Light Bicycle Carbon Rims/Wheels (Review Included on 1st Post))

[ChopSticks]

I would think a good wheel builder would be able to lace a wheel in less than ten minutes. Hardly a major labour cost.

Get yourself a tension meter and you can make do without everything else.

You must've missed the part where I mentioned full UST rims
I doubt even the best wheel builder in the world can feed in the nipples and lace up a 32h wheel in 10 minutes......

cx rays are bladed spokes...so I will need another tool to hold the spokes to avoid wind up
a spoke key too....it's gonna start adding up, and as I explained before....it's not worth the investment if I only have one wheel set. And if it gets done right I won't have to worry for a few years (hopefully)

Thin spokes like CX-rays always round down. They will stretch when bringing them up to final tension.

BUT, do not order spokes until you have the rims and can measure the ERD yourself (at several places and using the nipples you intend to use for the build).

If you need a Sydney-sider to help you out, contact MTBwanabe. I think he's built a few of these with the LB rims.

that's what I've been reading too.....
spokes protruding past the nipple aren't good...esp if I start running out of thread, might be safer getting longer nipples to compensate for shorter spokes (will be a cheaper 'fix') than buying new spokes.

I have spoken to MTBwanabe before...I recall he's based in Richmond Airforce base and offered great prices....maybe I should hit him up given his experience with LB rims!
thanks!!

 

[ozzybmx]

spokes protruding past the nipple aren't good...esp if I start running out of thread, might be safer getting longer nipples to compensate for shorter spokes (will be a cheaper 'fix') than buying new spokes.

Longer nipples don't compensate for short spokes, the end of the thread needs to be inside the head of the nipple or the nipples will crack and break over time.

Spokes need to be the right length.

 

[brisneyland]

You must've missed the part where I mentioned full UST rims
I doubt even the best wheel builder in the world can feed in the nipples and lace up a 32h wheel in 10 minutes......

cx rays are bladed spokes...so I will need another tool to hold the spokes to avoid wind up
a spoke key too....it's gonna start adding up, and as I explained before....it's not worth the investment if I only have one wheel set. And if it gets done right I won't have to worry for a few years (hopefully)

Lacing even UST nipples is still a very minor component of total labour cost. And as mentioned by someone else above, most wheelbuilders would prefer to start from scratch. Have you actually asked your wheel builder if pre-lacing it is going to save you money? I highly doubt it will.

Spoke keys are only a few bucks, and a lot of people have them lying around already anyway. And holding the blade isn't exactly rocket science mate - have you seen those so called 'tools'? Just cut a slot in a piece of hard plastic or something...

 

[scblack]

And holding the blade isn't exactly rocket science mate - have you seen those so called 'tools'? Just cut a slot in a piece of hard plastic or something...

I have the "special" tool for my Campagnolo Shamal wheels' bladed spokes. A shifter will do the same job easily.

 

[eastie]

Keep in mind LB rims are supper stiff, I have two 29er sets and they were both truer than stans rims out of the box and have never gone out of true. They came up to tension really easy and needed FA trueing. My 2mm straight gauge spoke set feel the same as the ones I did with 2-1.8-2mm double butted spokes. Due to stiffness of the rims I doubt you would feel much difference riding double butted v's bladed on these rims, especially with 26 inch rims. My thinking is pairing them with super light bladed spokes will be OK, but why other than bling/weight (forgetting about build complexity as you are getting a decent builder to do it). Another cost consideration, from experience some good bearings from diymtb in hope hubs can make a very noticeable improvement and might be better bang for your buck than potentially a negligible difference in spokes. One advantage leaving it mostly to a dedicated wheel builder is they tend to have boxes of standard straight/db spokes in various lengths on hand to work with, thus they can generally build it up with what they have or measure twice order once.... it eliminates the risk of you buying the wrong sizes.

It comes down to what are the key features you want, and what are you willing to compromise on?

I was going to order a set of the 26 33mm wide AM rims last week but got the response from LB that there is 1 month+ lead time at the moment - moving factory and filling heaps of existing orders. They said supply should be back to 7-14 days by April.

 

[komdotkom]

I've got three sets of LB carbon rims, will never ride alloy again.
Purchased the rims from direct from LB and then sent them to Greg at TWE, he supplied DT hubs at a great price and I've never looked back.
No they aren't Enve's, but at 1/3 the price I'm more than happy.
I've abused my 27.5 rims on my Carbine for about 1200km now, no issues. My 29er wheels have probably done 5000km without ever needing a true up.

 

[ozzybmx]

Ive got 2 set of LB 29er wheels... to compliment my ENVE 29" wheels as i would never go back to alloy BUT would not spend the money i paid for the ENVE wheels ever again.

Patiently waiting on their 90mm fatbike rims that will be available at the end of the month.

 

[blurred]

I have a set of the hookless 650b rims turning up soon, and I was going to build them with CX-RAYs, then I got a price, $8 EACH!!! That's around $500 just for spokes!!! So that idea went out the window real bloody quick. Just going to use DT comp double butted spokes now with alloy nipples laced to Project 321 hubs.

