Carbon clincher size

[Coolspin]

Hi everyone, 

Time to upgrade my wheels finally,

Looking at buying a set of carbon clinchers for my road bike, is there a general preference out there for 38mm or 50mm.

Is crosswind a real issue on the 50mm ?

Will I look like a Lance time trial wannabe if I go for 50mm(lol)

I dunno man, leaning towards 38mm, what say the community? 

 

[Thomo]

Newer wheel designs are impacted less by crosswinds and it's also something you manage better after having used them for a bit.

That said, 40-45mm seems to be the sweet spot nowadays. ????

[Martin PJ]

It's a personal thing. I can't ride my 50 mm Campags in the wind, it's the front wheel. My son has 60 mm chinese tubbies. Doesn't have any problems. I am a lot shorter than him, so I guess that is a factor.

Personally I'd buy the 50 mm and keep a spare normal front wheel if the race is very windy.

[David Marshall]

To me it depends on where and how you plan to ride.  If you are on the front a lot or chasing down moves then 50mm are the way to go.  If, like me, you are more of a wheel sucker with the odd interval to get back on then 35mm is enough.  The more carbon in the wheel the heavier it is.  

Steady wind is not too much of a problem but gusty conditions can give you some hairy moments.

[Andy_P]

I think you’ll regret going less than 50! 50mm is the do it all profile depth. 
 

What’s equally (if not more) important is getting the correct width. 25mm or maybe even 28mm nowadays. 
 

Tubeless is also something to consider. I’ve had tubeless ready rims for years but only ran it tubeless for the first time recently so the verdict is still out on how well it works. But by the looks of what’s happening in the pro peloton, it could become the norm in the future as with mtb. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Andy_P

[Coolspin]

Thanks for the replies,

Must say the 50mm do look the business.

This pic is not my bike but the wheels are 50 and don't look too much.

 

[Coolspin]

The 38mm Def don't look quite as good,

I know it's not all about how they look but a cycling mate once said

"If you can't be fast, look fast, it's  the next best thing"

Quite appropriate in my case.

 

[DieselnDust]

If you are buying off the shelf wheels then I wouldn't go deeper than 50mm in Gauteng. 

In cape Town 38mm would be my limit for off the shelf.

What's the problem with off the shelf wheels?

Bladed spokes. These spinning knives catch the wind more than the rim profile does. It's the main cause of front wheel instability in turbulence and wind gusts.

I'd rather opt for a hand built set with round double butted spokes. This makes a hugely positive difference to stability and doesn't add any real drag in the real world.

Round spokes in the front wheel, in Gauteng with a proper aero profile rim then you can safely use up to 60mm.

[Coolspin]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

If you are buying off the shelf wheels then I wouldn't go deeper than 50mm in Gauteng. 

In cape Town 38mm would be my limit for off the shelf.

What's the problem with off the shelf wheels?

Bladed spokes. These spinning knives catch the wind more than the rim profile does. It's the main cause of front wheel instability in turbulence and wind gusts.

I'd rather opt for a hand built set with round double butted spokes. This makes a hugely positive difference to stability and doesn't add any real drag in the real world.

Round spokes in the front wheel, in Gauteng with a proper aero profile rim then you can safely use up to 60mm.

Thanks, D

Did not consider this, noted.

[Dexter-morgan]

My personal feeling 50 is the sweet spot, you get used to the Crosswinds but the benefit on the straights at speed, I just love my 55 SRT wheels.