I got sick and tired with wrestling with tires (tubeless ready or not) to fit on TR wheels. I searched and searched for a good set of disc road wheels and found these Shimanos. They are a great bargain for a fairly stiff and not too heavy wheel set. The hubs spin very well! I swear I'm going faster with this new wheel set even though I don't run tubeless anymore. I'd highly recommend this wheelset. I haven't had them long and so cannot speak to durability. My guess is that they will do great.
It's a work in progress for me on whether I like these wheels or not. There does feel to be an aero gain on the roads compared to my previous carbon wheelset. I can see a 2mph uptick on the flat roads. However, on rougher roads, the ride is pretty harsh compared to my previous wheelset. I may have to play with tire pressure because internal rim wide has made the tires measure wider and I can drop a few psi. The big disappointment is crosswinds. It's pretty windy where I live and despite claims, the wheels are pretty prone to jerking the wheel from under me in a gust. The wheels have made my bike more nervous on the road.
What can be added to the profusion of well deserved accolades these worthy wheels have drawn? Yet I shall try. I've only racked up 540 miles on them, but oh what a joy each time I mount up!
All my bikes are rim-brake frames and over the last few years acquired 3 carbon rim wheelsets, among them Hunt's butterfly weave, carbon spoke Ceramicspeed 50mm wheels. As stiff and fast as those are (200 gms lighter than the Ardennes RA Blacks), these new Hed Blacks are more enjoyable to ride. Everything I read praising these wheels has become true for me too. Currently, I have them mounted on my Titanium endurance bike with Turbo Cotton 26's and TPU tubes, a combo that yields a magical ride! I think I enjoy these overall even more than my Winspace Hyper 38's I bought in 2019.
Some roadbike wheels are more than the sum of their components, for some inexplicable reason. Steve Hed was the pioneer in going wide on the internal width, recognizing the increased air volume and it's positive effect on ride dynamics and tire/rim interface. Now every manufacturer has followed. I run 74psi front and 76psi rear in these cotton carcass tires.
If you are a diehard rim-brake roadie, save up your nickels and dimes and buy these wheels! Simply put, these are the best out there for high mile endurance guys. Safe travels friends.
I'd had a set of Aksium wheels since I bought my Ridley Fenix in 2017. They are very durable and have held up well to my 200 lb. frame and not so delicate riding style through all four seasons and well over 10k miles without much attention beyond occasional truing.
I ordered a new set to replace the OEM wheels which were showing signs of wear on the rims and spoke nipples. The new set came true and ready to go out of the box. I feel they are a good value if you are looking for a basic set of durable wheels. I look forward to years of service from this new set.
