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There will be many examples of aluminium rims grenading, yet people don't seem to have any issue with that. I should imagine that once graphene is commercially viable, then carbon fiber parts will be even more commonplace.
This is not aimed at you mx836, but I do genuinely wonder where so much misinformation and worry about carbon parts has come from.
Carbon could flex more meaning it could survive something aluminium may not. It all depends on how well the part has been designed and what the layup of the carbon is. As well as the resin.
I would love to see more companies offer carbon rims. As far as I know, Alpina is the only one and even then they're a mix of ally with a carbon skin.
I'd run carbon rims on my MTB is they weren't so damn expensive!!
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Did you run anybody over with your exploded ally rim? If not, then you wouldn't have shanked anybody with a carbon one, either.
I'm not going to comment any further because there is too much misinformation to try and debate with. The simplest way to leave it is by saying those people who fear carbon parts, that's fine, stick to metal. I for one love carbon fiber and would happily use it whenever possible.
What we didnt like, and why we chose to go a different route, feedback. The carbon rims were loud on the track noise wise, very loud. Also track feedback. They vibrated everything on the track through the fork and handlebars right to your wrists. Just something we couldnt get past, it was like the bmx version of arm pump in your wrists. Come off the track and people with no wrist issues felt like arthritis was creeping.
BTW there is a new tire manufacturer getting ready to launch that will be a game changer.
Ive had 4 sets of carbon mtb rims and have broken the rear of every one...aluminum rims bend and flatspot when you hit a rock..carbon cracks....I actually prefer the feel of an aluminum rim too..carbon transmits allot more feedback..
The only issue I have is tire mounting. Mtb tires are mounted with little flimsy plastic tools that can't hurt anything. But I'm hell on MX wheels while mounting. Also, I knew I had a front flat last weekend and still did the 90'er cause I was pissed. Also they need to set these wheels up ready to run Tubless as I wouldn't want to drill the hole later like I do on my aluminum wheels.
But I'm curious where this product goes cause if it's proven i'd buy them for my next KTM 2 stroke.
I'd be interested in hearing what pros thought about them. Those on a Yamaha 450 sound like a bad idea!
Pit Row
You mean like this?
bicycle and they are excellent for that use (smooth paved roads). I wouldn't consider putting CF rims on my MTB because
the possibility of failure is greater (and with more catastrophic results), than the same wheel made of Aluminum.
The AV8Bs have a CF wing box structure, again light weight and strong. Back when the jets were undergoing suitability
testing, a mechanic dropped a wrench on the box during routine maintenance creating a stress fracture below the surface.
That fracture resulted in a catastrophic in flight failure and the loss of the airframe. After that, all tools used to work on the
AV8s were rubber coated and any "drops" had to be reported, the spot noted and an intensive NDI performed. This was
back in the 80s and CF was just getting started in aviation. I'm sure it's a lot better today, though I have no desire to fly the
B787, a CF aircraft that has been repeatedly grounded due to stress fractures.
F1 and other race teams that use a lot of CF, have intense inspection programs and replace the parts with little run time as a
preventative measure. CF does not like vibration or impacts which is why CF exhaust cans are great for the factory teams that
get them for free and replace them every weekend, but not so much for the privateer that has to shell out big bucks for his own.
IMO, CF MX rims made with the right "alloy", maybe something like carbotanium or carbon fiber reinforced polymers, may be
able to perform at the same level as Aluminum if not better. The trick is to find the right combination, get the cost down and
reliability up.
dogger
Much of the carbon parts discussed in here weren't/aren't necesarily designed to a performance requirement...they're often designed to a price-point or with too much consideration to cost.
Example: made a part for one of the teams. A part that's made out of other materials by the OEMs & after-market and Is available in C/F by a few companies that simply replicated an aluminum part. This team/company...redesigned the whole damn thing and utilized their engineer...who designed it to be made from C/F...& it s bullet proof.
It's a $300 part versus $50-$100 for the Off The Shelf parts.
You'd be better off reinforcing the carbon with CNT's or (when it becomes commercially available) Graphene.
Uni-Dirsctional fibers in the hoop and wrap some other (woven?) materials radially to achieve the flex and absorption you desire.
Post a reply to: Carbon fiber rims.