Aluminum wheels - 2019

Mar 18, 19 18:47

Post #1 of 43 (15664 views)

Or aluminium as we call it in the rest of the world...

A good article and list of criteria was presented today:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...t_in_2019__7197.html
(The only extra thing not mentioned that I've heard anecdotally is that carbon is worth getting for the ride quality as much as the aero. And also the womp...)

Quote:

I’ll give the short list of specs that you should look for with a modern set of aluminum wheels.
1. Internal rim width of 17 – 21mm. Outer rim width of 22 – 25mm.
2. Rim depth of 25 – 35mm. Deeper looks cooler and might gain an aero edge – at the expense of weight.
3. Tubeless compatibility – if that’s your cup of tea.
4. Bladed steel spokes
5. Beware of super lightweight hubs that contain tiny bearings that won’t last.

And I love cheap performance gains (currently on heavy, narrow 30mm rims), so this topic is right up my alley.

So, what's out there that meets this criteria? Personally I'm happy to go deeper (min 35, or 30 if there's aero credentials) at the expense of weight, but these get rare, or just don't exist without being grossly overweight and also very narrow (think cheap "fixie" wheels).

On the market that I'm aware of: (with claimed depth/width/internal/weight) <updated 21 March>
(Bold for those with depth 30+ and width 22+)

Wheels

Name Depth External Internal Weight
Alto A26 24.5 24.5 21.1 1447
American Classic 420 Aero3 34 22 19 1530
American Classic Argent 30 22 19.4 1392
American Classic Victory 30 30 22.7 18.1 1547
Boyd Altamont 30 24 19.86 1530
DT Swiss PR1600 32 21.5 18 1723
Easton EA90SL 27 24.5 19.5 1490
Fulcrum Racing 4 / Campy Scirocco 35 23.2 17 1725
HED Jet 4+ 46 25 20.7 1600
Kinetic One K1-45SL 45 21 17 1800
Kotavelo R42SE 41 24 18 1714
Mavic Cosmic Elite 30 23 17 1770
Novatec Jetfly 32 21.5 17 1435
Prolite Bracciano A42W 42 24 18.9 1919
Velocity Aileron 28 25 20 1835 (disc only)
Velocity Quill 25.5 24.5 21 1650
Veltec Speed AL-TR 42 23 16 1830
Vision Team 35 Comp 35 22 17 1850
Vision Trimax 35 KB 35 22 17 1530
Vision Trimax 35 KB 30 24 19 1495

Rims
Name Depth External Internal Weight
(Flo 30) 30 24 19.4 570
(Zipp 101) 30 24.5 x x
Aforce AL33 30 24.5 19.6 505
Boyd Altamont 30 24 19.86 485
DT Swiss RR511 32 22 18 530
Easton R90SL 27 24 19.5 455
HED Ardennes Plus 24.5 25 21
Kinlin XC279 28 23 17 490
Kinlin XR31T 31 24 19 500

Last edited by: MattyK: Mar 27, 19 15:34

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 19 19:03

Post #2 of 43 (15626 views)

I've been running Flo 30's for the last few years and they've been fantastic. Lots of fast riding on gravel and dirt roads and not even a little bit out of true. With the 19mm internal width, it makes 25mm gp4000's (with latex) so comfortable and fast on and off road. A 30mm rim depth means I don't need valve extenders. Only issue is the 24mm outer width doesn't quite match the 27mm width of the tire I run. If I could get this exact wheel in a 26-27mm width it would be absolutely perfect. When I searched though, I couldn't find anything wider than 24. Those Aforce AL33 rims sound very intriguing...

-Bryan Journey
Travel Blog | Training Blog | Facebook Page

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 19 19:12

Post #3 of 43 (15602 views)

MattyK wrote:

On the market that I'm aware of: (with claimed depth/width/internal/weight)

Fulcrum Racing 4 (35/23.2/17/1725)
Vision Team 35 Comp (35/22/17/1850)
Kotavelo R42 or R42SE (41/24/18/1714)
Kinetic One K1-45SL (45/21/?/~1800) Also K42: (42/21/?/~1900)
Prolite Bracciano A42W (42/24/18.9/1919)
Novatec Jetfly (32/21.5/17/1435)

Rims:

AForce Al33 (32.5/26.2/19.6/505)
Flo 30 (30/24/19.4/570) (no longer made)
Kinlin XR31T (31/24/19/580)
DT Swiss RR511 (32/22/18/530)

