My guy Luke is single-handedly carrying the cycling industry for the actual regular people. Risking catastrophic failure so the rest of us can trust these brands. THANK YOU!!!!!
I would probably have bought from them if they didn't use the "always on discount" approach. I hope he actually gets a another sponsor who is not as manipulative.
@@kdou6870I’m not that familiar with the industry. Whats the “always on discount” phrase mean? Like they mark them up to mark them down? Which other companies do that? I have 2 pairs of their bibs, and they’re both good. Their SLX is my second favorite bib other than my Assos, but only have 4-5 brands to compare them to. I want to try Red and White next.
Bearing test engineer here. Your very first video of unscrewing of the endcap at around 12:15 and showing how easily the bearing is to come out means the fit selected is way off. It should be something like an H6 or H7 fit, so around 0 to +20 something microns. With how easily that slipped out, it is likely 100+ microns of clearance. The proper way to make that hole is either pre tention the hub while drilling (rather complicated jig to do that) or good modeling to say that you machine to like -30 microns and when it's tensioned, it increases to +15 microns from nominal.
totalmente de acuerdo la parte exterior del rodamiento debe quedar fija, si no es de esa manera hara holgura en el alojamiento, el fresado fue muy grande
@@patxigg (I did have to use Google translate so if I missed a point, forgive me) being that it's a rotating inner ring, the proper design should be an interference fit on the axle and a loose fit on the outer ring/housing, however loose fit in bearing terms is 0-20ish microns over the bearings od. This is 5x or more that.
What a coincidence - as your latest video drops, so comes a knock on the door from the postman with some more stuff I’ve bought on your recommendation. Thank you again. Looking forward to the new gravel wheel review😁
These are definitely the premium range from Elite. I have just received my order of pair of SLT rim brake wheels (better braking surface than the ENTs) and I am very impressed. Your videos have given me the confidence to buy them as I otherwise would not be able to afford a pair of carbon wheels. Thank you Luke!
@@kerbodynamicx472 Their cheaper options are found on their Aliexpress store. The ENT models sell from around $300. Their own website promotes their flagship Drive range which are their most expensive options.
I bought a pair of Elite wheels just after your 1st review, honestly I can’t say anything remotly bad about them… I’m no pro cyclist but for the price, they are just amazing!
Similar for me (except I came across this channel a bit after that first review). Got some 60mm deep rim brake versions from Amazon for $430 a couple months ago. The only problem I have is the braking isn't great, but I put that down to the cheap cork pads that came with the wheels. Will soon be upgrading to some KoolStop carbon or SwissStop Black Prince pads and hope that will improve braking performance. Other than that they've been awesome!
Cheap Chinese rim brakes wheels, no matter the brake pads, are one of the most dangerous downgrades you can make. Disc brake verions may still stop you after a catestrophic wheel failure; rim brakes won't. Definitely avoid any fast and/or long descents - I've seen several riders cook their pads and end up in the woods. And good luck with keeping your wheels true... and please don't be tempted to increase the clearance between the pad and hub to compensate...that will only further degrade your braking performance. Bottom line, the wheel may look fast but are not safe going fast!!!
@@cyclingclub4030 well, I can only go by my own experience and observations (as you appear to be doing as well), but after 500 miles I haven't had to true them at all, and I'm over 200 lbs. I've had Fulcrum, Campag, and Shimano wheels I've all had to do some minor adjustments to within the first few hundred miles so they're doing better than those on that front. Also, the guys I ride with are rolling on $2k-$3k Reynolds, Zipp, Rolf, and Enve wheels, and aside from the Enves (which are fantastic) the others aren't that much better than the Elites when braking on a downhill. I just came from aluminum wheels with KoolStop salmon pads and direct mount brakes, which is probably one of the best combos for rim braking performance you can find, so any carbon rim brake wheel isn't going to compare well. But regardless, I'm not crazy on descents anyway because I had enough injuries playing sports when I was younger and don't desire another surgery anytime soon. But thanks for your concern!
@@ryanw8987 I haven't had a rim brake bike in at least 6 or 7 seasons, and now on the 3rd disc iteration, the nex gen Ultegra's. I have to admit I can't believe how crazy I was and how many close calls I had. But what they say is true: 'I didn't know what I didn't know' As far as your wheels go, most of guys I know got at half a season on them before experiencing a variety of problems; except for Jose. His front hoop broke at the base of the rim after his 3rd ride (Winspace top model?). It was on a fast descent and he nearly took out a large pace line. Just a broken his collar bone, but so many people witnessed the crash it actually slowed the pace on future rides. Best of luck.