My advice, unless your going to race in the EWS or do World Cup rounds, forget the CX-RAYs, and then you might actually have a budget carbon wheelset. Also, just get your wheel builder to do the lot, let them order spokes, because they will know what they are doing and lacing a wheel will only take about an hour to lace both wheels from scratch.

Just for reference, the rims cost $450 AUD delivered, hubs were $500 for the pair, so should be about $1100 once built.

 

[houli77]

My LB Dh rims arrived today..

I'm impressed! Never felt a rim so light and stiff... Have laced up the front just now, it feels scary freakin light for a rim I'm going to abuse...

Haven't tensioned up yet but reckon I'd have trouble pulling it out of true even if I wanted to they're so rigid.

It's funny I've got an old classic v10 gathering dust under my house with mag30 rims which I built freakin years ago, and the rim profiles are really similar. Those things were bombproof.. I should do a weight comparison when I'm done..

 

[one_happy_hippy]

My LB Dh rims arrived today..

I'm impressed! Never felt a rim so light and stiff... Have laced up the front just now, it feels scary freakin light for a rim I'm going to abuse...

Haven't tensioned up yet but reckon I'd have trouble pulling it out of true even if I wanted to they're so rigid.

I've just ordered a set, out of interest what was the construction quality like? I've seen a few comments on there being small imperfections etc. Anything visible on yours?

Any chance of a review once you have been out and ridden them for a bit?

Cheers

 

[ChopSticks]

Can't give a comment
as I held off ordering mine

they ran out of DT spokes, and will be stocking Sapim CX rays in the coming months

Hopefully hear more reviews re: hookless

 

[mitchy_]

I've just ordered a set, out of interest what was the construction quality like? I've seen a few comments on there being small imperfections etc. Anything visible on yours?

Any chance of a review once you have been out and ridden them for a bit?

Cheers

mine had 1 tiny seam visible on the 3K dress layer, only found as i was looking for imperfections, from normal viewing distance they look perfect. resin/clear coat is perfect, carbon in the rim bed is perfect.

 

[Jubas]

Just realised that i've hit 18 months on my L-B carbon rims. Laced to DT Swiss 240s with Supercomp spokes, they've been absolutely perfect. The front has needed to be slightly re-trued once, but otherwise, not an issue at all!

*touches wood

 

[houli77]

I've just ordered a set, out of interest what was the construction quality like? I've seen a few comments on there being small imperfections etc. Anything visible on yours?

Any chance of a review once you have been out and ridden them for a bit?

Cheers

There's a few little imperfections but nothing i'd be worried about or think would be a structural defect.

I still haven't ridden them!! kids and a sick mrs have foiled all my attempts to get out on them.. it's friggin killing me..

will post back once i do.. just rolling around on them at home they do feel ultra stiff. one thing which stands out to me is the thickness of the carbon under the spoke bed, it's gotta be pushing 2mm.. think i'll def tear alloy nipple off before i pull a spoke through the rim..

Im running muddy mary's 2.5/2.35 and the extra width of the rim makes the tires even bigger than they already are.. the 2.5 on front is like a moto tire, and the 2.35 rear is way bigger than a maxxis 2.5.. looks meaty tough with the thck rim bed. remind me heaps of old mag 30 rims but prob less than half the weight.

i'll post up a pic if i get a chance and will check back once i give them a flogging..

 

[No Skid Marks]

I'm about to buy a 27" one of these. Really want to buy into the whole wide rim thing, but my tyre profile on my Stans Flow EX is nearly square as is with a HighRollerII. I'm really struggling to believe the hype but want to. Anybody rocking one of these rims yet?
And "Hookless", really? For tubeless? Anyone got any experience that can help me out?

 

[creaky]

Running hookless rovals for over six months, easy tubeless setup, perfectly reliable. Hookless doesn't seem to make any difference to anything so can't see why then china direct ones would be any problem.

 

[ChopSticks]

And "Hookless", really? For tubeless? Anyone got any experience that can help me out?

asked a few US users and they said it was no different, and gave a massive bag
im sold on the who concept/wheels...but just waiting for Sapim CX rays

Running hookless rovals for over six months, easy tubeless setup, perfectly reliable. Hookless doesn't seem to make any difference to anything so can't see why then china direct ones would be any problem.

Creaky....without the bead does the entire tyre 'fall' in to the centre of the rim bed every time you deflat the tyres to top up sealant etc?

 

[creaky]

Creaky....without the bead does the entire tyre 'fall' in to the centre of the rim bed every time you deflat the tyres to top up sealant etc?

No different to any other tyre from what I have noticed but then I use a compressor to inflate. The hook doesn't really catch the tyre bead from falling inwards anyway.

 

[mitchy_]

the bead hooks on the rim doesn't hold the tyre on, the larger rim diameter near the edge does.

car rims dont have bead hooks, the tyre is simply held on by the tyre and rim being interference fit near the rim edge.

 

[ChopSticks]

No different to any other tyre from what I have noticed but then I use a compressor to inflate. The hook doesn't really catch the tyre bead from falling inwards anyway.

Sweet

what about leakage? With less surface area (tyre bead to rim hook)... have you found tubeless set up slightly more laborious to seal up?