any opinions about bontrager race X lite or bontrager race X lite aero wheels for triathlon racing?
I have a front x-lite that I use for training - bought it at a bike swap for $30.
Light wheel, has stayed true, and has cartridge bearings. Good.
The X-Lite was Bontrager’s answer to the Mavic Ksyrium SL. A light, stiff, race-worthy wheel. As an added bonus, they are a little lighter, and a little less expensive than the Mavics… They use a DT Swiss hub, which I prefer to the Mavic design, as it is a little easier to work on, and provides less drag (no ghost pedaling.) You can also replace the stock aero spokes with a standard round or double butted if needed, as apposed to Mavic’s proprietary spoke system. The Bontrager’s are available as clincher or tubular, and the cassette body is very easy to swap from Shimano to Campy. The aero version has a lower spoke count, with a deeper rim, but the same hub (minus a few holes.) The deeper rim adds a little weight, but also adds the aero factor. Both are very durable wheels.
I have an older set of X-Lite tubulars that I ride often, occaisionally race on and will be using for CX racing next year. I also have a set of Ksyrium SL’s that see a bit more time on my road bike, but mostly because they match better! Performance between the two is very similar. If anything, the Mavic’s may provide a bit more of a forgiving ride, whereas the Bontrager’s offer better response and acceleration, due to a slightly stiffer design and lighter weight. Both hold their speed very well.
I would recommend the X-Lite’s (and X-Lite aero’s) without hesitation.
I own both X-lites and X-lite aero wheels. I use the X-lites on my road bike and train with the X-lite aero wheels on my TT bike. I think they’re VERY good wheels and I think the paired spoke thing seems to work relative to conventionally spoked wheels.
These aren’t Zipps. I wouldn’t race the X-lite aeros on my TT bike and expect to be in the same ballpark with my times when I’ve got a 404 up front and a disk on the back. Still, versus most conventional road wheels, I think they’re a good bit faster and they’re pretty darned bomb-proof.
As has already been said, the aero version is heavier. That won’t matter for most triathlon racing. They should be faster, too. The Race X-lite (non-aero) is probably the most durable and versatile wheel I’ve ever used on my road bike.
There’s another great reason to go for these wheels … the warranty. After around 40,000 miles, my front Race X-lite developed a crack between a couple of the spoke eyelets in the rim. The week before I discovered this, I got forced into a really deep pothole on a group ride and took a hit hard enough to flatten the tire. Two weeks later I had a free warranty replacement … a brand new X-lite. (In the 40,000 miles I owned that wheel, I never once had to true it … not even after that pothole hit.)
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