RIP FB Marketplace Carbon HED Wheel 🫡🕊️

[u/BicyclesAndBurgers]

60mm rim brake tubular wheel from Facebook marketplace served me well. I think I was third owner. First carbon wheels. There was a small chip I noticed shortly after I got ‘em, hit a few bad potholes and a crash on one of my last rides and it turned to this. On the brake surface no less. RIP, served me well for about 2000 kM. New wheels out of storage and installed already 😅 I missed during the buying process, inspect carefully friends

[u/BigtoadAdv]

I fix my own carbon bikes and work a lot with epoxy and cf, after trying to fix a broken rim a couple of times I decided never again. There is a reason why many CF repair shops won’t fix cf rims.

[u/mlydon11]

Carbon rim brake always deterred me. Got my first carbon wheels when I swapped to disc.

HED may have some repair process if you are willing to go through it, similar to Lightweight wheels from Germany.

[u/skierdad]

Carbon fiber is easy to repair. It’s always ugly (unless you’re a super pro) but it’s easy. Buy some scraps/small pieces and 2 part carbon specific epoxy off of eBay. Take a dremel to inside of the wheel and grind out a 2mm deep / 4 inch long strip that runs lengthwise with the damage centered. Do the same to the outside but 1mm deep. Mix a small amount of the epoxy to specific directions… focus on one side at a time. Cut out strips of the carbon fiber that fits ground out area… use sharp nice new scissors as carbon fiber falls apart easily and take your time cutting the strips. Use a small foam brush and dab the ground out area. Let it get tacky then place the carbon fiber in the ground out area. Use a dull razor blade to press in the carbon strip so it’s solidly in place. Press in perpendicularly. (Dull razor blade is used so you don’t cut the carbon and because it’s thin enough as to not stick to the CF and pull it away from the wheel). If done correctly the epoxy should have soaked through the CF. If you have dry spots dribble a little more epoxy on top of the dry spot and manipulate it into the CF with razor blade. Follow the dry time instructions and when it’s still tacky.. lay down the next layer. 2mm deep should be 3-4 layers of CF. Same process on the outside for 1-2 layers. When it’s fully cured, use a sharp razor blade to shave off any CF strands that are sticking out.. be careful because those little strands of CF are sharp. hand sand the inside to as flat as possible so it lines up with the original wheel’s lip. Clip off the sharp strands of CF on the outside and throw a sticker over it to hide the repair. It’s a bit of work but not nearly as much work as your 9-5 to buy new ones.

Practice on something before you tackle the wheel. Laying down Carbon is easy once you know the nuances.

…… -Less epoxy is better -Air bubbles are bad -Layers need to be applied when the preceding layer is still tacky so the epoxy mechanically bonds -patience and precision for best results -when done… you’ll be able to say you know how to lay carbon fiber.

…. Where a dust mask when sanding/grinding …. Epoxy doesn’t smell but it’s not good to breath so keep the air circulating in the room. -don’t use a heat gun to speed up the process… it’ll just create air bubbles and the epoxy won’t cure properly.

[u/arglarg → u/skierdad]

".. is easy"... Proceeds to post 2 pages of instructions...

[u/skierdad → u/arglarg]

Thorough instructions prevent answering questions. And you’re the first person to ever complain about it.

[u/arglarg → u/skierdad]

And I don't even have carbon wheels ;)

[u/skierdad → u/arglarg]

So you enjoy complaining so much you complain for others… good plan my guy. It’ll get you far in life.

[u/arglarg → u/skierdad]

Anyway thanks for that, I didn't know there are carbon repair kits.