As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal.
When I started chasing my first set of race wheels after the 2007
season, I didn't spend much time looking around. I knew what I wanted —
Shimano Dura-Ace. Having spent a day on them earlier in the summer, I
knew they were what I was looking for.
I was intrigued last fall when I saw the specs for the new
Ultegra 6700 wheel. Same hub and rim shape as the Dura-Ace 7850-SL
wheel — and tubeless ready — just in a much more economical package:
$650 retail. (And a bit heavier, yes.)
Early reactions to the wheel were mixed. One customer had our demo
pair for a couple of weeks and said he didn't like them. And then he
said he did like them. Another customer bought them, didn't like them
and said he wanted to bring 'em back. We haven't heard from him since.
Our guess was that, like the older-brother Dura-Ace wheel, the Ultegra wheel is so smooth that it mutes a lot of the road noise that typically lets you know you're going fast. After you get used to the difference in feedback, that turns into a good thing.
With a race coming up and no real backup wheelset to speak of, I
grabbed the demo Ultegras and headed out for test ride during Wednesday
Night Worlds. We have them set up tubeless with the Hutchinson Intensive
tire. Instantly, I was reminded what a road tubeless tire sounds like. A
little bit louder, a little echo-y almost. But smooth. Nice and smooth.
Once things heated up, I knew I'd get a chance to test the
"flexyness" of the wheels — one of the chief complaints. I'm far from an
expert, but I've ridden a lot of different wheelsets this year. The
Ultegra 6700 wheels feel awfully close to my Dura-Ace wheels.
I felt no flex, no softness. Just a smooth, fast ride.
Would I race on them? Yes. Wednesday Worlds feels quite a bit like a race, and they certainly didn't feel like they were holding me back. And I do like racing on road tubeless. The ability to let out some pressure and not worry about pinch flats is nice to have in your back pocket when the terrain or weather is sketchy.
And though there's a slight weight penalty — around 120 grams (or
4.25 ounces) — I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better wheelset
for $650. That price point has me thinking hard about what I want to do
for future race wheelsets.
A quarter-pound heavier, $550 less than Dura-Ace. What could you do
with an extra $550? What could you do to lose that quarter-pound from
somewhere else?
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In addition to being GamJams Tech Editor, Bryan Redemske manages the Trek Bicycle Store of
Omaha, is a professional writer and a Cat 3 racer. He drinks a
lot of
coffee.
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