Chinese carbon frame and wheels thread

[Yoda junior]

(AT) yoda junior my 4 rims a pair of FSC-38CM wheels, FSC-50 rim and FSC-60CM wheel are exactly the same, matt UD on the sides, but not on the top.

Thanks mate...Did you contact Farsports about it or are you happy with it? Thanks..

[nickobec]

Did you contact Farsports about it or are you happy with it? Thanks..

Never considered it, assume built that way for a purpose, I suppose it makes it a little easier to spot cracks around the spoke holes.

Does not spoil the looks of the wheels in my opinion, so I left it at that.

[malocchio]

My wheels arrived last night!



http://instagram.com/p/O8dnYyNWlj - note the weights include an extra 10g per wheel for the plastic caps which kept the wheels balanced on the scale - i.e. this is a 1280g wheelset... I'm impressed.

I've had a bit of trouble fitting a set of GP4000s to them, very tight to pop the last bit of bead into the rim. Tonight's task will be to swap the cassette from my other wheels, swap out the brake blocks and hopefully take them out for a spin over the weekend!

Side note: I've got myself a set of Coolstop Yellows, would they be better than the blue pads that came with the wheels? and if I were to swap back to my aluminium wheels, can I keep the Yellows in place?

[RossB]

Hi folks. Some feedback on my 50mm carbon clinchers with SapimCXRay spokes and Bitex/Edhubs hubs, ordered from Farsports, arrived about a month ago and done about 1000ks on them. Very happy with everything.
Order process & service - Exellent throughout. Dealt with Smart ( [email protected] ) who was prompt and helpful, including with sorting out a couple of issues along the way.
Product - wheels, and a couple of bottle cages as ordered, arrived in excellent condition. Beautiful finish, spoke tension all seemed uniform and wheels spun completely true. All specs matched up as ordered.
Performance - very happy all round, noticably better than the RS80s previously on the bike. Won't claim anything as fact as there are so many variables, but my perception is - noticable difference in holding speeds once into the hi 30ks/hr and certainly when sitting in the low 40ks/hr (my limit riding solo/flat/no wind); cross winds no probs; the whole feel of the bike is different, in that it feels lighter to handle in general, and in particular in short sprints and short sharp hill efforts; hubs spin beautifully.
Look - in the eye of the beholder! I'm rapt, and heaps of positive feedback. Was not sure about ordering with the Farsports stickers applied, but went ahead and glad I did.
So, everything is as I hoped it would be, and given the price and service, will not hesitate to place further orders along the way.
Cheers.

[ozdavo]

... and if I were to swap back to my aluminium wheels, can I keep the Yellows in place?

Not from personal experience, but I've been told this is a big no-no, as the pads will pickup very fine alloy particles that will eat the carbon brake track.

[malocchio]

Not from personal experience, but I've been told this is a big no-no, as the pads will pickup very fine alloy particles that will eat the carbon brake track.

Oh wow I hadn't thought of that... cheers!

[PawPaw]

So, everything is as I hoped it would be, and given the price and service, will not hesitate to place further orders along the way.
Cheers.

Good report Ross. I've got the same wheels, now. Had the hubsmith hubs but they broke up. Smart sent me out replacement Bitex ED hubs and they are rolling fine now. I agree with everything you say. My accelerations feel a lot quicker, climbing is noticeably easier, and the bike has a lighter feel so that I can ride out of the saddle with a greater sense of control. The only downside is a common issue for all carbon deep dishes, and that is their stiffness leads to a bumpier ride. I also haven't been inclined to bunny hop on these babies yet.

Can't say I like the Farsports stickers...could do with a makeover. Nevertheless, they look ok on your bike.

[Arlberg]

RossB and pawpaw can you tell us what wheels you were using before you switched to these 50mm CC Farsport ones? I am interested in how much weight you are saving with the new wheels as you both seem to notice a big difference in performance.

[jheeno]

Hello all
I have a question I am posting on behalf of a friend.
To all you farsports 50mm carbon clincher owners out there
Any riders in the 95 - 100kg mark have experience riding these wheels successfully ?

[nickobec]

I have four "FarSports" wheels, a front and rear FSC-38CMs, a FSC-60CM front and a FSL-50CM rim laced with Sapim spokes provided by Far Sports to a powertap hub.

The FSC-38CM front has seen the most mileage well over 1000km, a lot of racing over rough surfaces , at 1st paired with the FSC-38CM rear if climbing or my older powertap Elite+ hub laced to a mavic open pro rim if not. Now mainly the FSL-50CM powertap combo.