Anything else worthwhile? (mostly on the complete wheel side)

If you stretch your requirements out to 45mm deep you got a HED JET 4+ Black at:

- 45mm deep
- 1600 grams
- Bladed spokes
- Etched brake surface for superior wet/dry braking
- Black so the look of carbon
- 25mm wide at rim
- 21mm wide internal
- Tubeless
- Proven aero with provenance

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Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [Thomas Gerlach] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 19 19:16

Post #4 of 43 (15597 views)

Thomas Gerlach wrote:

If you stretch your requirements out to 45mm deep you got a HED JET 4+ Black

At that price you're deep into carbon price territory... I wish that was a decision I could afford to ponder.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 19 19:39

Post #5 of 43 (15559 views)

I had a set of AForce AL33's built up on bitex hubs. 20/24 Sapim bladed spokes, brass nipples, with tubeless tape (even though I run tubes) weighed in at 1515 grams with no skewers. They're a solid build. Stiff, accelerate well, and makes for a comfortable ride with 25 mm Conti's and latex. No need to worry about valve extenders or extra long valved tubes. External nipples for easy truing and went with heavier brass instead of aluminum since we have rust issues here. I use them everyday on my road bike and bike race on them as well. I can't speak to their aero properties since it's pretty much impossible to compare while riding, but I'm certainly not getting blown around by cross winds.

For triathlons/TT, I'd probably opt for HED Jets just for a little more depth. The Jet 5 Blacks could be had for around $1200 a little while ago from MBS. That with a disc cover seems like a great all around set if you want to train, tri, TT, and road race. But since aero is less important to me, and I wanted a little less weight, the AL33's seemed like a good fit at half the cost.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 19 20:34

Post #6 of 43 (15516 views)

I have been riding a set of Pacenti rims on my road bike that I built up myself for years now and love them. They even make a specific offset rear rim. A majority of time I for training don't notice any real difference to expensive wheels I ride only when you have the hammer down at speed a deep set of carbon wheels are definitely faster. Check out the link this company that build them up custom pretty cheap. I do froth over a set of Hed Ardennes Black though.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_ssn=oregondiecastmodels&item=262848975130&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR9.TRC0.A0.H0.Xpacenti.TRS1&_nkw=pacenti&_sacat=0

They build up Hed ardennes too...

https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=pacenti&_ssn=oregondiecastmodels&item=262848975130&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR7.TRC1.A0.H0.Xhed+ardennes.TRS0&_nkw=hed+ardennes&_sacat=0

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 19 21:07

Post #7 of 43 (15481 views)

Bontrager Aeolus Comp is a 50mm deep hybrid wheel that comes on a lot of the Trek bikes (Madone and Speed Concept). They aren’t super fancy but they are a very nice wheel. Durable, stable in crosswinds and the profile is supposed to be identical to Trek’s high end carbon wheels of that generation.

You can get a set new for around 550$, but the better deal is find a take-off set on EBay.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 19 21:37

Post #8 of 43 (15467 views)

I broke a spoke on a pair of well worn wheels last year and was looking for a quick replacement.

Picked up a pair of American Classic Victory 30 for an absolute steal.
Not sure about the hubs but the rest of the wheel match the specs.
I think however they are now discontinued,

Funny, was talking to a riding buddy yesterday who has fancy carbon clincher ENVE's who said he would have preferred to buy my wheels. LOL.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 18, 19 23:35

Post #9 of 43 (15392 views)

MattyK wrote:

Thomas Gerlach wrote:

If you stretch your requirements out to 45mm deep you got a HED JET 4+ Black

At that price you're deep into carbon price territory... I wish that was a decision I could afford to ponder.

That is just for the Blacks with the special brake track which is a premium. You could go with the the Jet 6+ plus although now you are talking 1660g and 60mm deep. $1100 for those.

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Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 0:28

Post #10 of 43 (15366 views)

Campagnolo shamal

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 0:32

Post #11 of 43 (15362 views)

Thanks Slowtwitch for the article and MattyK for the thread.

I have recently sold my Zipp 302's to move back to alloy wheels (pretty glad I did) and am trying to decide what to buy.

I will stick with my $100 second hand Bontrager RL's over winter then update later in the year keeping the Bontys as spares.

I'm currently looking at the difference between Fulcrum Racing zero's and Racing threes while trying to see if the extra cost for the Zero's is justified, so hopefully this thread may provide some thoughts on this and also what other wheels are out there.

