Earlier in 2017 Zipp launched the 454 and the 858 Carbon Rims and radically changed the design of what carbon wheels look like.  Zipp incorporated what they called a biomimicry-derived Sawtooth rim.

Humpback Whales Aerodynamics And Hydrodynamics

Rather than the wheels being circular on the inside, a sawtooth pattern is used, mimicking properties of the dorsal fin of a humpback whale.  When Zipp’s engineers were looking to improve upon the Zipp 404s and 808s they looked to nature and how whales, specifically humpback whales use their dorsal fins in the water.

Since aerodynamics and hydrodynamics have similar properties, the thinking was that if something is efficient in the water it could be equally efficient in the air.  As it turns out this radically new design made the wheels more aero dynamic and improved crosswind stability, a big factor constantly changing race conditions.

Crosswind Wheelsets

To give you example of how the Zipp 454 and 858 wheel might play out.  When I was doing triathlons, my go to setup was to run a Zipp disk in the rear and a 808 front.  The problem with this setup is it wasn’t very forgiving if there was a lot of crosswind on the course.

At the Kona Ironman crosswinds could be absolutely brutal.  In an Ironman situation I often would go with a 808 or 404 rear and a 404 or 303 front, depending on the conditions.  The problem of course is if I traveled to a race in another state or country, I could only bring one set of wheels and I couldn’t prepare as easily for variable wind conditions.  In those situations I would often skip bringing the disk and instead go for a compromise wheel setup.

Running a shallower front provides a bit more stability and control from crosswinds.  With Zipp’s new 858 design, I could have easily seen me run dual 858s because of their crosswind stability and not have to worry about race day conditions.

Beyond The Sawtooth Design

While the Sawtooth design of the 858 and the 454 are head turners, Zipp has also incorporated other neat features including what they refer to as hexagonal ABLC variable dimple & ridged design.  These dimples and ridges help reduce air drag on the rim by braking it up.

The clinchers braking surface is coated with Zipp’s silicon carbide particles called Showstopper that provides an exceptional surface for braking.

Why Use 454 If The 858 Is More Aero?

To be honest the 858 is the faster wheel, but if you’re road racing it’s not as responsive as the 454 or as light.  My thought is the 858 is your go to time trial wheel and the 454 is your road racing and training wheelset.

Zipp 858 Specifications

Zipp 454 Specifications

Zipp 454 and 858 | Bottom Line

Cost is going to be a major point of contention for most when thinking about purchasing a set of Zipp 454s and 858s.  A set of 858s is going to set you back ($4,400 – $2,000 front & $2,400 rear).  It doesn’t get any better with the 454s, retailing for ($4,000 – $1,800 front & $2,200 rear).

For those who have money though, the Zipp wheels with their new Sawtooth technology are going to be an absolute joy to ride and you will probably be in envy of your biking group.

Adding a pair of Zipp wheels to your road machine will certainly give it a faster look.

Check out Zipp’s website for the full line of Zipp products (http://www.zipp.com/)

Alto Cycling CC40 Wheelset Review | 2018

The post Zipp 454 and 858 Wheelset Review appeared first on Gear Mashers.

I have been riding the new Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 TLR Carbon Road Wheel Set and first impressions are the wheels perform flawlessly.  The Aeolus Pro 5’s are full carbon, 50mm deep tubeless ready wheels that have the right amount of durability, weight and aerodynamics.

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 TLR Carbon Road Wheelset Review

The Bontrager cycling products are part of Trek’s line of cycling offerings.  Trek purchased Bontrager Cycles back in 1995 and Bontrager continues to be part of the Trek cycling lineup.   The Aeolus Pro5 Carbon Wheelset is Trek’s venture into producing a great asian built carbon wheelset at an affordable price compared to their Bontrager US built carbon wheel designs.  Having the wheels built in Asia rather than the US, allows Trek to offer the wheels at a substantial discount over their US built wheels in the Bontrager Aeolus XXX line.

The Aeolus Pro5 are a proven 50mm-depth shape used in many other aero wheel designs.  Combined with aero spokes, the wheels offer really good aero dynamics and handling.  The front wheel uses an 18 aero bladed spoke design, while the rear uses 24 aero bladed spokes.

For those that like the ability to go tubeless, the Aeolus Pro5 can be run either as a traditional tubed wheel or tubeless (TLR).  For road wheels my preference is to use tubes rather than going tubeless.  If I was racing, I might opt for tubeless, simply because it would make the wheels lighter and presumably faster.