It is noisy, the ride is harsh due to the stiff rim, I don't go fast enough (probably 40kmh+) to get the full aero affects, but it is regularly used because I just like the wheel, it feels faster than the wheel it replaced, mavic open pro rim laced to a powertap front hub.

FSC-60CM front when paired with the FSL-50CM/powertap combo, just holds speeds better once over 35kmh. On the other hand it is a pig in a crosswind and takes effort to control, which is why it is waiting for it's race debut.

The FSC-38CM rear, The 750g weigh different with my old powertap is really noticeable every time you pit pressure on the pedals. Went out on my regular route, take a sharp turn at slow speed and started climbing 400m (AT) 8%. The difference this wheel made to my acceleration, took a lot less time to get up to speed.

Unfortunately, I am so use to riding/training/racing with power, I wanted the best of both world power + lightweight aero carbon so I got a FSL-50CM rim laced with Sapim spokes provided by Far Sports to a new powertap hub. Very happy with acceleration, ability to hold speed and power data. I happily put up with the noisy harsh ride, it also feels skitish, feels like it is jumping about in crosswinds.

I have put over 1000km into the FSC-38CM front, 500km into the two rears, including racing over rough surfaces and 200km into the FSC-60CM front without any dramas.

The FSC-38CMs with tyres, tubes, rim taper, skewers and cassette weighs in at 1960g
The FSC-60CM front & FSL-50CM/powertap combo with tyres, tubes, rim taper, skewers and cassette weighs in at about 2100g
The Mavic Open Pros, powertap elite+ combo is almost 3000g with tyres, tubes, rim taper, skewers and cassette

The old powertap combo not sits on my training bike and gets lots of regularly miles, but just jumping onto the race bike with the carbon clinchers you notice the difference in wheels straight away.

(AT) jheeno I weigh 80kg so probably no help.

[PawPaw]

RossB and pawpaw can you tell us what wheels you were using before you switched to these 50mm CC Farsport ones? I am interested in how much weight you are saving with the new wheels as you both seem to notice a big difference in performance.

Was using Bontrager Race at 1920kg for hubs, rims, spokes only. pretty heavy huh!

[RossB]

Arlberg - previous wheels were RS80s. Nothing wrong with them at all, just fine and I'll get plenty more use out of them. I'm keeping them from here on to stick back on the bike for hills rides, due to a) alloy braking surface and b) the 12-25 cassette I've left on being a bit more hill-friendly than the 11-23 I've put on the new carbon wheels.

[malocchio]

wheels are fitted and they've had their first outing, I'm impressed!



Went out for a 75km loop through the dandenongs, taking in two climbs. There seemed to be no performance impact when the road turned upwards, and the aero benefits along the flats made for a faster overall ride.

plus, I reckon they look the bees knees

I had a few spokes "ping" as they settled in, but they seem to be solid enough, and stop quite well with the Coolstop Yellows.

[btothec]

Bike looks very nice with the new shoes! What model Willier frame is it?

[steve-waters]

Hey with the spokes - will they need to be checked for tension again?

now that they have broken in a bit?

[malocchio]

Bike looks very nice with the new shoes! What model Willier frame is it?

Thanks!

It's a 2011 Wilier Izoard XP

[clydesmcdale]

Just recieved a set of 3K matt Blade X 50mm carbon clinchers (Blade X 250) = $451.27 delivered. Very good for the price I think.Campag hub ready to accompany my FM098 build.

Interesting fact... the invoice was stamped Xiamen Far Sports co.,ltd. So looks like Blade X and Farsports are the same and i got the equivalent of the FSC50-CS.

[azeng97]

Wondering if anyone is up for a group buy for a frameset:
http://www.cool-carbon.com/en/productSh ... =001001001 with http://www.cool-carbon.com/en/productSh ... 19&cid=002 . They seem of good quality and weight, and the price is pretty good too. If anyone else wants to buy a similar frameset, maybe consider this one, as the group price for 10+ is significantly cheaper than individually, and combined shipping is also better. If there are more than 6 people who are keen on purchasing, I'll help get them here and distribute them to you. The price is roughly $420 per frameset, so if there is enough interest I will get a more specific price and details for it. Cheers

[jheeno]

Just recieved a set of 3K matt Blade X 50mm carbon clinchers (Blade X 250) = $451.27 delivered. Very good for the price I think.Campag hub ready to accompany my FM098 build.

