Ultegra R8100 C50 Wheelset

When the Dura-Ace 12 speed groupset was launched, the Ultegra 12 speed groupset was also launched at the same time. This provided components at two different price points to suit different segments of the market. Dura-Ace for the pros and very serious enthusiasts, and Ultegra for the standard enthusiasts that don't want to spend so much for top performance.

Similarly for the new C50 wheelset, it is also available in Dura-Ace and Ultegra grades. I already have the Dura-Ace C50 wheelset and also the Dura-Ace C36 wheelset, installed on the Specialized Aethos and Focus Paralane respectively.

The Ultegra C50 is claimed to offer similar aerodynamic performance as the Dura-Ace C50, but with a lower price, at the expense of additional weight. This Ultegra C50 wheelset will be installed on the Giant TCR Advanced Disc 2 Pro Compact, as a good upgrade to the stock aluminium wheelset.

Ultegra C50 wheelset looks super plain, as the decals are grey in colour against the black rims.

I think the Ultegra logo is purposely made to be less obvious than the Dura-Ace, so as not to outshine it.

The carbon rims are the same as that on the Dura-Ace C50 wheelset. External spoke nipples are used for easy maintenance.

Tubeless rim tape is not pasted properly, similar to the condition on the RS770 wheelset. Seems to be a chronic assembly issue.

24 straight pull bladed spokes are used on the front wheel. Hub is the standard 12x100 mm E-Thru.

Hub model number WH-R8170 is laser etched onto the hub shells. There are less cutouts on the hub flanges as compared to the Dura-Ace hub.

Rear hub uses the standard Shimano 11 speed road HG splines, instead of the new Shimano 12 speed road splines. 

This means it is compatible to older 8/9/10/11 speed cassettes that use the same splines. At the same time it is also compatible to Shimano 12 speed road cassettes.

The Ultegra freehub has a downside compared to many other wheels, and that is the engagement angle. It uses a traditional pawl and ratchet mechanism, which is not a problem as it is very reliable. Rather, the engagement angle is very big at 20 degrees, giving only 18 clicks per wheel rotation. Most riders will not notice this difference, but if you are doing frequent accelerations from a stop or freewheeling, the additional free play angle is a disadvantage.

Rear hub also has 24 spokes, same as the front wheel.

Rear hub flange construction is similar to the Dura-Ace version, where there is a plastic piece that stops the spokes from sliding sideways.

Other dimensions such as the rim width and height are exactly the same as Dura-Ace C50, since the carbon rims are the same. Only the hubs are different, and I think maybe the spokes as well.

Ultegra C50 front wheel is 710 grams including rim tape.

Ultegra C50 rear wheel is 876 grams including rim tape.

Overall Ultegra C50 wheelset weight is 1586 grams including rim tape. Pretty average compared to other similar wheels with 50 mm rim height. Heavier than the Ascent Zenith Elite wheelset.

I will be comparing the Dura-Ace C50 vs the Ultegra C50 wheelsets in a separate post.