@wtfiswiththosehandles lots if hipsters on fixies have cheaper versions of these(still carbon with more spokes) they're extremely durable but they're always a couple millimeters out of true or worse. I raced on the track with HED3s and they weren't tru either. I've seen some bad enough that they required opening your brakes up, of course that's a non-issue with discs. They also ride like crap😂
I would use these if they ever made a rim brake version. Back in the late 90's I had the Spinergy Rev X's with the stiffeners glued in (made a big difference) on a Softride. I liked the bike at the time and the way it looked!
1st thought... *COMPARISON TIME!* A) Put them up against bestest TT setup (including position). For against the clock (10mi TT?) and for in less than optimal conditions. How much slower are they? Is it YUUUGE? Training wheel alternative for the TT enthusiast that might be less succeptible to cross wind for a minor aero loss? 2) Vs the sweet spot aero rims (35-40mm mark). How different are they, Aero, in Crosswinds, Comfortability, Control...?
Got about 1500km on these wheels since april. I think they offer insane bling value (looks crazy cool on my all flat black Domane) and the ride quality is better then expected. As i weigh 82kg and have an above avg power output when out of the saddle, these are the only wheels stiff enough not to bend laterally i ever tried. For 1100usd (got 15% off my order from a youtube reviewer) you cannot go wrong with these wheels. Prior to riding those i was using Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51's which i liked and the Elites Velo 6 didn't come off my bike since i got them.
In terms of speed, they feel faster then the Aeolus 51's i had, both using GP500 S-TR 28mm tires. Lateral winds are comparable for both but i feel the Velo 6 perform better with a noticeable sailing effect when wind comes in with an angle. At over 40km/h the sound they make is satisfying enough to keep you pushing more watts. Also, the rear hub is NOISY like an angry wasp nest... back pedaling on these produces a better enjoyment then using a bell to make other road users aware of your presence 😂
@@morneauh they dont feel flexy to me at all. Tried to bend them by hand like Trace Velo did, and it's a lot more hard to bend then he demonstrates. Anyways I'm not paid by Elite, just a regular satisfied customer. Thought my honest evaluation might be relevant to fellow cyclists.
@@MeSimonRichard Well, they removed lateral stiffness from their marketing. So Elite wheel seems to agree with his finding. At the end of the day, as long as you like them.
There are some cheapo 5spoke rims of a similar shape that hipsters use on track bikes that never see the track. A customer of mine borrowed a pair and tested them in the tunnel with a few other wheelsets while I fit him. They were atrocious. Of course, they're not the exact same thing as these are but I doubt they're better than anything but a very shallow training wheel with lots of spokes. Messengers like them because they're practically unbreakable and never need truing. Of course, those wheels were also not tru out of the box. Not sure about these though. If you just want the look, you can get wheels like this for about $300-400 each online
I'm a sucker for non-standard spoke patterns. From barely different like Corima's normal-spoked wheels that have the spokes in pairs on the rim, or Campagnolo's 3-spoke grouping overCorima MCCs with 12 thick carbon spokes or Lightweight full carbon construction all the way to bike ahead composites or Black Inc with 5-6 carbon spoke wheels like the Elites in this video.
Im really curious what the UCI rule actually reads because if we go by your quote. "Wheels need to have 12 spokes" The wheels do have 12 spokes 6/6 so 12. Is this a loop hole??
ARTICLE 1.3.018 In the disciplines road, track and cyclo-cross, only wheel designs granted prior approval by the UCI may be used. Wheels approved in mass start competitions in the disciplines of road and cyclo-cross shall have at least 12 spokes; spokes can be round, flattened or oval, as far as no dimension of their sections exceeds 10 mm. As it only says "wheels" and not "wheelsets" I suppose every single wheel has to fulfill the requirements. Apart from that, the section of the spokes probably exceeds 10mm as well.
By stability, I'm fairly certain Alex is referencing the effect of cross winds and for the masses on shared roadways, wake turbulence off of passing motor vehicles. I ride UCI illegal already and while multiple manufacturers do make solid carbon wheels for minivelos, I would be interested in hearing about the hub options and durability trade offs before going that bling with it. Also would love to see a full carbon minivelo brought into a wind tunnel and somehow measured in a pace line, 622 wheels vs 451, how much of a difference does those couple of inches make when the following rider can get just a bit closer without overlapping wheels?
I have 2 sets of elite wheels and the quality has been very impressive. Both the cheaper set and the drives. Will be ordering a set of these for the commuter
The reason why people will choose these wheels is the looks, also the speed, which you have not addressed at all in this video. Are they foster the normal spoke wheels or not ?
