The fully carbon 29 carbon wheelset provides excellent lateral stiffness. Advanced carbon fiber routing increases vertical compliance and comfort. Dual cross wires on front and rear wheels improve ride quality and control.
- Part 1: Beginning: Overview of 29 Carbon Wheelset
- Part 2: Advantages And Disadvantages
- Part 3: Precautions for Mountain Bike Riding
Part 1: Beginning: Overview of 29 Carbon Wheelset
All parts of a bike are essential for successful riding, but without a wheelset, you’re not going anywhere, literally. Light and stiff 29 carbon wheelset make top machines accelerate and handle like formula f1. If you put some elemental wheelset on it, it will lose half of its racing look.
Similarly, if you put great wheels on a basic bike, you can count on significant gains in dynamics and bike control. To illustrate this with a simple example, we’ll just tell you that you’ll gain more in the race by putting 1500 gram wheels on a 1600 g aluminum mountain bike than by using 1900 gram wheels on a carbon MTB, whose frame weighs 1 kg. Your bike will be heavier but much faster and more reactive in handling.
What You Must Know
Today’s XC races and challenging MTB mountain marathons are the most demanding mountain biking disciplines for equipment. This is because wheelsets are expected to be extremely light to climb uphill efficiently and, most importantly, be ready for hundreds of short accelerations. On the other hand, these super lightweight components must withstand the heavy loads of rock gardens and land huge drops. This is the only discipline in cycling where the top riders fly downhill at the racing speed of an intermediate endurance rider while climbing uphill very fast. The wheels must therefore bridge two worlds that lie at entirely opposite poles.
29 Carbon Wheelset
MTB racing wheels for XCM and CXO need to be as light as possible yet stiff enough to give the rider complete control over the bike and perfectly transfer power from the pedals to speed. On the other hand, they cannot be too hard. They must “blend in” with the surroundings.
They must also have a bit of plasticity when the wheels get stuck between boulders. Comfort is also essential, i.e., absorption of uneven terrain. When professional cyclists are testing wheels, they have several similar sets of wheels available for pre-production testing, but they differ in the number of spokes. Their practice suggests that the choice is not always for many spokes – it is worth bearing in mind that too-hard wheels will not be suitable either. Another aspect is the properly adapted width of the rim to the width of the tire used. One should also not forget about the durability of these components – against distortion and higher mileage (which will indeed be provided mainly by marathon runners) and the resistance of bearings in hubs against bad weather conditions.
Weight
There’s no doubt that the low weight of the wheels is the absolute most crucial factor determining the dynamics of our mountain bike. The lighter the wheels, the easier it is to accelerate our bike. We’ll thank for a small number of grams the more the interval nature of the route we’re competing on, similarly, in the mountains, where a light set will give us the feeling of “flying” during a climb.
The most important thing is the rotating mass, or what you spin. Of course, the whole wheel rotates, but we are most interested in the low weight of those elements which are farthest from the wheel axis. Therefore, the rims are critical to dynamics, followed by spokes and nipples, and only at the end by the hubs. A better investment in terms of performance will be to buy light rims and heavier hubs than the other way round.
The weight range here is very different – very soft and off-road capable sets start from about 1200-1300 grams, and up to 1.5 kg of the whole group still means a light background. If our wheels weigh between 1450 and 1700 grams, we can treat them as a light and dynamic set, which does not limit us in sports competitions. Lighter ones will be costly, and heavier ones are already a noticeable limitation.
Rims
Choosing the right rims is incredibly important. It’s basically where the total carbon 29er wheelset puzzle starts. There are carbon and aluminum models available on the market. Those made of carbon material are undoubtedly a shelf higher in terms of the bike’s dynamics and the feel of the terrain. Usually, carbon rims are also lighter, which means they are faster. This is not a rule because while top-shelf models are super soft, essential carbon wheels can have rims more than well-known and popular lightweight aluminum rims from DT Swiss, e.g., No Tubes ZTR.
However, if we take two sets of identical weight on the trail, the carbon one will still have an advantage over wheels on aluminum rims. Carbon ones are usually stiffer and, at the same time, more resilient and comfortable. They offer more cushioning and are more dynamic on obstacles. They give us a slight boost while pumping on moguls, coming out of bumps, or transitioning from turn to turn during aggressive sections. Unfortunately, they cost much more, but it will be money well spent if you can afford them!
A critical aspect in Mtb wheelset 29 carbon rims is their width – the bigger it is, the better the support of tires in curves, the possibility of better alignment of wide tires on the rim, and lower possible pressure. In a word – wide rims will make you more, faster, and more confident in the field. The current standard is between 25 and 30 mm. It is good if you can base the wheels on rims weighing up to 450 grams, and an absolute “must-have” for racing is their compatibility with a tubeless system.