After taking the wheels out on several rides, they perform extremely well.  During climbs and accelerations the Aeolus pro 5 wheelset felt very responsive without loss of power.  When taking turns I felt the wheels tracked really well, providing extra confidence.  As expected crosswinds did make the bike a bit sketchy, but no more than other 50mm rims I have used.

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 Changing Flat Tires

I have been using the Aeolus Pro 5’s now for a few months and in that time have experienced 2 rear flats.  I am using Continental Gator Hardshell 25mm tires and normal tubes with 60mm stems.  I usually run the tires at 90 to 100psi.  I found the tires a bit tough to remove and also a little tough to access the tube.  It’s a pretty tight fit.

Normally when I change a flat I use 2 plastic Pedros tire levers and that seems to work for me, but you do have to use a little bit of strength to remove one side of the tire.  After prying one part of the tire off the rim , the rest of the tire usually comes off rather smoothly.  I found that the space between the tire and the rim where you access the tube is pretty tight.  This is especially true near the tube nozzle.

Replacing the tube is pretty straight forward.  With the Aeolos rims I recommend not pumping up the tube until after you pry back the tire around the rim.  I was able to hand pry the tire back on except for a small area where I needed to use the tire levers.

NOTE: Watch out when prying on the tire that you don’t accidentally pinch the tube.  Otherwise you may have to replace the tube you just put on (YES I HAVE DONE THAT).  Also make sure you’re off in a safe place if possible, away from the road.  One guy here in Austin was killed while changing a flat when a truck hit him.  It was sort of a freak accident, but still had he been further off the road, it might not have happened.

Black Prince Brake Pads

The Aeolus Pro 5 come equipped with Black Prince rim brake pads.  As with any carbon wheelset, you will want carbon specific brake pads.

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 TLR Carbon Road Specifications

How much does the Aeolus Pro 5 Cost?

Front retails for $529.99.  Rear retails for $669.99.

How much does this wheelset weigh?

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 TLR Road Wheel weighs 705g front, and 900g rear.

Is there a weight limit?

Bontrager Carbon wheels do not have a weight limit. Your frame will have a weight limit that you want to base rider weight off of.

How deep are the rims?

The Bontrager wheels have a 50mm depth OCLV Carbon rim (27mm outer, 19.5mm inner width).  

Are the spokes bladed?

YES. The spokes are DT Aerolite spokes and come with Alpina locking nipples.  Bontrager uses stacked lacing alignment to provide a better spoke bracing angle for a stiffer wheel.

Are the Wheels Tubeless?

YES. The wheels can either be setup tubeless or with tubes.

What types of brakes come with the Aeolus Pro 5 wheelset?

Bontrager includes Black Prince carbon pads, which are recommended for carbon wheels.

What is the spoke count and weight for the front/rear wheel?

What kind of warranty is offered on the Aeolus pro 5

All Bontrager wheels come with a 2 year warranty against materials and manufacturing defects for the original owner only.

Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 TLR Carbon Road Wheelset Review – Bottom Line

For those looking for a fantastic wheelset for their road bike, the Bontrager Aerolus Pro 5 seems to hit all the right buttons.  It performs really well, is priced much less than many comparable wheels on the market.  With Trek’s exceptional warranty the Aeolus Pro 5’s certainly is worth checking out.

Check out more about the Aeolus Pro 5’s on Trek’s website (https://www.trekbikes.com/)

Alto Cycling CC40 Wheelset Review | 2018

The post Bontrager Aeolus Pro 5 TLR Carbon Road Wheelset Review appeared first on Gear Mashers.

Going to Interbike this year was definitely a must for Gear Mashers and allowed us to meet some really cool cycling companies.  One such company we discovered is Alto Cycling.  They specialize in carbon race wheels designed right here in the US.  Their wheelsets are broken down into road, cyclecross/gravel and mountain bike categories and further broken down into rim and disc variants as well as clincher and tubular.

Bobby Sweeting the owner of Alto Cycling sent us a pair of their CC40 Clinchers to test out.  They looked so fast right out of the box I had to get a picture of them next to a dragster.

