Cheap Carbon Wheels vs Reality — What a Pro Mechanic Really Thinks
Cus Baker
June 21, 2026
I bought a set of 1,300g carbon wheels for £330 — after 1500 miles of riding them I took them to Jon at The Cycle Workshop (a channel with nearly 50K subscribers) to find out if they're any good… and importantly, are they safe?
In this video, Jon gives the wheels a proper inspection — checking spoke tension, bearing quality, rim true, and overall build safety. He finds a couple of genuine concerns you NEED to know about if you're considering budget carbon wheels. But it's not all bad news. He also shares some brilliant maintenance tips that apply to ANY wheels you're riding, no matter the brand or price.This isn't just a review — it's a bike mechanic's honest verdict on whether cheap carbon wheels are worth the risk.
Video Chapters:
00:00 The £330 carbon wheel gamble
01:38 Visiting John at The Cycle Workshop
02:42 First impressions: Rim design and weight
03:49 The danger of "side entry" spoke holes
04:05 Identifying galvanic corrosion
04:48 Testing the front hub bearings (The crunch!)
06:00 Lateral and radial trueness test
08:08 Front wheel inspection summary
09:40 Dealing with "cassette bite" on the rear wheel
10:17 The benefits of Star Ratchet hub systems
12:01 DIY Maintenance: How to service your freehub
13:51 Are cheap bearings the weak point?
15:11 Why "fully captive" spoke holes are safer
16:24 Easy pro tips for new wheels (Check your grease!)
17:09 Side-by-side: Riot Wheels vs. Elite ENT Wheels
21:11 Checking the rear wheel trueness (1cm buckle?)
22:14 How to check spoke tension at home
25:25 The final verdict: Would a pro mechanic buy these?
26:42 Key takeaways for buying wheels online
🔧 The Cycle Workshop: Check out Jon's channel for more expert bike maintenance - https://www.youtube.com/@UCvIi60vlumaXAVacf1AM_0g
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WheelsRYET Road Carbon Wheelset Sinusoidal Bicycle Rimsets 22mm Tubeless Clincher Disc Brake 36T Ratchet Hub Ultralight Bike Wheels
Created: June 29, 2026The reviewer bought a RYET carbon wheelset from AliExpress for £330, weighing 1,300g. He had an expert inspect the wheels and found mixed results: the rims and spokes were good quality, but the hub design had safety concerns and the bearings were poor.
AI-Summary
Pros
- Lightweight at 1,300g
- Wavy carbon rim design looks modern and is similar to designs on much more expensive wheels
- Uses thin pillar spokes, which are lightweight
- Rear hub uses a star ratchet system (like DT Swiss), which is serviceable and easy to find replacement parts
- Rims are hooked (not hookless), which the expert prefers
- Front wheel was true (lateral and radial within 0.3mm)
- Spoke tension on rear wheel was consistent across spokes
- Hub end caps have double labyrinth seals and rubber seals to protect bearings
Cons
- Hub design has side-entry spokes that could potentially pop out under impact, a safety concern
- Galvanic corrosion present on all spokes at the hub interface
- Bearings are cheap and already rusty after 1,500 miles, despite good sealing design
- Front wheel bearings felt crunchy
- Rear wheel arrived buckled (out by about 1cm laterally and radially)
- No grease applied to bearings from factory
- Weight savings partly achieved by using very thin spokes and removing material from hub, compromising durability
Where to Buy