Cheers

Travis

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [frenchieTT] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 3:21

Post #12 of 43 (15268 views)

frenchieTT wrote:

Campagnolo shamal

I don't think your definition of the word "deep" correlates with mine...

(sorry, maybe I didn't make my thoughts clear in the first post. Looking at the list of 30+ mm deep rims only, preferably 35+)

Last edited by: MattyK: Mar 19, 19 3:36

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 3:27

Post #13 of 43 (15261 views)

You might consider also:
Campy Scirocco (same hubs and rim of Fulcrum 4's but with G3 spoke pattern on rear wheel)
Veltec Speed AL-TR; 42mm deep, 23mm external , 20/24 sapim cx, 1830g
Mavic Cosmic Elite; 30mm deep, 17mm internal, 1770g

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 6:53

Post #14 of 43 (15127 views)

I run the cheapest (and often heaviest) wheelset I can find for training. Currently I have a set of Shimano RS10 wheels that are very heavy, but stay true on some of the crappy roads I ride. Race day is for the nice stuff.

For climbing, I have a set of Alto A26's that I picked up used from a pro. Pretty light and good aero shape too.

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 7:08

Post #15 of 43 (15115 views)

MattyK wrote:

frenchieTT wrote:

Campagnolo shamal

I don't think your definition of the word "deep" correlates with mine...

(sorry, maybe I didn't make my thoughts clear in the first post. Looking at the list of 30+ mm deep rims only, preferably 35+)

How about fast?

An old design but up until IIRC 2010 it was equal to Zipp 808.

Edit: sorry the shamal has changed a lot. Not the same wheel it used to be.

Maurice

Last edited by: mauricemaher: Mar 19, 19 7:13

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 7:21

Post #16 of 43 (15095 views)

Gotta say, I still love my classic carbon zipps (808/1080) with AL brake tracks. Plenty aero and stops on a dime.

Advanced Aero TopTube Storage for Road, Gravel, & Tri...ZeroSlip & Direct-mount, made in the USA.
DarkSpeedWorks.com.....Reviews.....Insta.....Facebook
--

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [grumpier.mike] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 7:31

Post #17 of 43 (15080 views)

grumpier.mike wrote:

Bontrager Aeolus Comp is a 50mm deep hybrid wheel that comes on a lot of the Trek bikes (Madone and Speed Concept). They aren’t super fancy but they are a very nice wheel. Durable, stable in crosswinds and the profile is supposed to be identical to Trek’s high end carbon wheels of that generation.

You can get a set new for around 550$, but the better deal is find a take-off set on EBay.

That's what I was thinking - some take-off Bonty's. I might be out-of-date, but I'm guessing the Aeolus Comp is the new version of what I reviewed a few years back - the Aura 5.

The Flo 30 is a good choice, but I think it's only available as a rim-only. The Boyd Altamont is also interesting - $650, 30mm deep, 24mm external width, 20mm internal width, 1,645 grams. The Vision Trimax wheels I just got (and are in that article) are about 50 grams heavier and 2mm narrower, but seem to be good quality overall. I also failed to mention that the depth of the rims is listed at 35mm, but that's only right where the spoke holes are - the rim is machined out in-between, so the depth is more like 32mm for the bulk of the wheel.

Perhaps the biggest problem with "nice" aluminum wheels is that there isn't a lot of long-term consistency in the offerings. I feel like once the Zipp 101 really caught on, it was discontinued. There have been a good number of deep-ish alloy rims over time, but outside of the narrow Velocity Deep V, nothing seems to survive long-term. Cheaper carbon rims are just too close in price.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 11:02

Post #18 of 43 (14972 views)

I'd add a couple of rims to your list.

Easton R90 SL is a 25mm wide 27mm tall rim. That is the closest to Greg's 25mm x 30mm wish that I have found.

The Kinlin XR-26T is close as well, at 24mm wide and 26mm tall.

Neither are terribly heavy at 452 and 455 grams respectively (from Fair Wheels Bike's site) and both are tubeless compatible.

But the Zipp 101 is still my favorite rim and makes for a sleeper aero wheelset.

Suffer Well.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 11:08

Post #19 of 43 (14964 views)

Once you add the HED's that's a good list. I'm a huge fan of aluminum wheels. Are you thinking racing or training? I love the Kinlin XR31T for training and would go HED for racing. This is all rim brakes of course. Aluminum rims haven't really been updated for disc brakes yet.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 11:43

Post #20 of 43 (14928 views)

Make sure to look at the Boyd Altamonts. Available in both a machined braking surface, OR PEO coated ceramic:

- Boyd Altamont (30/24/19.86/485)

I'm running a set of wheels built around the ceramic version and they are VERY nice.

