Aluminum vs. Carbon: In a flash...

Cycling is a very diverse discipline. The growing offer of different materials allows to please an infinite number of needs and preferences. Here we briefly and objectively examine the general characteristics of carbon and aluminum wheels.

Carbon fiber wheels and their construction technology have gained a lot of ground in the bicycle industry in recent years. The characteristics that strike at first glance: their "look" and then... their price! But what then?

Indeed, when it comes to comparing the construction materials of bicycle components (as in a forum thread for example) things quickly become polarized, because they are both nuanced and often subjective!

Before clicking on the next Facebook thread, enlighten your choice according to your preferences and needs here.

Warning: Both will meet your needs - even the most individual ones.

The aluminum wheel

As you know, they have existed for a long time and construction techniques are well established, although constantly evolving. Alloy rims are formed and welded very quickly by automated processes and are therefore mass produced in factories. These latter characteristics largely explain why they are much less expensive than their counterparts, generally half the MSRP!

Features and maintenance

The alloy shows warning signs before failure, making it easier to detect damage. Generally, a small visual inspection of your rims can tell you a lot about their condition and how to remedy it.

First, alloy rims tend to have more flexibility. Compared to carbon wheels, alloy wheels therefore tend to deform or "warp" upon impact. The accumulation of shocks produces a warning sign: the rim starts to rub against one or even both brake pads. Riding with a warped wheel affects the riding comfort of the bike and its behavior in sharp turns at higher speeds. Fortunately, the malleable quality of aluminum also makes it possible to straighten it (by a qualified technician).

Finally, advances in the quality of metal rim alloys make the formation of corrosion (rust) very rare. What is more frequent is an accumulation of rubber residue from the brake pads. This latter will affect the braking efficiency of the brake pads against the rim more than the integrity of your rim, however. A quick wipe after your rides (especially when rainy) will be a foolproof remedy to avoid this detail!

Performance and Feel

Due to the inherent flexibility of the metal alloy, aluminum rims offer a smoother ride and absorb more impacts from stones or cracks in the road. Warning: a good Quebec pothole will make your wrists (and your backside) scream regardless of the wheel, however!

Although the evolution of the aluminum wheel has allowed it to lose many grams over the years, given comparable data to a carbon fiber wheel (wheel diameter, hub type, spoke count, riding application, etc.), aluminum wheels are inevitably heavier.

The cost

A quality aluminum wheel costs around $600 to $1500.

The carbon fiber wheel

Carbon components certainly have obvious advantages. It is a material that has half the density of aluminum, but is more rigid. In addition, the often aerodynamic profile of a carbon rim automatically gives it a more racy, not to say "racing" look.

Compared to aluminum, a multi-step process and specialized labor are required to manufacture a single carbon fiber rim. The improvement and refinement of its construction technology is in continuous development, but know that carbon wheels for road bikes and even mountain bikes are more reliable than they have ever been!

Features and maintenance

To ensure reliable wheels, manufacturers use several layers of carbon, where the orientation given to each layer of fibers is strategically placed relative to the previous layer, allowing the characteristics of the final result to be manipulated. This superposition of multiple layers is what gives carbon wheels their ultra-rigid nature and their high performance capability.

Unlike alloy wheels, a more thorough inspection of a carbon rim is required to identify early signs of maintenance or replacement. With an equal amount of impact or significant stress, unlike the alloy wheel, the carbon rim will not warp. It requires significant trauma to generate a reaction induced by excessive force. In this extreme situation, the reaction of the carbon rim will be to crack. A visible crack, regardless of its width and length, represents a situation that requires a replacement of the rim, as it cannot be straightened or repaired.

A second risk extends over a much longer term, if the carbon wheel is well maintained and undergoes few significant impacts, it will not show visible signs of fatigue on the surface. In very rare occasions, this appearance of construction integrity can create surprises.

This rigid nature has benefits, notably the carbon rim remains "true" without the need for truing. As such, carbon wheels (when well built) are less likely to deform quickly when used frequently, even on aggressive terrain. This means they won't see the mechanic as often, which has its own recurring cost!

