These are among the most dependable wheels I’ve ever used. I’ve had a set on my road bike for four years, and in that time I’ve never trued them, never replaced the bearings, and never had a complaint.
Shimano’s carbon-aluminium rim is lighter than aluminium alone, but preserves a metal brake track. I wondered how it would hold up, but it’s proved impervious to delamination, corrosion or other issues, and provides easy installation for tubeless tyres or regular clinchers.
The brake track is grooved from long use but still provides strong purchase for pads, and the cup-and-cone bearings spin as smooth and quiet as they day I got them.
Lest you think I’ve babied these wheels, those four years of use include thousands of everyday road miles and a lot of dirt, ranging from improved country roads to not-so-smooth singletrack. They’re not the latest and greatest, but aside from the model number you’d be hard-pressed to tell.
And if the rest of your bike isn’t quite the freshest version, no worries: they’ll handle 10 or 11-speed cassettes. These aren’t superlight climbers (although they’re just 1,610 grams per pair) or super-deep aero wheels. They’re just high-quality, everyday road wheels for all kinds of roads.
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