The road bike wheelset occupies an important position in the complete road bicycle. Especially with the rapid development of carbon fiber wheelsets,various grades of carbon fiber bike wheels have become the most popular part for road bike riders to upgrade.

Although carbon bicycle wheels have become mainstream, aluminum wheels will always exist in bicycles,both have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Alloy is currently the most popular materials for wheelsets. They have the characteristics of easy production and maintenance, making aluminum wheels a standard wheel set for entry-level bikes. Maybe the entry-level bicycle you bought a few years ago was equipped with aluminum wheels. Basically, the frame height of aluminum wheels is relatively low, which means that when you go out riding a bike and have a tire blowout on the way, the inner tube you put on, regardless of the length of the air nozzle, is not a problem. From the perspective of a producer, manufacturing aluminum wheels is relatively simple - the frame,spoke, and hub can be freely selected - so various aluminum wheels can be provided according to the needs of riders, including the most affordable entry-level wheel sets. But aluminum wheels are not all encompassing. Compared with carbon wheelset, they not only lack competitiveness in terms of lightweight, but also lose their luster in terms of aerodynamics. Therefore, aluminum wheels are labeled as "relatively slow".

Alloy bike wheel Advantage:

Cheaper: The price of aluminum wheels is often less than half or even cheaper than carbon wheels.

More durable: Aluminum wheels can withstand greater impact forces without causing damage, and the lifespan of aluminum wheels is longer than that of carbon wheels.

Safer: Aluminum wheels (ring brakes) provide better braking performance in humid environments or on long downhill roads, while also providing better heat dissipation.

More environmentally friendly: Well, aluminum is a great recyclable material.

Alloy bike wheel Disadvantages:

Heavier: Undoubtedly, in this era of pursuing the ultimate lightweight of bicycles, heavier means "slower".

Poor aerodynamic performance: Relatively speaking, the deeper the wheel rim, the better the aerodynamic performance.

Lack of rigidity: Compared to carbon wheels, the rigidity is slightly lower, which can lead to less responsive handling.

Choosing a carbon fiber bike wheel set with a higher profile is more in line with aerodynamics and is characterized by its lightness and speed. However, due to the fact that the carbon fiber bike frame is made by manually stacking carbon fiber cloth, shaping, heating, and baking, the flexibility in selecting the spoke and hub is relatively limited, thus increasing the difficulty of the manufacturing process and maintenance. This also makes it almost impossible to repair the carbon fiber frame once it is damaged or broken. Despite the inherent difficulty in repairing carbon fiber bicycle wheels, their unparalleled advantage is their lightness and speed, making them the best choice for riders when upgrading their wheels

carbon wheelset advantage:

Lightweight: The average weight of carbon fiber bike wheels is about 300 grams lighter than aluminum.

Stronger rigidity: Rigid carbon fiber bicycle wheels are more responsive.

More aerodynamics: Generally, carbon wheels have deeper rims, which represent better aerodynamics.

Cool: although aesthetics is a subjective factor, at this point, riders seem to be on the side of carbon bike wheels.

carbon  bike wheel disadvantages:
More expensive: the cyclist need a much highrt budget.

Not durable: Carbon fiber wheelsets are very brittle. carbon bike rim impact may cause carbon fiber wheelset to rupture (due to the lateral stiffness of carbon wheelset). Carbon fiber bike wheels can overheat and fail during prolonged descent (wheel failures are often seen in large ring races).

Unrepairable: If there is a problem with the carbon bicycle wheel, replacement is the only way out.

Simply put, good carbon rotation and no worries about acceleration. The only drawback is that carbon bike wheels require exclusive molds in the production process, and their manufacturing costs are naturally much higher than aluminum wheels, so the price is not affordable enough. Now that you have a rough understanding of the characteristics of carbon and aluminum wheelsets, it depends on how you choose, as it depends on your riding style and upgrade needs. It can be confirmed that replacing a set of good wheels is the most impressive upgrade in bicycles, while optimizing equipment performance and riding experience. In addition, it cannot be denied that good wheels are usually better looking, giving you more confidence to face unknown road conditions, which is more or less a placebo effect. This is not the case in other aspects of life. For this reason, investing more money to buy a set of carbon bike wheel is not wrong. Aluminum wheels have always had the characteristic of being cost-effective, making them very suitable for leisure riding. But for riders who pursue continuous breakthroughs, carbon wheels are not only light and fast, but also have a light and direct road feel. To achieve better aerodynamic advantages, high profile carbon bike wheels can help you ride faster; However, on the other hand, due to the higher height, it is more susceptible to the influence of crosswinds, and riders need better handling skills to control it.