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Monday, January 30, 2012

Strada handbuilt road wheelset review

Strada haven't been around long, but their wheelbuilder, Darren, has a decade's experience. It shows in the wheels the company put together for us, which were true on day one and have stayed that way throughout weeks of hard testing. 

Before the wheels were made, we spoke to Strada about our test rider's weight and riding style. They chose to build with Velocity A23 rims, their own fully serviceable hubs, Sapim CX-Ray spokes and a set of titanium skewers. 

We asked for a set of wheels for training, sportives and racing, and that's what we got. Without skewers or tape, the front wheel is 680g, the rear 810g. This low rotating mass means the Stradas spin up to speed quickly and climb well. They give little away in terms of stiffness; even with the brakes set close to the rim we never felt the blocks rubbing.

The bladed spokes â€" the front wheel uses 24 radial spokes, while the rear has 28 with two-cross lacing â€" help cut through the air, and the wide Velocity rims also promise aero benefits compared with narrower wheels (23mm tyres blend with the rim rather than bulging at the sides).

This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine.



Origin: BikeRadar.com Road Bikes & Gear

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