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Ebay and Chinese Direct Carbon Wheel Thread 3.0

216K views 208 replies 104 participants last post by  Roadiegull 
#1 ·
Time for a new thread. 2.0 will stay stickied below this for reference purposes.
 
#105 ·
Finally received my Yoeleo wheels today. Two months from order to delivery in Calif. At the three week mark I figured out that the Novatec hubs I ordered were going to be 6 bolt disc. The wheels had not been built so they let me upgrade to centerlock disc hubs for $30. Unfortunately they arrived with the 6 bolt hubs. I'm not going to try to return them and am just going to try to get my $30 refunded. Would I order from them again? Probably not.
 
#106 ·
Ordered some SAT60s from Yeoleo before new year. On the 23rd of Jan, I was advised that they would be closed for 10 days from the 24th for Chinese new year, but they would get my wheels together ans sent as soon as they reopened.

Contacted them today, 21 days later, and was advised I'd have to wait another 3 - 5 day for my choice of gloss finish rim.

Hopefully the wheels are good quality, and make up for this delay. Would have been nice if they'd only taken my money once they started my order.
 
#110 ·
Old Carbon wheels



Hello, I've never posted on a forum before so let me know if I'm doing it wrong. I recently purchased a carbon disc wheel that is older than me. my buddy suggested applying Vaseline to the surface to add moisture back to the carbon. Has anyone heard of this and are there any other tips for maintaining old carbon wheels?
 
#111 ·
Hello, I bought some 50mm carbon clinchers from carbonspedcycle

The brake track surface is hard, the bottom where the spokes enter is also hard
But I've noticed in the middle (rim wall, aero section) seems a bit soft, if i squeeze hard enough it will flex a little bit.

Is this norma guys or should I talk to the seller?
 
#114 ·
About to pull the trigger on the yoeleo 38 https://www.yoeleobike.com/bike-wheels-sat-c38-std.html and Leo suggested 24/28 cause I'm 200lbs. I'm recreational and ride Easton EA70 and avg less than 15mph. Also, in Richmond,Va there's usually some wind up to 14mph in fall, spring and winter. I'm torn between getting the c38 or Williams aluminum Williams System 31 Alloy Clincher Wheelset

I'm thinking due to my low speed and mostly flat riding that either of those two wheels would be the same in terms of what I would notice in speed, hills and comfort. Any thoughts???
 
#115 ·
About to pull the trigger on the yoeleo 38 https://www.yoeleobike.com/bike-wheels-sat-c38-std.html and Leo suggested 24/28 cause I'm 200lbs. I'm recreational and ride Easton EA70 and avg less than 15mph. Also, in Richmond,Va there's usually some wind up to 14mph in fall, spring and winter. I'm torn between getting the c38 or Williams aluminum Williams System 31 Alloy Clincher Wheelset

I'm thinking due to my low speed and mostly flat riding that either of those two wheels would be the same in terms of what I would notice in speed, hills and comfort. Any thoughts???
Get the alloy wheels, much better choice for you.
 
#119 ·
I purchased a set of wheels from Xbike a year ago and have been happy with the purchase.
38mm x 25mm clincher *non* foam filled
Pillar 20/24 (with 18:6 rear)
RAF10 RAR9 from Bitex
I got them from Xbikes.cn because they had all the parts, could answer all my questions, and were professional and prompt without a language barrier. I couldn't say the same for some of the others.

I did not go with the Rohacell core because of the substantially higher price, but I'm a fan of that construction method, common in aviation composites. Assuming the workmanship and layup quality of the foam-core rims are anything like mine, I would have high confidence.

One other technical consideration - I'm not sure if it's to your advantage or disadvantage - is heat dissipation, a big deal for carbon rims on the mountains. The sidewalls are likely to be thinner on those rims (bad) but the foam core may dissipate heat better (good). I thought about emailing the foam manufacturer to ask.
 
#121 ·
I just got a set of Superteam 38mm carbons(took awhile to get)anyways I'm very impressed ,just mounted them but not ridden due to rain,as soon as took them out of the foam bag they just look very well made ,come with pads & skewers,bladed spokes( I got a set of there titanium skewers)cant wait for the weather to break
 
#122 ·
I recently bought a pair of Chinese carbon / alloy hybrid wheels through eBay. It was total $410 including shipping. Finish quality looks decent but both wheels are not well trued. They are off by 2 - 3mm laterally and vertically. I've bought other new wheels of similar price range locally and they were better than that.

Is this common for Chinese wheels in that price range?
 
#123 ·
I can't tell you whether being 2-3mm off true both laterally and radially is common with Chinese wheels on any price range but I can tell you that the building of your wheels is not completed. Accepted tolerances for a decent quality built are 0.2mm laterally and 0.5mm radially. Your wheels are ridiculously over these limits.
 
#125 · (Edited)
so i'm looking for Chinese carbon road disc wheels for my Scott Solace 10 Disc.

12x100, 12x142 hubs with centrelock rotors.

Looking for something for mostly road use, i am running 700x28 Conti Grand Prix tires.

Looking for something around 30-38 mm deep.

I weigh about 210.

