Road bikes are about lightweight and aerodynamic frames and wheelsets that are more aerodynamic on low frames and lighter on tall frames. The latest generation of climbing wheel sets is not only light, but must also be aerodynamically optimized.

ICAN AERO 38 WD disc

 ICAN AERO 38 WD disc

The AERO 38 WD Disc are ICAN's most cost-effective high-performance wheels. Building on the success of their previous Fast and Light series, the aero wheels utilize an advanced carbon fiber layup and aerodynamic design to deliver unrivaled performance.

A mix of high-quality Toray T700 and T800 carbon fibers is used for the rims. This mix results in an impressively light yet robust rim construction that weighs 100g less than the Fast and Light wheels. With an external width of 27.3 mm and an internal width of 21 mm, the rims are designed for minimal air resistance. Their tubeless compatibility supports even the fastest tires.

Lightweight and efficient ICAN D01 disc brake hubs ensure smooth power transmission when accelerating. Industry-leading Sapim CX-Ray spokes combine strength, durability and aerodynamics for an incredibly responsive ride. Secure lock nipples and additional reinforcement.

Princeton Carbonworks Alta 3532 (1094g)

Princeton Carbonworks has just released its lightest climbing wheelset, the Alta 3532, with tubeless tire versions ranging from an impressive 1094 grams to 1202 grams. Princeton Carbonworks is best known for its wavy rims (which were the subject of a patent dispute with ZIPP), and the wheelset model number intuitively indicates the highest and lowest frame heights. The Alta 3532's frame height ranges from 35mm to 32mm, a drop of 5mm to 3mm compared to PCW's other wheels, and the rim's "wave" is less pronounced.

With the new EVOLUTION rim design, the Alta 3532 rim weighs just 348 grams (with hook, undrilled bed and tubeless tire) and uses the shape of the rim to balance the spoke angles, with the spokes with the larger angles (rear drive side and front disc brake side ) are mounted deeper in the rim, allowing greater symmetry on both sides of the spokes. The specification of the Alta 3532 rim is relatively new, with an internal width of 21mm and an external width of 28.6mm. The larger internal width allows for the use of wider tires as well as the ability to inflate the tires wider, resulting in lower rolling resistance and greater comfort.

The 1094 gram Alta 3532 uses 215 gram Tactic Racing TR01 hubs, which are 50 grams lighter than the DT180 and use CX-Super spokes. The Alta 3532 with DT180 hubs weighs 1202 grams and is also very light.

ENVE SES 2.3 (1197g) 

The fourth generation of the SES wheelset, which was released last year, gets a brand new member in the form of the 2.3, which, although a climbing wheelset, is also part of the SES (Smart ENVE System) series, meaning that it is on based on the brand's "Real-World Fast" concept. All SES series wheelsets have a frame height and shape that is specifically tailored to the flow field in which they are used. The front frame height is smaller than the rear and has a rounded profile to maximize crosswind stability and control, while the rear frame height is taller, sharper and more streamlined to maximize power transfer and reduce drag.

The front frame of the SES 2.3 is 28mm high, the rear frame is 32mm, the front and rear rims have an internal width of 21mm and an external width of 25mm, and a stated weight of 1197 grams (ENVE hubs, XDR freehub body).The SES 2.3 is lighter due to the use of hookless rims, which limits the maximum tire pressure to 73 psi. Due to the lack of lip hooks and the thin sidewalls of the rims, the external width is only 25mm, and the tire width can easily be exceeded. The width of the tire slightly exceeds the width of the rim, which is a bit insufficient. Due to the limitation of the maximum tire pressure, the internal width of the hookless rims is 23mm or more, and the internal width of 21mm is very difficult to control the tire pressure within 73psi for riders who are a little heavier, so it can be said that this Pair of wheelset is built for climbers.

DT Swiss PRC 1100 Dicut Mon Chasseral (1266g)

DT Swiss has long touted the Mon Chasseral as its lightest road climbing wheelset. The latest PRC 1100 Dicut weighs 1,266 grams (disc brake wheelset, compatible tubeless tires) and uses all standard DT components.