Performance and Feel:

As we've been saying from the start, carbon wheels are much stiffer than alloy wheels for the same weight. A stiffer wheel will allow for more precise steering, a more responsive bike under acceleration and pedaling forces, and better line tracking when you push the bike harder into turns. The stiffness of the rims allows the cyclist to maintain speed while expending less energy, due to the limitation of power leaks absorbed by the wheels.

This primary characteristic of stiffness is also one of the reasons why many cyclists preferred aluminum wheels when carbon first entered the market: the rims were far too stiff. Since then, rims have been developed so that carbon fiber acts differently in different directions. This development allows engineers to design rims that are stiff in one specific direction, but can remain compliant in another direction. The challenge of high performance with good ride quality has therefore been to combine lateral stiffness with vertical compliance. The result allows all the performance advantages of a stiff wheel to be retained, while offering more shock absorption for a more pleasant ride. Most modern carbon wheels absorb shocks and vibrations so well that they equal or surpass the ride quality of aluminum wheels!

The wattage developed by pushing on the pedals is not the only value ensuring a higher travel speed. On a bicycle, rotating weight counts more than other types of weight. In this way, weight at the rim has a greater effect than weight located at a more central location, such as the hub for example. Consequently, the weight savings between comparable aluminum and carbon wheels are multiplied when riding the bike. More than any other component exchange, exchanging wheels will have a significant impact on the bike's behavior. With lighter carbon fiber wheels, acceleration and power transfer are more immediate and the bike generally feels more lively.

Finally, carbon wheels will always be more expensive than wheels with comparable alloy characteristics, largely due to the processes required for their construction. Their rigid and less absorbent characteristics can make long rides less comfortable for less experienced cyclists. As compensation, a tubular tire can offer a solution for this element, but let's stick to the same topic!

The cost

While we mention a window between $600 and $1500 for alloy wheels, the window for carbon wheels is more between $1500 and $2500.

Conclusion: should you opt for carbon or aluminum wheels?

New standards are emerging, with many major bicycle manufacturers now including carbon wheels with their high-end models. This is true for both road and mountain bikes, and it speaks volumes about the maturity of carbon fiber rim manufacturing techniques.

As with most comparisons: there is no absolute answer here and it mainly depends on what you are looking for in terms of bike behavior. Many subjective factors come into play, including the type of riding (casual riding vs. responsive and performance riding), budget, longevity, etc.

It is worth noting that many carbon wheel manufacturers have introduced extended warranties, as well as replacement programs, in case of collisions with their carbon rims. It is therefore not surprising that these wheels are now commonplace, both on the road and on trails.

Finally, if you wish to acquire Carbon wheels, know that our retailer Quilicot carries our Custom-Lux road bike wheel series. Or, visit us in store for the complete road/gravel and mountain series. They are currently on clearance!

PSSSsssssst: this is the closest you'll get to the price of an aluminum rim, for a good carbon rim ;)

Discover Custom-Lux

In any case, we wish you great rides now that cycling season is well underway!

The APOGEE Team

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ADDITIONAL NOTE:

It is important to keep in mind that the choice of rim material is only one element among several others when it comes to bicycle wheels. A well-built wheel using a cheaper material is generally better than a poorly built wheel with more sophisticated materials.

It may be desirable to revisit the notion of "well-built" wheels in the case of carbon fiber wheels.

Many experienced enthusiasts have experienced generic wheels, often produced in China among other places. The majority have learned the following lesson the hard way: beware of generic wheels, without technological or manufacturing specifications. They may have the price of an aluminum wheel, but they retain the properties of a carbon wheel. Problems arise when the intention of the purchase is performance. Because these wheels use fewer layers of fibers, with wider fibers and the combination of these two factors leads to a looser, less dense and infinitely more fragile weave. In the case of a carbon wheel, this combination of a highly rigid material and less dense manufacturing quickly leads to a crack in the rim for a much less significant impact than a quality rim. The low price is therefore not worth it, especially if you will (inevitably) have to replace it. In comparison, a good rim will be worth the investment because its price is amortized by a much better longevity.