# Carbon rims for bikepacking?



## Endoismynamo (Mar 5, 2014)

I am planning on doing the San Juan Huts trip (so not true bikepacking, but in the ballpark) this summer and I am looking to buy a new TB3 as an all-around ride and a bike that I think will also work really well for the SJ Huts trip. I am vacillating between getting it at my LBS or through CO Cyclist online. CO Cyclist sells the bike with a genereic carbon rim upgrade (and hope hubs) for only $50 more than the stock bike (or NOX rims for $150 more). Plus, I would save the hefty sales tax at my LBS (even though I try to buy most things through them).

My question is whether or not carbon rims are a good idea in the back country. The almost free carbon wheelset won't do me any good if it cracks 80 miles from the nearest services. Are carbon hoops common in bike packing or a bad idea? Am I crazy not to jump at this deal or am I crazy to consider venturing into the middle of nowhere while riding on plastic hoops?

CO cyclist will also send me the OE Race Face AR 24 wheel set for another $250 FWIW.


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## ray.vermette (Jul 16, 2008)

I'm guessing TB3 = Tallboy 3? Santa Cruz published a video of stress testing alloy and carbon frames. The alloy frames failed far sooner than the carbon ones, and the forces that caused the carbon frames to fail probably would have caused alloy to fail catastrophically as well. 

But those are frames, and you are asking about wheels. There is a very long thread in the 29er Components subforum on "Cheap Chinese Carbon Rims". A few negative stories, but many more positive ones. Myself, I ordered two sets of wheels from a company called Light Bicycle: an XC-race set, and a wider AM set. The XC set has held up to a lot of abuse: hard hits, jumps, tire pinches, and riding that is more enduro-ish than XC. The AM set have not disappointed me either. I'm not exactly a featherweight rider.

Myself, for bikepacking, I would worry more about the field serviceability of the spokes and hub, than the rim material.


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## ray.vermette (Jul 16, 2008)

...also, if I'm not mistaken, you can run the new Tallboy as a 27.5+ bike, correct? If you can get the generic carbon wheelset in a 27.5+ width, run some wider tires, it would make for a nice, robust wheelset for bikepacking no? It seems 27.5+ and fatbikes are popular choices for bikepacking rigs.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Any rim can be killed. Carbon rims are more likely to be killed if you run too-low tire pressures for the conditions, speeds, and terrain.

It follows that if you're attentive to pressures and willing to fine tune when needed, carbon can work anywhere.

I run carbon on all my bikes -- not just the backcountry bikes. But I'm also attentive to pressures all the time.


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## Endoismynamo (Mar 5, 2014)

Thanks for the replies. Yes, TB3 is a Tallboy 3.

My concern is that the guy I spoke with at CO Cyclist says that carbon rims can fail catastrophically from something as simple as a rock strike, whereas an aluminum rim may get dinged or bent, but will still be rideable. I love the weight and stiffness benefits of carbon, but the ability to be ridden even when damaged seems appealing for back country use.


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

"Bikepacking" can mean a range of very different types of riding and outings.

I would demo before making a decision, and base the hoop material on how the bike rides more than whether or not it will fail in BFE. As mikesee inferred, you have to be doing something dopey to get catastrophic failure on a typical BP mission.

I rode CF hoops on a steel HT on the GD last year, and they were dreamy. Same wheels feel harshly stiff on my FS DWL CF bike on local trails, so they're being replaced with an alloy set. I'd BP with either set on that bike, but if rough trails are part of it I'll go with the alloy set – because they work better, not because they're alloy.


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## Silentfoe (May 9, 2008)

Carbon rims won't fail from a simple rock strike. In general they'd handle it better than an aluminum rim. As Mikesee mentioned, there are other factors involved. I find carbon rims stronger and less maintenance needy. I dented, yes dented, a carbon rim and still rode it for over a year before I felt like replacing it.


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## bakerjw (Oct 8, 2014)

I am building up a new wheelset for my TD bike. From what I've been reading the weight savings of carbon rims isn't that much and the only plus is that they are more rigid.

So, I am going with Stans Arch MK3 rims on Hope hubs. Nothing real weight weenieish. Just dependable not too expensive and not overly heavy. I'll put the money saved into a carbon Jones H bar or add it to the Lauf fund.


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## Dogdude222 (Aug 31, 2005)

I have had far better luck with carbon rims taking insane impacts then aluminum ones. For that reason, I ran Derby's on my GDR ride, and they were perfect.

Here is a little story that I think gives an idea of the strength of a high-quality carbon rim:

At collegiate road nationals I was pushed off of the road at about 50mph while aboard a set of Reynolds Assualt carbon wheels. I hit a tree straight on. It broke off my fork, the wheel pushed through the downtube and seat-tube. Somehow I walked away. The wheel was perfectly true, and my teammate raced it for another two seasons. No way in hell an aluminum rim would survive something like that.


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