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [natethomas] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 11:45

Post #21 of 43 (14926 views)

I road race (Crits) on a 2017 Roubaix Elite running DT Swiss 470 db wheels, as well as ride the bike on open group club rides. I see lots of fancy wheels, both alloy and carbon and I don't see what they have over my OEM wheels. What I have over them is the ability to screw up and hit a hole once in a while, and as long as the tire survives I know the rim did as well. Even when the tire doesn't make it the rim is always still there to go again.

Now my TT bike has the bling wheels, but that is because a Transition looks stupid with the stock wheels on it (and the Flo's do make it marginally faster).

"...the street finds its own uses for things"

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [gregk] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 12:29

Post #22 of 43 (14892 views)

Flo 30 at 40$ per rim....

“Buy now”

“Not currently available”

Maurice

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 13:20

Post #23 of 43 (14855 views)

I have a set of just about new American classic Argent wheels that I'm swapping out, I think they fit all of the criteria you listed perfectly.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 13:30

Post #24 of 43 (14838 views)

https://www.dtswiss.com/...0/pr-1600-spline-32/

DT Swiss PR 1600 (or ER E P prefix 1600 (R32 in older versions)) come with a 32mm "522" V rim.
PR (32/22/18/1725)

I've been riding the R32 disc version for a few years (5000 miles+) SUPER solid under my 85kg, all the spokes are still inline and taught, they're $350-400 shipped, end caps for everything (plus you can make $40/set selling the extras off), tubeless good, Strava noticed the difference over my 24mm deep wheels, and they look really nice. Only complaint, you'll get some steering input in crosswinds - enough to move me around 3-4", but they've widened and U'd the rim 1mm or so since.
Definitely recommended at the price point. These are comparable to the Fulcrums at the same price, but not as nice as the AForce, Zipp 30, Bontrager, or Boyd wheelsets at 2x the price.

Last edited by: jfranci3: Mar 19, 19 14:05

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [Tom A.] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 13:36

Post #25 of 43 (14823 views)

Tom A. wrote:

Make sure to look at the Boyd Altamonts. Available in both a machined braking surface, OR PEO coated ceramic:

- Boyd Altamont (30/24/19.86/485)

I'm running a set of wheels built around the ceramic version and they are VERY nice.

Careful! People will think I bought you off. Ha ha.
Nice getting to meet you at the NAHBS show.

__________________________________________________________________________
http://www.boydcycling.com Handcrafted Revolution

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 19, 19 16:14

Post #26 of 43 (6889 views)

OP updated with suggestions, thanks all.

If I get inspired I'll try to format the table better, or make a pretty 3D/4D chart.

I have a table with a couple more columns, namely price and shape info. e.g. a shallower toroidal profile may be more desirable/better aero than a deep but straight-sided vee with a lip at the brake track. There are of course many other factors you could add (spokes, spoke type, alloy, brake track design, hubs/bearings, etc). But trying not to overthink it any more than I usually do.

Another point I think it important is keep an eye on the brake track thickness (ie outer minus inner widths). Typically it's about 6mm (3mm per side, ignoring the bead recess) but some are notably thinner. An easy spot to save some weight, but not much good if it wears out faster (ignore if you have disc brakes).

I used to have a nice scatter chart where I compared a "score" to the price of each, where "score" = depth*width/weight as a simplified conglomeration of the performance factors of each rim. My data is a bit dated on that table. But it was good at identifying bang-for-bucks.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 20, 19 0:17

Post #27 of 43 (6805 views)

Vision got some cheap (240EUR), but quite heavy alloy wheels
Vision Team 30 Comp - 30/24/19/1920 https://shop.visiontechusa.com/en/team-30-comp
Vision Team 30 - 30/24/19/1820 TL Ready https://shop.visiontechusa.com/en/team-30

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [coachboyd] [ In reply to ]

Mar 20, 19 7:25

Post #28 of 43 (6757 views)

coachboyd wrote:

Tom A. wrote:

Make sure to look at the Boyd Altamonts. Available in both a machined braking surface, OR PEO coated ceramic:

- Boyd Altamont (30/24/19.86/485)

I'm running a set of wheels built around the ceramic version and they are VERY nice.

