As I have already used on many bikes, the Wheelsport wheels are a good combination of weight, price and performance. Also, they come in a variety of specifications (406 or 451 size, 74 or 100mm front OLD, rim or disc brakes) and also colours, so they can fit almost any bike you want.
Dahon MuEX: Sunny 406, 74/130mm, Black
Dahon Boardwalk: Smart 1.0 406, 74/130mm, Gold
Crius AEV20: Smart 1.0 406, 74/130mm, Black
Wheelsport Fantasy: Smart 1.0 451, 100/130mm, Black
Therefore, it is a natural choice to get a Wheelsport wheelset again for this new Dahon MuSP folding bike. Also, this is the only brand which has a blue coloured wheelset, which is one of the requirements for this bike.
For the Dahon MuSP, the wheelset specifications that I require would be the Smart 1.0, 451 sized, with 74mm front and 130mm rear OLD. The blue colour specification is not so commonly available, so I had to wait patiently for the blue wheelset to arrive.
Smart 1.0, 451 size, blue colour! The special spoke pattern always makes it stand out from other wheelsets.
Black bladed spokes which looks nicer than standard round spokes. I noticed that the blue on the hub and the rims are a different shade of blue.
Front wheel weighs 580 grams, which is not that lightweight. Mostly due to the 30mm high rim profile.
Rear wheel is 799 grams
This gives a total wheelset weight of 1379 grams! It is a rather average weight for a 451 wheelset, which will surely be heavier than a 406 wheelset as it is larger in size. If you have a more generous budget, you can consider a custom carbon wheelset, which is significantly lighter at around 1100 grams!
Zefal/Velox cloth rim tape to replace the original plastic rim tape. Slightly thicker and tougher to prevent punctures caused by sharp rim holes.
For 451 tires, there are not many good choices. If you want narrower tires for lighter weight, get the Schwalbe One (23-451), which only weigh 323 grams for a pair.
However, if you want wider tires for more comfort, the Panaracer Minits Lite (28-451) would be a better choice. This is exactly the same one as what I used on the Java Freccia mini velo, before I disassembled it.
Brand new Panaracer Minits Lite tires. I had to get new ones as I had already sold away the previous tires which were very lightly used.
28-451 sized, which is wider for a more comfortable ride.
Average weight of 200 grams each, for 400 grams per pair.
Schwalbe SV7A 451 inner tubes weigh 100 grams each.
Blue Wheelsport wheelset with the Panaracer tires installed!
Lightweight titanium QR axles will be used to reduce the weight slightly.
Front 74mm QR axle weighs 23 grams
Rear 130mm QR axle weighs 27 grams.
This pair of titanium QR axles weigh just 50 grams in total, which is about half the weight of standard steel QR axles.
Moving on to the brake calipers, this is the first time I can install standard reach road brake calipers on a folding bike. Although the stock bike comes with Shimano Sora brake calipers, I wanted to install the full Ultegra groupset, which also has the latest brake caliper design.
Ultegra R8000 road brake calipers. On first look, it may look similar to the previous 6800 version, but it actually has a lot of subtle but important differences.
Quick release lever has been redesigned so that when closed, the tip of the lever is hidden within the brake arm instead of sticking out.
There is no longer a gap on the top brake arm, as the mechanism has been redesigned.
Rear of the brake caliper, with 2 black nuts used.
Cam roller mechanism has been redesigned, to use a stamped steel design to hold the roller. Note the new adjustment screw at the left side (green colour).
Additional steel plate for stiffening the whole brake caliper, by linking up the left and right pivots.
New adjustment screw is located on the side brake arm, instead of at the top arm.
Ultegra R8000 brake calipers weigh 362 grams for a pair, which is a 10% increase compared to the Ultegra 6800 generation. This is due to the additional steel plates for stiffening the brake caliper.
The new Ultegra R8000 brake calipers are reported to have improved brake power, although it comes at the expense of additional weight. I can't wait to install them to try it out!
Hi, may i know where you get the wheelset? Is it from overseas?
ReplyDeleteThis blue Wheelsport wheelset is from MyBikeShop in Singapore.
DeleteHi Steve, may i clarify whats the difference and meaning between the 23 and 28 in 23-451 vs 28-451, i think i have seen a 37-451 too. Thanks in advance.
ReplyDelete23 or 28 refers to the tire width.
ReplyDeleteUltralight at 1379g and a gorgeous blue, but a I would not expect them to hold up!
ReplyDelete