Looking for a set of wheels for a specialized crux 4. So I’m eyeing the 25mm internal width I think, or perhaps a tiny bit more. I primarily ride in hilly areas and any gravel races I do typically are won or lost on steep climbs (appalachian mtns), so I’m not sure how much of a benefit the deep wheels really bring (I don’t follow all of the latest research and tech so don’t yell at me if that’s an uninformed thought). I also worry about cross winds with those, although not sure how much of an issue that is. I definitely find myself out in some rough situations though. I weigh 130 lbs. I tend to ride a mix of pavement through very rough doubletrack and sometimes singletrack and I don’t want a wheel that I’m having to worry about damaging. I also don’t want to wait 2 months for delivery.
Ideally would be close to $1000 but ok with going slightly higher for more quality.
I would love DT swiss hubs. I have a hunt aluminum wheelset on my old gravel bike and I’ve been fine with those hubs too though.
I’ve been looking at the specialized options, like roval C, but seems a little heavy. Not sure how much of that is rim weight vs hub weight though.
Bike tires direct has HED Emporia wheels on sale. They are alloy, but at $720 and the same weight as the Terra C they aren’t a bad option. My set has been absolutely abused in cyclocross races. That includes taking a turn that fully ripped my front tire off. Rear has been smacked into rocks hard enough to cut tires, but they roll as smooth and true as they day I got them.
IDK about a good wheelset, but FWIW, there is a rule of thumb that aero (deep) wheels need to have an outer width about the same or a litter wider than the width of the inflated tire for the airflow to remain attached. If rim is narrower, the airflow becomes detached after the tire and rim is just hiding in the tire’s wake not contributing to the aerodynamics. There aren’t a lot of rims that have sufficient outer width to be effective with the wider tires many are running nowadays.
Personally I’d prioritize weight over any attempt at aero wheels.
I continue to (very passively) shop for wheels and if I were going to buy some today it would be either the Hunt 35 carbon - seems like they are always on sale and about $800 and in stock now - or ICAN G24 SL. Close to the same price once shipping is factored in and about 100g lighter I think. Neither of those has DT Swiss though.
Last time I looked, light bicycle had a “ready to ship” option around $1k - not sure about hubs.
based on my research these all seem pretty well reviewed. I am also not super concerned about aero. I lived in southwest VA for a while and don’t blame you for wanting something light for steep climbs!
All cards on the table - I’m a brand ambassador for them. And yes, I’ve a discount code I can give you that benefits me also. But honestly I haven’t been able to find better value for money when it comes to wheels (I ordered my first pair at wheels from them before working with them).
I only had two rides on the gravel wheels, but I also ride Serenade on my road bike and they have been brilliant.
LightBicycle will do you a build with DT hubs. Easy enough to build a spec and get a price, think they might have US distribution but have not looked as not in the US and no idea what the latest on tarrif/imports.
I have 2 sets from Light Bicycle. The last set was 46mm with DT 350 hubs and Sapim CX spokes delivered to my door for $900. It took about 6 weeks to get them from China.
Might be worth pointing out that the newer offerings from the likes of Hunt have effectively copied the DT Swiss star ratchet style hubs, since the patent has expired. Probably a lot more reliable than the pawl and spring style hubs of the past.
Thanks for the insight. I’ve been leaning towards the hunt options anyways given they ship immediately and I was happy with my old hunt hubs. I did grease them up a little to quiet them down. Plus I appreciate their customer support and that they have a stock of spare parts on their website, even for old models. Which is also why I like the DT swiss hubs - serviceability and easy freehub swap options.
I’ve been impressed with how fast I receive the wheels as well as the backstock of parts they have. I’ve needed new free hubs and such and easy peasy. Them being in Boulder helps as I’m a 90 minute drive from the mountains. If I ordered wheels today, very good chance I’ve had them tomorrow.
