So I have owned these new wheels for about a month now and put about 300 miles on them so thought I'd do a review. These are the new 2016 Xentis Squad 4.2 clincher wheels with the 25mm external width, 17mm internal width, 42mm deep rim, and carbon front hub. The claimed weight is 1,307 grams for the wheelset.
This is my second set of Xentis wheels as I bought the 2015 XBL 4.2 clinchers last year and sold them to acquire this set. The XBLs were a great wheelset (I have a review on here as well) but decided to go with the wider rim this year as Xentis just released them. Both wheelsets feature the special brake track that accepts standard brake pads, magnet embedded into the rim, anti-rattle value insert, and are handmade in Austria. The squads have the wave pattern on the rim for an additional aero feature and the logos are painted instead of decals.
My review is based on a comparison of other wheels I have owned and ridden including Sram, Zipp FC, HED Jets and Belgiums, Eastons, Bontragers, and Enve. The quality of the Xentis Squad wheels in on par with Enve, which is my other favorite wheelset that I consider a best in class wheelset.
The Xentis wheels were purchased from Xentis-usa.com (US distributor Rudi) and arrived in the Xentis wheel box that came from Austria in a really nice padded Xentis wheel bag and included rim tape and skewers. The wheels feature straight pull hubs with the front hub as their new all carbon shell and sapin spokes. The hubs are really nice, seem to be solid, and spin smooth. I have put them under some pretty good climbs here in CO and have not noticed any play or flex. The rims themselves are on par with Enve in regards to craftsmanship and quality. They are stiff, well molded, and are even hand signed by the inspector. I am also currently running them with Sram brake pads, but also have a set of Xentis pads that I will switch too once the brake track is worn in a bit more. The tires I am running are Schwalbe One 23mm and 94 psi on the front and 97 psi on the rear.
And to the most important part of the review- how they ride! So I have ridden them in dry, rain, snow, and hail so far. The most recent ride was 80 miles in the mountains with some 18% climbs and fast descents in the pouring rain... On the flats and accelerations they spin up well and seem to hold speed pretty well. They dont hold speed quite as well as my Enve 6.7s but that is obviously expected with the shallower profile and lighter weight. Climbing and descending is where they shine though. With their light weight and stiffness they climb very well and better than any other wheelset I have been on. Descending they gain speed will and hold the line well. I have gotten them up to a little over 40 mph and have not had an issue. Braking has been great in dry conditions and okay in wet. My last ride was a 20 mile descent that started with hail then snow and then rain (was not fun...). The braking performed well in the hail, snow and light rain but was okay when it was pouring and of course it was the switchbacks when it was pouring. The braking was definitely better than my Enve wheels but not as good as alloy when really wet. All in all I put them on the top of the carbon wheels I have been on.
In summary they were a good purchase and are a great all around wheelset for someone looking for lightweight carbon clincher wheelset. If interested in learning more about them I am glad to answer any questions and/or hook you up with their US guy.
Andy Mullen
Team Zoot
This is my second set of Xentis wheels as I bought the 2015 XBL 4.2 clinchers last year and sold them to acquire this set. The XBLs were a great wheelset (I have a review on here as well) but decided to go with the wider rim this year as Xentis just released them. Both wheelsets feature the special brake track that accepts standard brake pads, magnet embedded into the rim, anti-rattle value insert, and are handmade in Austria. The squads have the wave pattern on the rim for an additional aero feature and the logos are painted instead of decals.
My review is based on a comparison of other wheels I have owned and ridden including Sram, Zipp FC, HED Jets and Belgiums, Eastons, Bontragers, and Enve. The quality of the Xentis Squad wheels in on par with Enve, which is my other favorite wheelset that I consider a best in class wheelset.
The Xentis wheels were purchased from Xentis-usa.com (US distributor Rudi) and arrived in the Xentis wheel box that came from Austria in a really nice padded Xentis wheel bag and included rim tape and skewers. The wheels feature straight pull hubs with the front hub as their new all carbon shell and sapin spokes. The hubs are really nice, seem to be solid, and spin smooth. I have put them under some pretty good climbs here in CO and have not noticed any play or flex. The rims themselves are on par with Enve in regards to craftsmanship and quality. They are stiff, well molded, and are even hand signed by the inspector. I am also currently running them with Sram brake pads, but also have a set of Xentis pads that I will switch too once the brake track is worn in a bit more. The tires I am running are Schwalbe One 23mm and 94 psi on the front and 97 psi on the rear.
And to the most important part of the review- how they ride! So I have ridden them in dry, rain, snow, and hail so far. The most recent ride was 80 miles in the mountains with some 18% climbs and fast descents in the pouring rain... On the flats and accelerations they spin up well and seem to hold speed pretty well. They dont hold speed quite as well as my Enve 6.7s but that is obviously expected with the shallower profile and lighter weight. Climbing and descending is where they shine though. With their light weight and stiffness they climb very well and better than any other wheelset I have been on. Descending they gain speed will and hold the line well. I have gotten them up to a little over 40 mph and have not had an issue. Braking has been great in dry conditions and okay in wet. My last ride was a 20 mile descent that started with hail then snow and then rain (was not fun...). The braking performed well in the hail, snow and light rain but was okay when it was pouring and of course it was the switchbacks when it was pouring. The braking was definitely better than my Enve wheels but not as good as alloy when really wet. All in all I put them on the top of the carbon wheels I have been on.
In summary they were a good purchase and are a great all around wheelset for someone looking for lightweight carbon clincher wheelset. If interested in learning more about them I am glad to answer any questions and/or hook you up with their US guy.
Andy Mullen
Team Zoot