12:18 That hub is defective. you should have an interference on the housing. If it starts to spin, the clearance will get big and you'll have erratic handling. and that looks like the rear not the front.
Love you videos. Huge fan! I have to say that I’m a huge fan of Hunt Wheels. I bought a pair for $980 US and they are 35 mm deep and all carbon weighing in at 1350 grams! Great price, light weight and their customer service was amazing!!! Shipped from the UK to California with zero issues! Maybe give them a shout
I have 2 sets of Elite Wheels, the ENT 50mm rim brake wheels that I have ridden for approx. 2000 miles and a set of 82mm that are on my TT bike and have ridden them for 1000 miles or so. Both are super solid and considering I spent $450 on the rim brake 50mm set and $700 on the 82mm set, I am super shocked these aren't more popular. No issues whatsoever on either pair and just a great deal. Customer service is excellent as well. Can't go wrong IMO.
Thanks for putting in the work when it comes to these Chinese parts Luke. I have been wanting to build my first gravel bike and you have inspired me to try some of the various Chinese carbon you have reviewed in my hopefully soon new gravel bike build. The Winspace and ICAN frames have caught my eye for sure.
Yeh , clean outer bearing race and seating of hub shell with isopropyl alcohol then loctite the bearing in place. Wallah , you got a spare front wheel Luke 👍
I know when Elite brought these wheels to market, also pink letter version for the ladies. Fact that you are putting video just now is testement to your diligence. You find flaw and hold your video to relate response from manufacturer. Kudos Luke!
Another quality, well thought out and researched video Luke.. chapeau fella. Kudos also to @Elitewheels for allowing you to do a full open review. It's their openness of the product which gives validity to their product. The new hubs seem to have an extra flange area to ensure a good bearing fit..And they look STUNNING in that polished metal finish.
Okay! That totally explains the issue I'm having with the front wheel. Thank you very much Luke for this great video. I hope to have the same response from the maker as you 😆
Please let me know what they say. I have a similar situation. Not nearly as prominent as Luke's though. For me, I can't tell if it is actually a problem, or my being hyper sensitive now having knowledge of the issue
I bought a set of ELITE SLT 60mm depth /28mm wide disc full carbon wheel set, cost $628, the wheels are beautifully designed, very fast, and excellent quality. The wheels are just as good , or even better than many top name brands on the market today.
Just FIY... If you brake a spoke on Milenstein or any other full carbon wheel set, you don’t have to throw it away. If the wheel is running true, which it in 90% cases still is, then you can just repair that spoke. I have myself Milensteins with two repairs already on rear wheel, and now for 3 years no problem. On Syncross Silverton full carbon also after one repair, no problem since then. But yes, you are totally right that reparation process is in this cases is a lot worse than with these carbon spokes in your video. I really love your content, so thumbs up!
Funny I went to subscribe only to realize that I already subscribed. 😁 I’m in Dunstable and I still appreciate your review. The cover of the Elite wheels is accepted as a good review. Kudos to Elite Wheels.
Nice review. Glad that they responded so quickly to the bearing issue with an actual fix. I just received a set of Elite SLR with the 36T ratchet hubs and they are beautiful, light, and LOUD! I do wish they were quieter. But seriously, the build quality on mine is perfect and I am very happy with them. Mine are rim brake compatibe to go with my older frameset, but I would definitely consider these for a more modern frame!
Just watched your reivew and saw this comment, great review btw! But yeah with the hub issue I faced, definitely seemed a bit untested, but gotta give elitewheels credit, they listened to feedback and made changes. Love the wheels tho, so im gonna slap some more miles on them and continue testing!
Great video, and really happy you enjoy the wheels. I also have the 1st gen DRIVE wheels. Only about 500ish KMs on them, but I am not experiencing the same front hub issue *knock on wood* Of the DRIVE wheels, I'll tell you what I told Oz Cycle. They have converted me from a terrible climber to a less terrible climber!
Highly unlikely. Then again im the guy that ran a 2.25 tire on a 16mm internal rim. It makes the tire more compliant but at ridiculously low pressure it could.
