Compared to the plethora of sweet carbon options on the market today aluminum rims simply aren’t as cool, they aren’t as stiff, and yep – they will dent. And while denting an aluminum rim is certainly a more predictable failure mode than I’ve experienced with carbon, there are oodles of folks who will claim that their carbon wheels have saved them bags of money in the long term versus the cost of replacement aluminum hoops and wheel builds. It’s a seductive conversation, especially for the weight-conscious rider.
But hang on, what if a company were to put a lot of effort into choosing their internal structure and material to optimize the balance between stiffness, compliance, and durability, and add a degree of dent resistance? The Whistler brand makes a strong argument for aluminum with their welded and ground ‘fusion-welded’ joint, their uniquely reinforced bead walls, directional spoke bed, and an extruded and formed shape. They also made them look sweet and plastered on a Chromag logo!
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