Considering you guys (and other folks) recently showed that wider tyres are faster/more comfy, I'm surprised to see you setting these up at the narrowest end of the tyre range, rather than going for the upper bound and getting those sweet comfort and speed gains If you whacked some 30c tyres on there you'd have a consistent message, and a smoother ride 👍 (I'd maybe even go for 32c, there's more options and tubeless works better at lower pressures)
This sort of thing has actually been around since before the 1990s. Skyway made a graphite version of their 5-spoke "Tuff Wheels" in the 1980s (the composite material that was commonly called "graphite" in the 1980s is commonly called "carbon fiber" today). Since they were expensive, originals were/are rare and highly sought after by collectors these days (Skyway has recently reissued them though). They're lighter and stiffer than ordinary plastic Tuff Wheels.
We all know that if we're not in the UCI pro peleton that cycling kit is ALL about the looks and these fit the bill. Lets face it, if we're not winning races and earning a salary while riding, the harsh reality is that we are ALL just weekend warriors and why not look good enjoying that title. Im all for them and the 90's spinergy wheels are my all time favorite wheelset. I actually have a pair on my Colnago C40 raw carbon gloss finish with the yellow decals.
I’ve got the xentis high X 5 spoke gravel wheel set. Weighing only 1.390 kilos for the set they’re a bit expensive but I’m not going to complain since they’re the fastest wheels i ever had, very stiff and lots of people pointing or looking towards me me while riding. I love it!
One thing I didn't hear mentioned was durability and maintenance. As soon as I saw them the first thing I thought was no more broken spokes or truing wheels!
I saw the bike ahead composite version of these and looks like they spun wrong way round? But those dont look quite right either? Xenit has the dimples for aero, or the rolf/cormia for European badassness for everyone mavis has integrated carbon hoops so no tape needed on slr. I own black inc and get on with em great! What about titanium wheels?!?
Boo on UCI! - 2 x 6 spokes = 12 - whats the problem :) They look awesome! And maybe a stupid Q, but are the rules different for UCI MTB division? Ghost Factory Racing ran XC last year with similar wheels.
Is it possible for the team to show us a head to head of each presenters stable of bikes and the running gear on each of them? Example Hank has two bikes that we see from time to time, are they both running SRAM Red or something different.
I love them! I was just wishing current carbon tech could have made them much lighter. Get closer to 1000g at a semi-reasonable price and people would buy them like crazy.
These wheels compliment the Pinarello frame perfectly, as they are just as ugly. No need to ban them, people with taste just need to make the right purchasing decisions.
I'ld rather want the numbers crunched on the sailing effect. How much (if any) propels the sailing effect of deep wheels in cross winds? Is the sailing effect dependend on the wind direction?
@DaveCM Getting your arm caught between those spokes and the frame in a crash is more likely than with a traditional wheel due to the large gap between the spokes. Those carbon spokes aren't going to give when they hit you, so an injury is more likely. Crashes are much more frequent in races than when riding solo. So, I agree with the UCI. Those wheels are not suitable in road races.
That perspective hadn't occurred to me regarding group crashes, but makes sense. If folks are getting tangled up in each others bikes, then less tangleable moving parts is a good thing.
Sounds like the problem then is with having group races in the UCI. Isn’t it logical to ban group race situations that create the opportunities for crashes (group races)? So change the TDF to time trials for the entire section. Banning then equipment sounds like you want the crashes to keep happening.
@@goldenretriever6261 Yeah, but your rims were evenly tensioned by steel spokes. These rims have six approx 40 degree sections unsupported by anything, other than the rim structure...
I have the Drive 6 Gravel wheels (similar but not the same). I managed to break one on my gravel bike riding what was really technical singletrack - bottomed out on a root going downhill. Even cracked, it still held air, starting making that broken carbon sound on root hits etc. I rode it for another 20 miles or so. Elite replaced it under warranty. Pretty tough wheel actually.
Could be easily painted or foiled. I am thinking of putting the six primary and secondary colors in the spokes as a color wheel. Or three colors of reflective tape, repeated once Or three colors reflective, three colors flourecent for visibility in any lighting 😆
The could, perhaps, make these UCI legal by making the blades thinner and doubling them up to make 12. Like you say, otherwise they are very niche. I’ll stick with my 32 stainless steel spokes on my London commute 😁
@@gcntech yes I’ve added some 25mm internal width with 32mm tires to my all road / road bike and it’s incredible. 32s on narrower rims get that lightbulb shape and feel uncertain at high speeds - while descending. These new Elites are awesome anyway.
If you need to have watched the video they announced the partnership to know this is an infomercial, then yeah, they are concealing the relationship in this video. They should state it at the outset of every advertorial.
Flashy but that's about it. Alex really didn't even have anything positive to say about the performance. Why take on all that extra weight. I'll pass...
Hey GCN, you never even superniced my Merlin with the Tri-Spoke wheels, but saw fit to use it in your video! What’s up with that? I think you need to pay me royalties in the form of two GCN water bottles, or my attorneys will come after you!
