The Climb

When these wheels first came on the market I thought WOW... I can't believe they're catering to fixie freaks' insatiable need for deeper section wheels. Then it came like a backlash, people were posting pictures of these wheels "exploding" upon use. The problem is, almost every one of those pictures that were posted was in fact the same picture. Also, the story of how it happened was never really clear nor consistent. Nothing against that though, I just needed to see for myself so I went and bought a set. So lets get started.

If you look at it from a purely aesthetic point of view, this thing is great value for the money. It looks great and is built pretty much the same way as anything else.


Here's how it came, brand spanking new with stainless spokes, high flange flip flop hubs that look like formula hubs. Sealed bearings for long life and low maintenance (great upgrade from those Vueltas of the past). The rims are 40mm DEEP, so far that's as deep as it gets with an alloy wheel.


Right away I noticed that the rims aren't eyeletted. That means they're not supported where the spokes are. This could be a problem in the long run but not too big of a deal from what I'm used to. Here's the Super V compared to my track wheel.



Time to throw some rubber on there! Don't forget the rim strip. Here's one I made from cutting out an old tube.


Here are the tires I'm using. I got them at a good deal so I'll pass them along to you guys if you need them. I have them in 700x23 or 27 x1/4 all brand new and all black. Great for that daily commuter or joy riding bike (its just not competition grade but its got great quality and price). Check here for availability


The next quiver I have with this wheel comes when I try to install the tires. They've tolerance it so far on the bigger side that it is almost impossible to install the tires. It was so tight I broke 3 of my tire levers and punctured two tubes trying to do the job.


I have to add that I'm not a brute or anything but installing tires on these wheels will bring the animal out of anyone! I finally pulled out my trusty Mavic levers and got the job done because they were made slimmer and stronger than the Park Tool pieces.


FINALLY I got them ready and plopped them on.


The wheelset comes with a cog and lock ring too. Makes it nice and ready to roll with no down time!!! When installing the cog it is best to use a chain whip to tighten it on as best as you can. Then use a spanner wrench to tighten the lock ring on.


As a note, the rear wheel is made to fit a standard 120mm rear spacing but the spindle is made long enough to fit wider spacings. I had to ad some spacers to the wheels because my bike had a 125mm spacing in the rear.

Here's how it looks installed!




I took it for a ride and it rides great. The thin deep walls seem to do a lot of damping because it rides smoother than the Velocity's, Weinnmans, even Vueltas out there. I hope the damping doesn't lead to any fatigue. I will update with more info as I ride it harder and more regularly and see if it falls apart or explodes on me.

As aesthetics goes I'm pretty happy with it. Its probably deeper than most people would agree with considering how tiny my frame tubes are but the big surface area makes great advertising/ art space! If these go well with me, I might even start selling them so shoot me an email if you are interested in a set.

Du