New carbon wheels: first impressions

I've been riding alloy wheels for two seasons. They were reliable, stiff enough, and I never thought about them. Which is exactly what you want from wheels.

But when a set of LightCarbon carbon rims came up at a price I couldn't ignore, I pulled the trigger. Here are my first impressions after 200km.

The weight

400 grams doesn't sound like much, but you feel it. Acceleration is snappier, especially out of corners. Climbing feels marginally easier, though that might be placebo.

Stiffness and handling

The carbon rims are noticeably stiffer laterally. In hard cornering the bike tracks straighter and feels more precise. No flex, no wandering.

“Good wheels don't make you faster. They make the bike faster. You just get to come along for the ride.”

Was it worth it? For racing, yes. For casual riding, absolutely not. But I'm racing, so here we are.