Careful! People will think I bought you off. Ha ha.
Nice getting to meet you at the NAHBS show.

Hey! I just calls them as I sees them...and I PAID for my rims! :-)

Great meeting up with you too...I was completely blown away that you remembered that rim purchase.

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 20, 19 7:33

Post #29 of 43 (6746 views)

MattyK wrote:

OP updated with suggestions, thanks all.

It doesn't appear that some of the options that are available as rims only made it into the rim section of your update (e.g. the Boyd Altamonts I suggested earlier)...just thought I'd point that out.

MattyK wrote:

Another point I think it important is keep an eye on the brake track thickness (ie outer minus inner widths). Typically it's about 6mm (3mm per side, ignoring the bead recess) but some are notably thinner. An easy spot to save some weight, but not much good if it wears out faster (ignore if you have disc brakes).

One caveat on the above...if the rim has a PEO coating (like some of the AL33s, or the Altamont Ceramics), then that wall thickness concern is much less of a factor. When used with the proper pads (typically SwissStop BXP blue), the ceramic coating is hard enough that it doesn't wear away...so, rim brake wall thickness doesn't change.

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [mauricemaher] [ In reply to ]

Mar 20, 19 7:57

Post #30 of 43 (6720 views)

mauricemaher wrote:

Flo 30 at 40$ per rim....

“Buy now”

“Not currently available”

Maurice

Lol. Yeah, that was my experience too.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 20, 19 17:20

Post #31 of 43 (6639 views)

For the last couple of years I’ve been using Velocity Quills and Ailerons. Great wheels, relatively light, semi-aero, solid build, tubeless ready. They have taken the roads of PA and are still true.

Just ordered a custom set, 20/24, anodized red, to use with Kenda Valkyrie tubeless tires.

http://www.velocityusa.com/.../quill-comp-wheelset
http://www.velocityusa.com/...ileron-comp-wheelset

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [Tom A.] [ In reply to ]

Mar 20, 19 19:02

Post #32 of 43 (6607 views)

Tom A. wrote:

One caveat on the above...if the rim has a PEO coating (like some of the AL33s, or the Altamont Ceramics), then that wall thickness concern is much less of a factor. When used with the proper pads (typically SwissStop BXP blue), the ceramic coating is hard enough that it doesn't wear away...so, rim brake wall thickness doesn't change.

How do the Altamont Ceramics hold up in terms of pad wear? I know the AL33 ceramics tend to chew up pads at a pretty fast rate, even is you use the suggested BXPs. Saw online reviews and in person from a friend. That's part of the reason I had mine built up with the standard aluminum track. I know it may not last as long, but in 3-5 years I may want something else anyway. Maybe road tubeless will finally have all the quirks worked out but require a different rim design? Or 13 speed? Or something else? It's kind of why I didn't want to invest too much in a wheelset as a long term investment. Give me something affordable that has all the modern advancements of today and in 3-5 years I can easily pivot to whatever the latest and greatest is.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [Jason N] [ In reply to ]

Mar 21, 19 7:08

Post #33 of 43 (6532 views)

Jason N wrote:

Tom A. wrote:

One caveat on the above...if the rim has a PEO coating (like some of the AL33s, or the Altamont Ceramics), then that wall thickness concern is much less of a factor. When used with the proper pads (typically SwissStop BXP blue), the ceramic coating is hard enough that it doesn't wear away...so, rim brake wall thickness doesn't change.

How do the Altamont Ceramics hold up in terms of pad wear? I know the AL33 ceramics tend to chew up pads at a pretty fast rate, even is you use the suggested BXPs. Saw online reviews and in person from a friend. That's part of the reason I had mine built up with the standard aluminum track. I know it may not last as long, but in 3-5 years I may want something else anyway. Maybe road tubeless will finally have all the quirks worked out but require a different rim design? Or 13 speed? Or something else? It's kind of why I didn't want to invest too much in a wheelset as a long term investment. Give me something affordable that has all the modern advancements of today and in 3-5 years I can easily pivot to whatever the latest and greatest is.

The BXP pads are soft to begin with, so them wearing faster than a typical pad is understandable. Of course, that's also why they work so well with the ceramic coating and "protect" it ;-) That said, what I've seen is that the initial pad wear is fairly fast, but once there's a thin layer of pad material on the ceramic surface, the wear rate slows down...kinda similar to disk brake pad "bedding".

I'll take slightly faster pad wear over the rim being worn away as a decent trade-off...