To reduce weight, the PRC 1100 Dicut has a frame height of just 24 mm and an inner rim width of just 18 mm, which is of course not wide enough by today's standards, as climbing wheels also require wide tires for comfort. To save weight, the UD carbon rims made in Switzerland are not provided with a surface coating, but with a waterproof and UV-stabilized resin.

The PRC 1100 Dicut uses 12 DT Aerolite and 12 DT Aero Comp straight-pull spokes (front brake side and rear drive side) in a 2X braid on a new 180 hub, all with unique forged T-heads for improved aerodynamic performance.

Roval Alpinist CLX II (1265g)

The Roval Alpinist is the ultimate lightweight, with a frame height of 33mm, an external width of 26.3mm, an internal width of 21mm, a wind tunnel optimized rim profile and a weight of 1,250 grams per pair, 1,265 grams with True-Air -Nipples and dampers. The only drawback of the previous Alpinist CLX was that it did not support tubeless tires. The new Alpinist CLX II has redesigned the rim's carbon stack to dramatically increase the strength and safety required for a tubeless tire system that supports a maximum tire pressure of 110 psi. The same hooked rims now have a 1.4mm lip tolerance (an increase over the previous generation), making tubeless tire removal easier. As a result, the rim weight has increased, and the Alpinist CLX II uses a new hub design that compensates for the increased rim weight by reducing the weight of the pair by 50 grams.

The Alpinist CLX II is a model of functional minimalism, characterized by excellent acceleration, fantastic cornering and a smooth ride on bumpy roads.

Zipp 353 NSW (1255g) 

Although it is not positioned as a climbing wheelset, the Zipp 353 NSW weighs only 1255 grams (580 grams at the front and 675 grams at the rear), making it Zipp's lightest wheelset that can easily conquer steep slopes. 353 NSW uses Zipp's patented bionic Sawtooth rims with a frame height variant that actually matches the aerodynamic performance of a 45mm frame height wheelset while also reducing weight, improving stiffness and increasing crosswind resistance.

The 353 NSW's hookless rims have an internal width of 25mm and can only be used with 28mm or wider tires, but the rims' larger internal width easily meets the tire pressure limit of up to 73psi. 28mm tires on 25mm rims have an actual width of 30.6mm, so the tires on the 353 NSW are wide enough to meet the demands of the road to the gravel.

 The Zipp wheelset is based on the concept of Total System Efficiency, which focuses on the fact that on cobblestones or uneven surfaces, where vibration becomes the main resistance, the tires absorb more vibrations instead of transmitting them to the rider, thereby increasing the Driver can save 40-50 watts of power. But surprisingly, on smooth roads, perfect asphalt, low tire pressure still saves 3-5 watts.

Mavic Cosmic Ultimate 45(1256g)

The best feature of the Mavic Cosmic Ultimate 45 is its use of Rim-to-Rim (R2R) spoke construction, where a spoke connects one side of the rim to the other side of the rim through the hub, providing greater torsional and lateral rigidity than the traditional R2R spoke design. The Cosmic Ultimate is therefore ideal for climbing, lightweight plus stiffness, and it has a NACA profile based rim that is light and aerodynamic at the same time.

The Cosmic Ultimate features new technology that combines an R2R spoke construction with a U-shaped aero rim. Using Fore technology, aluminum parts are formed onto the carbon rim, into which the spokes are then screwed. There are no exposed spoke caps, the undrilled rim base is compatible with tubeless tires, and the rim's stated weight of 403 grams and R2R construction dramatically reduce the weight of the hub, resulting in a real-world weight of just 1,256 grams for the Cosmic Ultimate with a frame height of 45 mm. The inner width of the rim is measured at 19.6mm while the outer width measures 27.8mm. It would be nice if the internal width could be increased to 21mm to allow the tire to expand further to provide a smoother transition.

All of the above wheelsets are "climbing wheels" weighing up to 1300 grams, and all are compatible with tubeless tires. Each of them has its own characteristics, and they are more than just light. But in reality, the impact of a few hundred grams less weight when climbing isn't as big as you might think, and we've seen more and more riders using medium or even high frame wheelsets for climbing in World Tour racing. This also shows that a wheelset that is just light is not enough, but also needs to be more aerodynamic. All of the above wheelsets under 1300 grams are more or less aerodynamically optimized, which one do you think is stronger?