Alto Cycling History

Founded in 2014, Alto was born out of a desire to solve the problems that plagued bike racers and triathletes for years, namely aero wheels that ride like aero wheels rather than wheels that are structurally sound.  Alto’s desire was to not only make aero wheels but to design them in such a way that would make them laterally stiff, have both great rolling resistance and responsiveness and create wheels that hold up and are durable.

Alto Cycling CC40 Wheelset Review | 2018

When the CC40 Wheelset shipment arrived I was all excited to put the wheels on hit the road.  Unfortunately my Felt AR1 bike setup wasn’t exactly ready for the larger wheel dimensions.  The problem turned out to be the width of the wheels made it impossible swap them for the existing setup without reconfiguring my brakes.  Not being a mechanic and wanting to have everything just right, I decided to take the bike to Bicycle World here in Austin.  Their mechanics are really good and they set me up properly.

The wheels also shipped with Alto Skewers and carbon brake pads.

What makes the CC40’s unique compared to other aero road wheels really boils down to their hubs and their R-Symmetric design.

What the R-Symmetric design does is make the wheels stiffer and create less spoke tension drop for the non drive side.  This equates to more power going into the pedals rather than having the wheels flex side to side.

Is it noticeable? I am not sure, the wheels feel really good and don’t beat you up.  Where I did notice something rather interesting is when you’re going over 20 mph and then want to accelerate to 25 or more, there doesn’t seem to be a delay reaction to speed change.  Imagine you’re riding on a group ride drafting and the pace picks up.  What I noticed is it was much easier to react to the change in pace.  I also noticed when I was in the draft, I was pushing less watts due to the aero dynamic properties of the wheels compared to my training wheels.

LABYRINTH SEALED HUBS AND NSK ABEC7 BEARINGS

The hubs are built using NSK ABEC7 Bearings.  The ABEC scale is an industry accepted standard for the tolerances of a ball bearing.  The higher the ABEC number, the higher the precision and tolerance needed.  There are five classes of tolerances 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.

All things being equal, the higher the number the faster wheels usually are.  When I used to inline race, having higher ABEC wheels almost always meant a speed improvement and better roll time.

ONE-PIECE ADJUSTABLE AXLES

Alto uses a one piece aluminum machine built 7075 axle.  This design prevents torque from happening and protects the sealed NSK ABEC7 Bearings.  The threaded axle end caps allow for the perfect amount of pre-load on each bearing, without overloading them and causing unwanted friction.   The simple design helps with durability and speed.

CARBON RIMS

The Alto CC40 Wheelset uses a composite laminate design made from carbon fibers and resin laid down in sheets, called plies, to create a laminate.

Alto Cycling CC40 Specifications

Note: Alto Cycling White Paper

Retail: $2,000 for the wheelset or $856 for the front and $1,144 for the rear.

Alto CC40 features: 

• Front: 20H, 648g
• Rear: 24H, 846g
• Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo Compatible
• Tubeless Compatible
• Optimized for 11 speed and compatible with 10 speed
• Carbon Fiber with EPS Core Mfg Technology
• 23-28mm Clincher Tires Recommended
• Alto Skewers and SwissStop Black Prince Brake Pads Included
• Unlimited Rider Weight Limit

Alto Color Options

When purchasing the CC40’s you have the option to choose decal color and hub color.

Bottom Line | Alto Cycling CC40 Wheelset Review | 2018

25mm tires seem to be the optimal width for the wheels, although they will accept both 23mm and 28mm as well.  I found the CC40s to be a perfect wheel for a road bike having both aerodynamic properties as well as great handling.  The wider wheel base and how the hub is designed makes for a very stiff wheel that corners great and is fast in acceleration.

The CC40s do come with a hefty price tag of $2k, but for that price you get a great set of carbon wheels.  If you don’t mind riding used, Alto does sell used wheels at a discount.  I believe their current pricing structure is to knock off $100 every time the wheels are rented, which can add up significantly over time.

It was a sad day to have to give up the Alto’s and let another person test them out.  I really enjoyed the speed factor that they provided.  Oddly enough, switching back to my original wheels was a snap.  I did have to adjust the brakes to the smaller wheel width, but it was pretty pain free and I didn’t have to take the bike to the shop.  Hmm maybe I am becoming a bike mechanic after all.

Check out Alto Cycling (https://altocycling.com) and their great lineup of wheels and accessories.

Zipp 454 and 858 Wheelset Review

The post Alto Cycling CC40 Wheelset Review | 2018 appeared first on Gear Mashers.