I have a pair of the cheapest elite wheels and I have had them for over a year (about 9000km) and ride them on equally bad roads, in equally bad weather. Mine are still absolutely true but the rear bearings are a bit rough now. As you say the lack of seals let water and muck in. It will be interesting to see how long your bearings last. I like the wider rims too.
@@tobznoobs Hi. My wheels are still rock solid after 2.5 years (~20 000km). Perfectly true, no broken spokes, still even tension, no disk rub. The rims have a few scratches and chips from hitting curbs and stones, but no structural damage. I have replaced the rear bearings (hard to find in NZ, so I bought cheap off Aliexpress). I have no complaints.
Thanks for another great vid Luke. I'm also trying to build my own chinese parts road bike right now because of your vids. Again, thank you for your efforts
I have a set also recently. About 1k km into mine. They seem fantastic. Fast and comfortable here where roads also suck. Wish I'd seen the discount code....
That hub design was just asking for trouble IMO. Aluminium does not like to be deformed that way. I reckon the next thing that happens would be the hub shell prematurely cracking somewhere. I think it rarely pays off to opt for superlight hubs. Usually, the durability suffers badly, the bearings are smaller and thus they wear faster and roll worse. And you're saving weight in a place where you're not going to notice any difference. Total wheelset weight is not really the full story. Weight distribution on a wheelset is much more important. You are going to notice the difference between light and heavy rims. But saving 50-100g on your hubs will not make a night and day difference for your riding experience. But it will make your wheels last much longer.
I find it insightful that Shimano still uses loose bearing races in their hubs. It's a well proven and reliable system. It requires a higher level of machining tolerance, but it's very adjustable.
@@JohnnyMotel99 I wholeheartedly agree...I built up some carbon chinese (LightBicycle rims) wheels and since I am a relatively heavy, sprinter-type rider (85kg/187lb) with 1500W+ bombs and I didn't fall into the "lighter is better" trap. Something that I always remembered from studying engineering is that mass at the centre of the wheels barely affects moment of intertia as it is a function of mass x radius squared. FYI, I bought some super cheap ($110 aud) Shimano 36 spoke hubs (Shimano FH-RS400 Road Rear Hub 130mm - Silver, Shimano HB-RS400 Front Hub - Silver) and personally built them up 18 spoke front (used every 2nd spoke, radial) and 27 spokes rear (18 DS, 9 non-DS as per the layout in the Elite wheels shown in this video which gives more even spoke tension, 90% on NDS. Fulcrum and Campag build rear wheels like this as well but with insufficient spokes for the heavier/stronger rider). The wheels are aging well and I haven't noticed their extra weight compared to my 1380g Dura Ace C24 wheels at all. Not only that, servicing the hubs takes 10 minutes, is super cheap as it only requires grease and occasionally some new balls. My Dura Ace hubs are 14 years old and if you keep up the maintenance the hubs can last several rim brake rim-sets due to rim wear (which is even slower with carbon rims too).
@@richardggeorge Hambini on YT did a little analysis of Shimano hubs and made several points. Shimano hubs do require more machining to achieve the right tolerance and as you say they so require maintenance. But the upside is they can last a very longtime! He uses Durace too and has had them for many years. My 600EX's have been with me for 20+ years.
Very informative! I'll contact my local dealer to arrange a front hub replacement. Yea it's super comfy as designed for 28 tubeless. Stiff carbon spokes + comfy tires, superb all around wheels. Also I just realized they now have 45 as well. Will order another set but 45 instead of 40 with black decal this time.
wondering why the bearing not press fit in the hub (F & R) to begin with? if the bearing - hub interface slightly loose, would the hub just slide rolling on the bearing instead of bearing rotating on the axle?
These wheels are absolutely gorgeous, they would fit so well with my 2022 Roubaix Comp, but I'm not sure about those hubs. While I don't know much about hubs and their respective maintenance, I'd rather have steel versus ceramic, especially since at this price point you get a mix, which spells danger for the races. But the main issue I have with these wheels, and it really has nothing to do with the wheels, is that they don't ship for free to Puerto Rico, where I live, but I'm used to that already. Thanks for the review and making me tempted to buy a Chinese brand wheel for my bike, especially one as beautiful as this one.