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 26, 19 7:08

Post #34 of 43 (6432 views)

Hey MattyK (and everyone else) - I just posted a follow-up to the original story last night:
https://www.slowtwitch.com/...s_for_2019_7204.html

There isn't really much in there that's not in this thread (and in fact, this thread is what sparked it). Not everyone who reads the home page reads the forum, and vice versa - so I wanted to share a few more specific wheel choices. I had heard of the Aforce and Kinlin stuff a bit, but this thread helped to get me up to speed - thanks, ya'll!

How did I pick what I picked? It was based on:

1. What fit the dimensional requirements (yes, I realize that the DT is a tiny bit under the 22mm width, @ 21.5mm). I like enough about that rim/wheel that it made the cut - I've always had success with their rims as a wheel builder and athlete.

2. I focused on rim brake wheels only for now (eliminating choices like the Velocity Aileron).

3. Can you realistically buy it (new) today?

4. I tend to feature companies that will dialogue with us (i.e. answer questions, provide photos, etc) - often just for practical purposes and because deadlines exist.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [gregk] [ In reply to ]

Mar 26, 19 14:02

Post #35 of 43 (6373 views)

Hey Greg, no worries for the inspiration, and for doing a better job of it than I did...

Shame about the deadline requirement, I know I threw a few smaller/local brands into the mix, but I think there were still some options from major brands that are widely available and highly regarded that deserved to be listed.

Fulcrum Racing 4, Prolite Bracciano A42W should tick all your boxes.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 26, 19 14:28

Post #36 of 43 (6356 views)

MattyK wrote:

Hey Greg, no worries for the inspiration, and for doing a better job of it than I did...

Shame about the deadline requirement, I know I threw a few smaller/local brands into the mix, but I think there were still some options from major brands that are widely available and highly regarded that deserved to be listed.

Fulcrum Racing 4, Prolite Bracciano A42W should tick all your boxes.

That Prolite vaguely rang a bell, but I didn't look in to it much just based on my own lack of name recognition, and the fact that I've never had any contact with them. It does look cool, and has to be the deepest alloy rim I've ever seen. Fulcrum / Campy falls in to the 'no contact' camp, too - I've reached out on several occasions over the years, but have never received return correspondence (and have no experience with their latest stuff). Campy has never been heavily tri-focused, so they might just be concentrating on their larger customer base of road cyclists.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [gregk] [ In reply to ]

Mar 27, 19 15:35

Post #37 of 43 (6268 views)

FYI I fixed the weight of the XR31T rim; you might want to update your article to do the same. (My error, I stole the wrong number from a web page)

M.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 28, 19 6:51

Post #38 of 43 (6194 views)

Thanks - I saw that yesterday afternoon and corrected. That was the lone rim that I had a VERY hard time finding info on - it isn't even on their own website.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [gregk] [ In reply to ]

Mar 28, 19 13:53

Post #39 of 43 (6150 views)

Interesting that they don't list it. But there are lots of "OEM" wheels that are magically 31mm x 24mm or otherwise acknowledge it.

You might want to also update your comments about weight under the table of data.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [gregk] [ In reply to ]

Mar 28, 19 14:23

Post #40 of 43 (6132 views)

This is a pretty small store, but it's an excellent resource.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 28, 19 14:28

Post #41 of 43 (6129 views)

Check Hunt Wheels that are made in the UK. Also, somebody below mentioned Boyd as well. Two thumbs up.
https://www.huntbikewheels.com/

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [Nerd] [ In reply to ]

Mar 28, 19 15:10

Post #42 of 43 (6118 views)

Nerd wrote:

Check Hunt Wheels that are made in the UK.

MattyK wrote:

...there are lots of "OEM" wheels that are magically 31mm x 24mm...

They don't say Kinlin on their website but it's plain as day that that's what they use (XR31T and XC279).
You might as well buy the DIY build kits from BDOP for a fraction of the price.

Re: Aluminum wheels - 2019 [MattyK] [ In reply to ]

Mar 29, 19 5:58

Post #43 of 43 (6062 views)

On this same topic, I was just browsing on one of those bike websites that sells high end stuff that it wouldn’t really be prudent for me to buy right now. I looked under the Campy category, and they were listing $3600 carbon wheeksets and $1500 aluminum ones.

Those seem like a lot of money. You could get a more than decent complete bike for that price.

What am I missing here? What makes them so special vs a $400 OEM aluminum wheel set with cx ray spokes and decent hubs?

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