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R45 Review: Building Up My All-Rounder 2:1 Wheelset
Rider Profile
Name : Matthew
Origin : Britain
Information : 175cm, 70kg, Age 49, recreational cyclist of 40+ years, but not a racer. Primarily ride roads and the occasional farm track.
Specifications
Bike
Frameset : Condor Fratello
Groupset : Shimano Dura-Ace/Ultegra 11 Speed Mechanical Rim Brake
Handlebar : OG-EVKIN
Saddle : Brooks
Wheels
Rims : Light Bicycle R45 Matte 3K 20/24H High TG Brake Track
Hubs : Borg 2:1 100QR 130QR Shimano Road 11s
Spokes : Sapim CX-Ray J-Bend
Tires : S-Works Turbo 2Bliss / Vittoria Open Pave CG
I wanted a 'do everything' wheelset
I'm based in the southeast of England, and as much as I love climbing, we don't have a lot of it around here. For that reason, I wanted a "do everything" wheelset that could climb when needed but also be quick on the flats at home.
Light Bicycle built me a pair of custom Falcon R45 rims, which I built onto Borg 2:1 hubs. Borg is the brand of my local bike shop, and they sell a no-nonsense, well-designed and durable hubset called 2:1; named for the 2:1 rear spoke pattern. It’s a 24 spoke rim, but the wheels are laced with 16 spokes drive-side and only 8 spokes on the disc side. This allows the builder to more evenly balance spoke tension on each wheel. Being a 2:1 asymmetric spoke pattern, it required specific hub drilling which Light Bicycle executed very accurately for me. I simply provided the hub geometry and the engineering team then modeled the wheels and drilled the rim to accommodate my 2:1 lacing.
I chose CX-Ray spokes, and the whole wheelset was built up to a little over 1500g (including rim tape). The wheels are stiff and robust, but not heavy. Despite the relatively deep section of the wheelset, it rides incredibly comfortably. As I had hoped, the extra depth means that these wheels hold speed very well, and I feel it's noticeably easier to hold a high tempo with them than with more shallow alloy rims. Best of all, when the road grade starts to increase, they don't feel heavy or cumbersome. Heading down the other side of a hill, the braking performance - with SwissStop yellow pads - is sharp and safe.
With 5000 miles on the rims, they're still in incredibly good shape
I ride a pair of 50mm section (disc) wheels on my other bike from a well-known UK brand, which are also very nice, but the quality of the Light Bicycle rims is a cut above them: the quality and durability of the Light Bicycle finish is much higher. Although it feels boastful to say it, my self-built Light Bicycle wheelset is the best I ever owned, being lighter, more attractive, comfortable and durable than any other wheels I have.
In crosswinds, these mid-depth rims have no issues. On a recent trip to Wales, I rode in a 50kph crosswind with no problem. These wheels have been up Mount Ventoux a couple of times, and as many climbs I can find here in the UK. Talk about versatility!
With 5000 miles on the rims, they’re still in incredibly good shape and the brake tracks still have loads of life in them (with just a little yellow brake pad transfer). In 2022, I had a big crash which damaged the frame and groupset. I had to have the frame repaired and repainted, a new groupset (shifters were damaged beyond repair) and new handlebars, but my Light Bicycle rims were undamaged and didn't even need truing. Tough stuff!
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September 19th, 2024 | Light Bicycle
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