I emailed Peter from Carbonspeed (I previously bought 29+ wheels from him which have been great) and he recommended 35 mm deep, 25 mm wide rims, 24 hole F/R, DT Swiss 350 hubs.

Anyone running something similar that would have some input?

Thanks in advance.
 
#126 ·
so i'm looking for Chinese carbon road disc wheels for my Scott Solace 10 Disc.

12x100, 12x142 hubs with centrelock rotors.
I ordered and received a pair with similar specs a few months back for my Roubaix.

Yoeleo C38, 25mm wide, 12x142 DT240s - centrelock, J-hook Sapim CX-Ray spokes.

They have been pretty solid so far. A little early to give an informed review but this is my second set of C38 wheels; I have a rim brake pair on another bike since last summer.
 
#129 ·
In late 2015 I started to look for a light carbon wheel set, since I was planning to add a "climbing" bike. I ended up with a leftover Cervelo R2 that came with heavy Shimano wheels late Spring of 2016. During my wheel search I ran into the "cheap Chinese carbon wheel" vortex of opinions and decided to see if I could find some reviews on these "cheap" wheels by cyclists that had purchased and were riding them.

The few reviews I found were generally favorable, although some brands had better initial build quality than others. Pretty normal. Then I ran across an ICAN carbon wheel video review and eventually decided to give their wheels a shot based on several other very good write ups. Didn't order from Ebay, got 'em from Amazon.

I ordered a 38 mm deep Sapim spoked clinchers and they arrived in just 12 days. The price was a little over $400 at the time, so extremely "cheap", especially compared to the big brand names. It took me about a week extra to get tape, tires and cassette mounted. Yes, the new Conti GP 4000S ll tires were a bear to put on, but doable, just took a little patience. Part of the problem might have been that our weather was still relatively cool, and I think if I could have warmed the tires under a little sunshine, it might have made the mounting process a little easier.

Spinning these wheels showed they were true right from the box and I couldn't find a badly tensioned spoke. The hubs silent and spun very nicely. I was pretty impressed, especially with how light they were. I had already put over 300 miles on the Cervelo with the Shimano wheels that held it up and could tell the difference right away.

I live in Maine and our roads are beaten up pretty badly by our wacky Winter weather so I was a little more than apprehensive about the integrity of these wheels. I had always used aluminum and not so long ago, steel wheels. I go back a ways cycling. Anyway, I had definitely read the warnings about how these "off brand" wheels would crumple and leave my broken body and bike on the ground after decomposing mid ride somewhere after hitting an expansion joint or pebble.

I was obviously very cautious on my first few rides on the ICANs, but confidence in the build quality of these wheels increased pretty rapidly. They now have well over 2,000 miles on them. I spread my riding season among 3 road bikes with separate sets of wheels. A heavy endurance bike for early season rides, an aero bike for "flat(er)" rides and the newer R2 for the hills. Speed wise, the R2 now approaches and sometimes equals my more aero bike in quite a few Strava segments.

The ICANs are silent, very strong and stiff enough for my 180 to 190 pounds (depends on time of bike season) to get up out of the saddle and stand on the pedals to get up a hill if I need to without flexing into the brake pads. Light weight wheels make a huge difference. I can accelerate them quite easily on climbs and more importantly, they let me stay up with the younger guys in group rides, which is really good for the old ego.

I've hit plenty of bumps at speed with these wheels... it's inevitable, especially when riding in groups or during events. They have not decomposed. I do check them for cracks and nicks after every ride and clean the brake pads and braking surfaces to keep from scarring. None yet. I'm still running 23mm tires at 110-115 psi. The bike and wheel compliance combine to give me a fairly smooth ride on normal road surfaces. I might go to a 25mm tire when tires wear out. I'm still mulling that one over some.

They have become my favorite wheelset and I actually now look for hills to climb. I think they are one of the best buys I've made. Wicked nice wheels.
 
#130 ·
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/rovalclx50disc-front/118666
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/rovalclx50disc-rear/118667

Does anyone know if there's a Chinese equivalent to whatever rims Roval is using in these wheels?

50 deep
21 internal
29 external
21/24 spoke counts
650/770 weight

The aggregate weight is *really* impressive. It suggests a rim weight of around 430g. I can't find any Chinese rims in 50mm depth at that weight, never mind >18mm internal. In fact, I can only find one rim at the same width at all: LB's RR46C02 (460g).
 
#131 ·
Nope. I've never yet seen a Chinese wheel with inner dimension more than around 16mm internal in 50mm depth and only 23mm external. Weight of the ICAN 50mm wheel set is close at around 1460g. Rider weight limit is up around 105kg.

I imagine that wider wheels will be coming as the trend toward wider continues. I have no problem with ICAN specs, especially when you count the price difference between $2,400.00 for the Roval wheels and $545.00 for the ICAN set.
 
#132 ·
So far, these are the most compelling rims I see at the 50mm and 60mm sizes:

https://www.carbonfan.com/carbonfan-tubeless-ready-700c-carbon-road-rims-series

AR50C01 asymmetric road disc XC carbon rims 25mm outer width 50mm depth 700C clincher ready

depth / max width / brake width / internal width / weight
50 / 26 / 25 / 19 / 460
60 / 28 / 25 / 17.4 / 470

Carbonfan has verified the weight of the 60mm rim isn't in error. As above, LB's 45mm is the only wider alternative, though that profile doesn't exist in deeper sizes.
 
