As a biking enthusiast, how do you like to ride? Are you riding just for the love of it and enjoy the countryside view or do you want to eat up the miles quickly? If you love speed and competition, you must focus on the wheels more than on other areas of your bike.
Most bikers admit that carbon wheelsets can help improve your biking performance measurably. Of course, there is the high cost aspect involved, but carbon wheels will help you get closer to your speed goals.
Some apprehensions do come up though!
Riders looking to upgrade their steel bike are keen to use carbon wheels to help them go faster. Some of them are not sure if this is a practical approach or whether they should look at other options.
However, recent experiences shared by bike experts and experienced bike riders seem to suggest that it’s perfectly okay to use carbon wheels on a steel bike.
Carbon wheels offer more comfortable and can be faster than any alloy wheel. The price might act as a deterrent. However, when you check out carbon wheels you will realize they are stronger and can last much longer than other wheels. You will also discover that carbon wheels are faster, and more responsive than alloy rims.
Why Carbon?
Carbon wheels have emerged as the mainstay of modern cycling events such as peloton, triathlon, and cyclo-cross world. It is also gaining in popularity in the MTB world too. Carbon wheels provide excellent value for money as they are super strong, extremely durable, highly flexible, and very responsive. It is the perfect material to build wheels fit for the trail.
In bike riding, stiffness to weight ratio is one of the key performance indicators and carbon wheels delivers the best results in this aspect. Modern carbon wheels are design-optimized to achieve the highest level of aerodynamics.
Carbon wheels have more stiffness and strength and hence it becomes easy for riders to achieve greater acceleration and speed and maintain the same with little effort. Its cutting-edge design and technology offer improved handling for a faster and safer biking experience on any terrain.
Carbon wheels offer a couple other benefits as well. They look stunning on your bikes and offer great visual value. The all black appearance, and the deep shape, can transform the look of your bike.
Carbon wheels also create great sound when you are riding. The wheels create a distinct and rather striking zooming sound that makes your bike look and sound powerful. If you pass by on a bike fitted with carbon wheels, you will grab attention instantly. And you know you will look cool on such bikes. That’s a guarantee.
Those are all the big benefits of carbon wheels. You just take your old wheels off, put these on and you're going to get all that value instantly, from the first day.
Are Carbon Wheels Worth It On A Steel Bike?
Yes, there is no problem using carbon wheels on a steel bike. Some riders may have apprehensions using the super sturdy and fast carbon wheels on a steel bike but there is no element of incompatibility here. Steel is an excellent bike material and has several advantages over other materials such as aluminum. The frames are slightly bulky and have more weight but that does not come in the way of fitting them with modern carbon wheels.
Is a Steel Frame a Bad Choice for a Road Bike?
The answer is a big NO! Steel framed bike wins hands down when it comes to strength. You may argue that they are best-suited for mountain bikes but that’s not the case. Steel frame can be the best choice for road bikes too and for any other type of bike for that matter. Steel-framed bikes can take more blows without suffering any serious damage. The same cannot be said for bike frames of other materials.
Steel frames are sturdy and weight more than aluminum. This can be an advantage if you are riding on a rough terrain where you need the bike to be strong, heavy, and sturdy to withstand the rigors of the ride. If you are riding on an uneven surface, the additional weight offered by a steel frame can offer better shock absorption which is a huge benefit.
