Wheels are round and true with good bearings. RXL wheelset26" rims ClincherQR axles (100/135mm) QR's/skewers not includedCenterlock brake only(lockrings not included)Shimano/Sram 10/11 speed freehub1654 grams actual weightPlease e-mail us with any questions Check out my other items!Be sure to add me to your favorites list! Condition: Used, Condition: Used: Rims have some scratches and scuffs, paint on spokes is chipped, especially around the rear freehub, each wheel has one replaced spoke. Bontrager RXL 26" Mtn WheelsetUsed: Rims have some scratches and scuffs, paint on spokes is chipped, especially around the rear freehub, each wheel has one replaced spoke. It might ‘only’ be a 320g weight saving, which is nothing to the complete bike, but in the area the weight has been saved the difference is huge.īontrager Race XXX Lite Clincher: £699.99 front, £999.Item: 124892680433 Bontrager RXL Race X Lite 26" Mtn Bike Wheelset - QR, Centerlock, Shimano HG. That aside, the wheels are proving to be tough and durable, despite their light weight and carbon construction. It only occurs at higher speeds (in the 40-50kph range) on some road surfaces, and is a slight concern. Particularly noticeable is an unnerving feedback that manifests itself as a thrumming through the handlebars. They’re also not the most compliant wheels, mostly likely directly attributed to the carbon rim construction. The Reynolds hoops that I recently tested proved that carbon braking performance has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, but the Bonty’s are seriously lacking. With the supplied pads, braking is by far the poorest I have ever experienced with carbon rims. Firstly, the braking performance is poor. There are some, quite serious, downsides however. What I really noticed, coming away from my first race with the Bontrager’s fitted, aside from the comments I received on how snazzy they looked in the bike, is the extra ‘snap’ when getting out of the saddle, sprinting out of corners or crossing a gap to a breakaway rider. Immediate impressions just rolling away from the office were impressive there’s a noticeable difference just riding through the congested streets of London, and moving away from traffic lights revealed that their low weight improved the ease of acceleration.īut racing was the real test, and so a load of weekly crit races was on the cards. So, with tyres fitted and brake pads swapped for the supplied Bontrager cork pads, I took the Bonty’s out for a spin. On paper the Bonty’s looked to offer an improvement over the Zipp’s. The Race Lites are very close to the same price point as my Ultegras, so I thought they would make for the most interesting perspective for those considering this type of.
The speed can change dramatically and often with little warning in a crit race, and a wheel that is responsive to these changes of speed, with a quick ‘wind up’, is key. In the Bontrager line of TLR wheelsets, the Race Lite falls right between the Race and the Race X Lite (I did ride the RXLs earlier this year and thoroughly enjoyed them). So a light, yet stiff wheelset is the preferred choice. They’re short, tight and twisting circuits, and the nature of the racing, with lots of sprinting, attacking and covering of moves, dictated my wheel change. We’re well served in London with dedicated crit circuits at Hog Hill and Crystal Palace. Their 1320g pair weight is achieved with an OCLV carbon fibre rim, flangeless carbon hub shells and 18 front and 24 rear straight pull DT Aerolite spokes.I do a fair amount of racing and recently the majority of it has been crit racing. The key bit of that previous paragraph, however, is “once up to speed,” and it’s the Zipps’ slight hesitation in acceleration from slower speeds, that prompted a change to a pair of Bontrager Race XXX Lite Clincher wheels.
While not the lightest at 1635g, once up to speed there’s a clear aerodynamic advantage over regular box section rims. The aero rims slice through the wind, increase cornering stiffness and allow the use of just 16 spokes front and rear.
#Bontrager race x lite wheelset upgrade
My current bike of choice, a Focus Izalco, runs a pair of Zipp 303/404 carbon/aluminium clincher wheels. Bontrager Race X Lite Aero Wheelset The Race X-Lite Aero Wheelset is a great upgrade to any bike. This is something I’ve been focusing on recently.
Nowhere is money better spent than on wheels, a component of the racing bicycle that can have a profound impact on the performance of the bike as a whole.