales costs have also become higher.

Article reprinted from https://www.biketo.com/product/45863_2.html