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Swapping between nice carbon wheels and alu training wheels
I've been seriously considering getting some aero wheels recently for those days when the weather is nice and terrain flattish. Previously I had been thinking it would be best to get a pair of carbon wheels with an alloy braking surface so it would be quick and easy to swap between wheels.
Carbon wheels with alloy tracks though limits the choice somewhat and increases the weight. Full carbon wheels though means having to change the brake blocks when swapping with the alu wheels to prevent damage to the carbon braking surface.
Just wondering what those who have already made the upgrade do? It's wet here today so I'm putting my winter wheels back on this morning.
What do you do in grotty weather, live with them, swap them, swap them along with the pads? What are they like to live with?
I was also wondering about swapping between rims of different widths and if this causes any potential issues. It seems the latest rims are quite wide 23-25mm but the standard size is about 19mm. Is it easy enough to adjust between them quickly or does it involve re-clamping the cable everytime...?
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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18 comments
Unless you're using a wheelset with the same hub, the spacing on the new wheelset's hub will be different. God forbid anything should be uniform or painless in wrenching
I have mech Shimano Ultegra on my road and CX bikes and have to re-index the rear derailleur when swapping out, Chris King R45 vs Fulcrum hub. Partner has Di2 Ultegra and has to do the same as well, Fulcrum hub vs Reynolds.
You are not alone with wheel change issue. I have the same between my turbo trainer wheel and my regular training wheels. I have a feeling it is down to the spacers, but since it doesn't really affect my turbo training sessions I just carry on even though I can't make my smallest sprocket.
There's not much point in recalibration the gearing just for indoor training if I then have to do so again for outdoor.
'Fractions of a millimetre' will not be sufficient to put your indexing out. Actual whole millimetres, plural, will. It's not rocket science to make sure that things are set up the same if you are using different wheelsets.
Some cassettes are held fractions of a millimeter differently, this is enough to affect the shifting tho so it may need indexing....just a slight twist of the derailleur barrel adjuster should do it.
No, you won't.
The cassette sits in the same place regardless of the wheel. If it doesn't then one of the wheels needs looking at. Think about the wheel replacements that you see in pro races...
Besides the brake pad issue you'll need to re-index your gears when switching between different wheelsets (mech or electronic gearing although mech is slightly more forgiving of imprecision than Di2/EPS).
Have people actually used carbon specific pads on alloy rims? My Swiss Stop yellows were horrible to bleeping deadly. I thought wet carbons were bad but they are nowt compared to carbon pads on alloy rims.
Play it safe, get a set cartridge pads/holders and set them up. Afterwards it's simply undo four screws, slide out the old pads, in with the new. Quick tweak of the cable and off you go happy as Larry.
Preparation is key..
If you are planning a ride the next day and the forecast looks to be wet then swap the wheels and the pads the night before. It is worth getting another set of shoes & pads so you have a complete set at the ready. It really is a 5 minute job after a bit of practice.
Ok, so you can use the carbon pads for alu rims, but there is a chance of getting shards of alu in the brake block. Remember that the reason you swapped to your alu rims for that day is to not damage your expensive carbon wheels. So then taking short cuts seems a little self defeating.
I'm lucky as i have a winter bike set up ready for those wet days so the best bike comes out when the forecast is dry, followed by more dry!
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility of damaging carbon rims with bits of aluminium embedded in brake pads - I've certainly dug little shards of aluminium out of my pads from time to time.
So is it just the pads that get swapped over or the blocks - i.e. the pads or the metal pad carriers that get swapped over? I hadn't really considered the former but I always find it tricky to perfectly align the blocks.
No, you don't need to swap anything.
Just use carbon brake pads and you'll be fine with both alloy and carbon wheels.
The only thing you might have to do is adjust the release to allow for any width difference, but I find that with my Campagnolo they have enough adjustment to change the clearance sufficiently. And in any case I prefer to have it a bit tighter on the carbon wheels.
Carbon brake pads are OK on alloys.
Alloy brake pads are NOT OK on carbon.
Use the carbon pads and there's no need to swap.
I frequently swap between Enve 3.4/HED Ardennes on my race bike and Mavic 80/Giant PS whatevers on my TT bike. No issues and been told it's fine by various wrenchers.
I thought the issue was that you get bits of aluminium embedded in the brake blocks which don't do your carbon wheels any favours? I suppose if you clean the blocks when swapping wheels it might not be an issue?
That's what I'd thought but I gather it's a fairly theoretical concept rather than a practical problem.
I do check from time to time but it's highly unlikely shreds of aluminium are going to come off on your brake pads and the carbon ones are softer anyway.
I made the decision about a month a go when the weather started to improve. Its a lot to do when you add it all up. New wheels, new tyres, new tubes, new cassette, brake blocks and pads.
So far i have made the decision to not go outside if the weather is not dry. I really cant deal with the hassle of constantly switching the pads over. I have been caught in the proper rain once and emotionally it was quite distressing. I ride to have fun... not to slog it out in the rain for hours and then have to do a full clean.
If its wet out I click the release lever on the rear brakes out and take the wheel out and put my aluminium training wheel on. Stick it on the turbo and train.
Thanks, it does. Marking the cable sounds like a smart solution too. I suspect high winds will be the primary and a regular reason for me to swap.
I always seem to spend ages fiddling with the blocks to get them perfectly aligned but it is just one more job I suppose. I've already changed wheels, cassette and fitted mudguards this morning and now it's brightening up!
N+1 aero bike is obvious solution though isn't it.
I'm one step a head as I've taken the plunge.
Yes, it does mean pulling or releasing the cable but I've placed black tape around the cable for the wider carbons. Just pull more through for the narrower alloys. Some people use the quick release to adjust from one to other.
As long as there is no salt or a shed load of grit (anything that will seriously grind) on the roads I tend to suck up the poor breaking in wet and just be more cautious.
The only time I swap now is if there is high side winds.
Hope this helps.
Brake pads take like 5 mins to swap over...
If you're going to be swapping most days then it would be a faff but if its once a month then not too bad.
Or just get a new bike to put them on