#134 ·
:thumbsup: That's probably my next set of ICANs. Good to hear that you like these wheels. They're a really good product. Huge bang for the bucks, relatively speaking. The Novatec hubs are still running smooth and quiet. Another good surprise.

I just finished a 62.1 mile afternoon ride in very strong head and cross wind conditions today with a total of 2,502 feet of elevation gained according to Strava. The 38mm depth ICANs were easy to handle. Imagine a 50mm would be even more aero in head on winds and would be interesting how they would do in blustery cross winds. I'll eventually find out.
 
#136 ·
I believe if you go on the amazon site and look through the ICAN wheel sets, you'll find a couple of tubeless ready rims. Mine aren't tubeless ready, but still can't say anything bad about them. Great quality, and unexpected light weight, especially for the price.
 
#138 ·
I'm pretty "old school", and still ride 23mm tires on my road bikes. I've tried the wider wheel/tire combinations on my "endurance" road bike and yes, they are comfortable and can ride them at slightly lower pressure than the skinnier old schoolers. On the other side of the coin, the wider wheels and tires do present a bit of a weight and aero disadvantage. The ICAN wheels are 23mm outside measurement and present a very smooth wheel to 23mm tire profile.

On the endurance frame with the wider wheels and tires I'm way more comfortable, but I'm also using considerably more energy on the hills and in head wind conditions. Hills and head winds are the conditions I ride most frequently around where I live. If I rode in an area with flatter terrain and in less wind, then that heavier rotational mass of the wider wheel/tire combination would probably not make as big a difference.

I find the "suffer quotient" to be pretty distinct, especially on the upward sections of hills when I use wider (heavier) tires. In recent 60 mile back to back rides with a one day of rest between them, I definitely was way more used up after riding the wider tires. Both rides included a fairly moderate 3,000 feet of elevation gain on the same route. Ride weather was less humid, a little less warm and not as windy on the day I used the wider tires.

Workout wise, I probably got more benefit pushing the wider heavier hoops around. On a longer ride, say a century, the lighter/skinny more aero wheel/tire would still be my choice. Both types of wheel/tire combinations have advantages and disadvantages.
 
#139 ·
On the endurance frame with the wider wheels and tires I'm way more comfortable, but I'm also using considerably more energy on the hills and in head wind conditions.

... In recent 60 mile back to back rides with a one day of rest between them, I definitely was way more used up after riding the wider tires.
I'm not sold on your data. You sample set was one pair of rides? With what tires on what wheels at what pressure?
 
#143 ·
A little review of the Chinese wheels I bought.
First, I'll tell you I am NOT any kind of wheel or bicycle expert. Just an average 59 year old guy slowly but surely getting more & more addicted to bicycle riding over the last 10 years or so. With that said I ride about 3,500 miles a year, with some of that on mountain bikes.
I ordered a set carbon clinchers from https://www.yoeleobike.com/carbon-bike-wheels-sat-c38-50-road-std.html
38mm front / 50 mm rear, 25 mm outer width, 19 mm inner width. Sapin spokes and their in house SL hubs with ceramic bearings. $792 shipped. 1,403 gm as received.
They say they are tubless ready (and they look it) but I am using tubes with Conti GP 4000 25 mm tires. Tires went on very easy, but after 40 years of riding & racing dirtbikes, I'm not too bad at tire changing :blush2: I didn't try to measure how true they spun but they sure looked true to me after getting them on the bike. I run 75 psi front / 80 psi rear (I weigh 140 lb.), the tires measure 27.9 mm wide because of the wide rim. I now have approximately 1,000 miles on New England roads.

So far I am very happy with these wheels, especially for under $1,000! They are pretty light, the width lets me run low air pressure which makes for a very nice ride. I guess they are aero, but who the hell really knows. I could probably slam my stem and get more aero but I'm not going to do that. And they look cool in matt black with no badeging on them!

Biggest drawback?? 67 days from the day I ordered them until the day they arrived on my doorstep! While their customer service person was fairly timely returning emails she was very obviously not very good with the English language. VERY frustrating trying to get clear answers on a order that is supposed to take 15 days.
 
#160 · (Edited)
Hello. I am researching these wheels (60mm wheelset) and have a few questions that I hope you can answer. I was looking at the Profile Design wheels when I ran across these wheels on Youtube, so I began doing my research and so far it seems owners are very satisfied with these wheels.

1. When did you order these wheels and did they ever say why it took so long to get them?
2. How is the braking (wet and dry)?
3. Is the 27.9mm inflated tire width the result of lower tire pressure? I weigh around 195 and would need more, so just curious.
4. Are you still happy with the wheels?
5. How do the wheels roll with the ceramic bearings.
6. Are the in-house hubs a better choice than the Novacs?

Thanks...

Update: Nvm, I already ordered the wheels and will get first hand experience with them.
 
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