Spokes
29 carbon Mtb wheelset on an excellent wheel is spokes. By their shape or profile and the number of spokes, we can adjust the wheel’s stiffness, its ability to absorb bumps, and resistance to deformation. This is also an area for slimming down the bike. For discerning riders who expect low weight and high stiffness, we can recommend the purchase of wheels based on flat spokes. These are clearly more expensive than classic round ones, but they can weigh extremely little and at the same time be very stiff laterally.
On the other hand, many reputable manufacturers do not base their MTB wheels on this type of spoke. Perhaps this is because a flat spoke seems to be less resistant to torsional forces. And there may be a feeling that the wheels behave less stable when braking. These are details, though, and depend on the braiding itself.
Hubs
Obviously, the hubs must be adjusted to the type and number of spokes. Of course, it is nice if we manage to get into possession of lightweight models, but above all, here, it is worth focusing on the quality of bearings and their sealing – both in the hubs themselves and in the drum. 29 carbon wheelset hubs are exposed to tons of water, mud, and sand, yet in good quality products, bearings can withstand even 2-3 seasons of racing. On the other hand, poor products sometimes require 2-3 bearing set replacements per season. That is why we should not save on quality here, even at the expense of higher hub weight.
Besides, it is worth focusing on details. The wider the flanges are spaced, the softer the spoke lock angle. This results in better stiffness parameters with less tension and less fatigue on the spokes and rims. It is also good to choose models with the most extensive support point for the frame and fork. This means end cups with the largest possible surface area.
It is also worth considering whether you plan to change your drivetrain in the nearest future. And whether the purchased hub model will be ready for a possible change from a classic drum to Sram’s XD or Shimano’s Micro Spline. Some leading brands have options to use all three systems. It is worth considering if we look at the wheels in the perspective of several seasons of use.
Part 2: Advantages And Disadvantages
29-inch carbon Mtb wheelset models will be most comfortable for tall people. They are designed for professionals who want a comfy ride over long distances. The large size allows you to reach high speeds.
The large size will enable you to get high rates, and at the same time, they are stable, so covering kilometers will be comfortable. When looking for a new model of 29 carbon wheelset, pay special attention to such parameters as stiffness and weight. Undoubtedly, the lightest will be those made of carbon, i.e., carbon fiber. They are most often chosen by professionals, for whom it is essential to reduce the vehicle weight as much as possible.
Carbon fiber is widely known and used in practically every sports discipline, where strength and low weight count. Bicycle frames made of this material make it possible to design light and very stiff structures. At the same time, they are great at improving the comfort of the rider.
Advantages
One of the main benefits of using carbon 29er wheelset in your wheels is their inability to create flat spots as aluminum rims do. With a big, sharp bump, aluminum rims flatten out, causing uneven spoke tension throughout the wheel.
Carbon rims, when not damaged, always return to their round shape. This means that with proper construction, the tension of the spokes should not change. This translates into less time spent checking and re-tensioning the spokes after a few rides and more time on the trail.
Although all 29 carbon wheelset Mtb can be designed and manufactured in very different ways that you like, carbon mountain bike rims have the potential to be very strong and stiff yet lightweight. Using a more rigid carbon rim allows the rider to take turns sharper and more confidently and accelerate out of corners more quickly. This is much more difficult to achieve with aluminum rims.
Disadvantages
One of the disadvantages of using a 29 inch carbon Mtb wheelset is that they are not safe to use when they get damaged. Compared to aluminum rims, when a carbon rim breaks or becomes damaged, it must be removed and replaced immediately. With an aluminum rim, when it is dented or flat, it can still be adjusted, tightened, and ridden. A damaged alloy rim may not maintain the same level of performance, but it is still safe to ride.
Another disadvantage of carbon rims is that they are more expensive than comparable aluminum rims. The possibility of investing in carbon rims is undoubtedly an essential factor to consider. Especially for those on a tight budget.
Part 3: Precautions for Mountain Bike Riding
Carbon 29er wheelset is undoubtedly a great way to improve our bike’s performance noticeably. However, it is worth considering that it is not a solution for everyone and all conditions. When considering such a purchase, it is worth investing in even heavy and cheap spare wheels. We will be able to use it in autumn and winter.
So, if we are looking for a good quality bike, we are inevitably condemned to carbon regardless of the type. With the current mass production, it is simply not worth it otherwise. Except for random cases, carbon is practically indestructible. It does not wear out, is not affected by weather conditions. And it is resistant to the effects of time. On top of that, cheaper carbon models tend to be built with durability in mind. The most expensive, lightest, limited edition ones tend to be for the competitive rider, paid for by a sponsor, whose bike may not necessarily last a season.
