The wheels play a very important role in the whole bicycle.How to choose a right wheel is crucial. It not only affects the riding comfort but also directly relates to the efficiency and riding safety.
You will find most lower to midrange bikes quite often come equipped with alloy wheels as standard.The biggest reason for this is price, alloy wheels can be mass produced cheaply and as a result they are a very affordably option.Alloy wheels are known for their excellent strength and impact resistance. Whether it is a rugged mountain road or a bumpy gravel road, alloy wheels can provide stable support for riders and reduce the occurrence of accidents.Alloy wheels can stand greater impact forces without causing damage, and have a longer life than carbon wheels.
Alloy is a very light, strong, and hard-wearing material so it really is a great choice for a set of bike wheels.But alloy wheels are usually much heavier than carbon fiber wheels. There is no doubt that in this era of the pursuit of extreme lightweight bicycles, heavier means "slower".And much worse in aerodynamic and impact resistance.
Carbon fiber is known for its ultra-light weight, which makes carbon wheels lighter than alloy wheels at the same strength. The average weight is about 300 grams lighter than aluminum. For cyclists seeking speed and agility, carbon fiber wheels are undoubtedly the best choice.
Carbon fiber has extremely high specific strength and specific modulus, which means carbon wheel sets are lightweight while still maintaining excellent rigidity and stability.Carbon is very light and very strong and in terms of practicality it's hard to beat. This promise cyclists more safe.
Generally, carbon wheels have deeper rims which means better aerodynamics and stiffer for wheels.It's also likely they will improve cornering speeds and you will get a real feeling that the effort you are putting in is being transferred quickly and efficiently into speed.Ultimately, Carbon wheels are all about performance, everything leads to more speed.
All comes to the price.carbon fiber is more expensive than alloy.Also the carbon wheels manufacturing are more complicated than the alloy wheels.All these factors lead to the premium price.Although carbon wheelsets have extremely high strength and lightweight characteristics, they are also relatively fragile. In a strong impact carbon wheel may crack or break, and maintenance costs are higher.
When choosing a wheelset, we need to make a decision based on our riding needs and budget.If you are a cycling enthusiast, you are the extreme speed lover and enjoy the riding adventures then carbon wheels will be the best choice.
Carbon wheels VS Alloy wheels,which is best?The honest answer is simply,if you want the best performance and can afford the higher price carbon wheels is the way to go for your best bike.