Interesting fact... the invoice was stamped Xiamen Far Sports co.,ltd. So looks like Blade X and Farsports are the same and i got the equivalent of the FSC50-CS.

that is interesting ...

Maybe Farsports is the main factory for wheel building ...

except that the FSC50-CS is specced differently
20H/24H external
3k Matt finish
Hubs: Edhubs black (Shimano or Campagnolo freebody )( light weight 260g/pair with 6 pawls)
Spoke: Sapim cx-ray black Jbend
Nipple: Sapim Sils red or black
50mm:
Weight: 1320g+/-30g/ pair for one pair clincher

Blade X
dont use sapim cx-ray
dont use edhubs but novatec (which is more known ... i guess)
weight high 1600s

Therefore the weight difference comes out to be 200-300 grams when comparing bladex vs farsports

[clydesmcdale]

This is the info I garnered, not sure where you've pulled that info from.

I'll confirm that the Blade X wheels are indeed Novatec hubs and bladed spokes (no idea if they are Sapim cx-ray though)

FSC50-CS from here http://www.farsports.cn/ViewProduct.aspx?id=683
Introduction:
50mm clincher carbon wheels
• Rim: 50mm clincher 3K 20/24H
• Hubs: Novatec 291/482 shimano or campagnolo
• Spoke: Pillar aero 1432 black
• Nipple: Pillar
• Accessories: Skewers&brake pads
• Roundness<=0.5mm offset <=0.2mm
• Weight: 1632g+/-30g/Pair

Bladex250 from here http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/BladeX-ROAD-WHEEL-SET-250C-Affordable-Durable-Full-Carbon-Wheels-50mm-Clincher-T700SC-High-Tensile-Rims/607818_537005954.htmlPlace of Origin: China (Mainland)
is_customizedYes
Brand Name: BladeX
Finishing: Matte/Glossy
Wheel Material: Carbon
Model Number: BladeX 250C
Size: 700C
Spoke Hole: 20-24H/Customized
Material: Toray T700SC Full Carbon
Depth: 50mm
Spoke Holes: 20-24H/Customized
Weight: Front 708+/-10g, Rear 900+/- 10g
Profile: Clincher
Weave: 3K/UD
Hubs: Novatec A271SB/F372SB
Spokes: Bladed Spokes

[azeng97]

This is the info I garnered, not sure where you've pulled that info from.

I'll confirm that the Blade X wheels are indeed Novatec hubs and bladed spokes (no idea if they are Sapim cx-ray though)

FSC50-CS from here http://www.farsports.cn/ViewProduct.aspx?id=683
Introduction:
50mm clincher carbon wheels
• Rim: 50mm clincher 3K 20/24H
• Hubs: Novatec 291/482 shimano or campagnolo
• Spoke: Pillar aero 1432 black
• Nipple: Pillar
• Accessories: Skewers&brake pads
• Roundness<=0.5mm offset <=0.2mm
• Weight: 1632g+/-30g/Pair

Bladex250 from here http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/BladeX-ROAD-WHEEL-SET-250C-Affordable-Durable-Full-Carbon-Wheels-50mm-Clincher-T700SC-High-Tensile-Rims/607818_537005954.htmlPlace of Origin: China (Mainland)
is_customizedYes
Brand Name: BladeX
Finishing: Matte/Glossy
Wheel Material: Carbon
Model Number: BladeX 250C
Size: 700C
Spoke Hole: 20-24H/Customized
Material: Toray T700SC Full Carbon
Depth: 50mm
Spoke Holes: 20-24H/Customized
Weight: Front 708+/-10g, Rear 900+/- 10g
Profile: Clincher
Weave: 3K/UD
Hubs: Novatec A271SB/F372SB
Spokes: Bladed Spokes

What's the price difference? I can say that the Novatec F482/F582 and A291 are lighter and much better than the A271 and F372.

[nickobec]

@jheeno you are quoting the speccs for the newer, more desirable, more popular and unfortunately more expensive FSC-50CM wheelset

[jheeno]

@jheeno you are quoting the speccs for the newer, more desirable, more popular and unfortunately more expensive FSC-50CM wheelset

I see ... yes I stand corrected the desirable specs are in the high 600 mark

[nickobec]

the desirable specs are in the high 600 mark

If you head over to http://velobuild.com you can get shipped to Australia the FSC-38CM for around $570, the FSC-60CM for about $620. Unfortunately, the FSC-50CM are sold out, due to high demand and limited of availability of the rims

[jamesn184]

Is there any specific brake pads to use with the Chinese wheels?