These look great and seem like a banging value if they last. I hope you'll do an update after you put a lot more miles on these wheels, and more miles on the products you recommend in the future. 600mi isn't much, really. I'd hope a set of wheels(or any bike component) would last MUCH longer than 600mi without problems. I did 50mi this past weekend. Basically this review just means the wheels will be good for a few months without problems. Not saying much. I'd want a set of wheels to last at least a couple years with nothing more than a bearing change and maybe the occasional truing. Love your channel. Thanks for the content.
1600g per pair? U can try Avian, mine are Avian CR2 PRO 50mm with carbon shell hub weight around 1450g per pair(as advertised) and cost me RM1400(USD1=RM4.42) rode well, lightweight, stay true for thousands of mile. Great buy!
A guy I know did some testing for recumbents while he was in the UK using a variety of tyre and rim combinations. These days all of his recumbents use rims that are wider than the tyres were ever intended to be used on, which may sound totally unorthodox, but that's what he claims to be the most efficient based on the test results all those years back. I take most things with a grain of salt but who knows, this guy never cares for fashion or trends when designing something, and made himself quite a name for himself selling hiking packs of a very unique design.
As a fellow Oxfordshire rider I can attest to the rubbish roads! If you ever fancy an IRL meet up give me a shout…………I wear Siroko head to toe most rides!
As usual thanks for the information on wider tyre's on crappy roads with lower PSI equal better speed performance Makes absolute sense less rolling resistance
Luke, I ordered a set of these wheels recently (using your discount code, thank you!). I understand that they use an external bottom bracket tool for the rotor lockrings. Can you tell me what tool you used? I want to make sure I have one on hand when they arrive.
Yeah good question! So the included rotor lock rings require a shimano hollowtech II bottom bracket tool: www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-bb-spanner-for-hollowtech-ii-cups
@@TraceVelo Neat. Okay. That seems to be no longer available, so I ordered Park Tool's BBT-19.2. There are lots of tools out there that would appear to do the job, as long as they have the 16 notches and fit a 44mm diameter bottom bracket.
I had mine 12 x 1 shimano, 29" carbon wheelset built by deerobust at 980g for 820€ incl. shipping and tax. You may check the their stuff out they are pretty passionate about their work.
Keep up the great work! I got in to cycling about 4 years ago and I didn’t realize just how crazy expensive this sport can be - it limits many people from doing it. On a different note, I am looking for a bike stand to wash my bike, do you have any suggestions on a good quality stand with a reasonable price?
Awesome review! Thank you so much for the great info on these wheels! My question is this. I live in Colorado, with lots of mountains. I am trying to decide between the 40V or 50V set as you reviewed here, or possibly 40v in the front and 50v in the back. Which setup will climb fast and still have some solid aero capability, in your opinion? Thank you!
Beautiful wheels, but the customer service is the worst. Found a little impact damage on the edge of the front wheel (DRIVE 50V) and informed them the day after I received the package. They insinuated I caused the damage on the first ride - when I didn't even have time to set them up at all. They offered me nothing and haven't been reacting to mails since then. An absolute disgrace.
Talking about your Siroko sponsor ... bought some socks from them... even when washing at 30 degrees, the colour goes everywhere from them.... what's the idiomatic English expression for socks loosing colour when washed? I was lucky that I washed them separately .... I don't want to think about what would have happened if I washed them with some white socks.
I'm more worried about corrosion in the nipple-spoke interface, with Carbon spokes. Carbon and aluminum are not usually that good together when emerged in water. The carbon on the rim also looked pretty wrinkled.
My Time frame had a loose bottom bracket because of galvanic corrosion between the carbon frame and the aluminium bottom bracket sleeve. So yeah these will corrode eventually.
Great video as always! What is the widest tyre you think you could run on these? Do you think could work on a gravel set up as well as road to have one wheelset? e.g. run 28mm on road, 40mm tyres on gravel?
I was already alarmed when you pulled the bearing out with zero effort. That means the whole bearing can move in there and wear the soft aluminium. It might have initially been press fit in there, but spokes stretched the hub enough to make the hole loose, as difference between a loose hole and a slight press fit can be as little as 0.02mm.
Me too - not surprising to see that it caused a problem. But good on Elite wheels -- they had also seen the problem and they had a fix which they quickly "rolled out" to Luke.
How about reviewing Yoeleo. I've had 3 versions of Farsports and 1 of Yoeleo.....the latter are far superior, with 5000km and still true, despite my 97kg.
Should I choose the mixed option which is available on their website and go for 50mm in the front and 65mm at the back or should I just stick with 50mm front and back?
