Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago I sold my 2017 Specialized Roubaix Expert, which was equipped with Roval Rapide CLX wheels, and recently bought a new Canyon Endurace CF SLX 8
I absolutely love the bike. It’s comfortable, fast, versatile, and honestly one of the best bikes I’ve owned. The only thing I’m not completely convinced by are the stock DT Swiss ERC 1600 wheels. They’re objectively good wheels, but coming from the Roval CLXs, I feel like they lack a bit of “pep”, especially when accelerating or cruising at higher speeds.

For context:
Canyon Endurace CF SLX 8 with Shimano Ultegra Di2
70 kg rider
Mostly rolling terrain around Paris
Long endurance rides (80-150 km)
Average speeds typically between 30-35 km/h
Considering a 70.3 triathlon in the future
Running 30-32 mm tyres
I value reliability and ride quality as much as outright speed

I’ve been going down the wheel rabbit hole and am considering several options:
Keep the stock ERC 1600s and spend the money elsewhere.
DT Swiss ARC 1400 55 mm or DT Swiss ARC 1100 55 mm.
Zipp 404 Firecrest or Zipp 454 NSW.
Swiss Side Hadron³ Ultimate 550/650 (current preferred option)

Which of these upgrades would actually feel noticeable on the road? I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks!

by teichsam

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12 Comments

  1. DT and SwissSide are the same wheels, and theyre proven fast. Get whichever is more affordable. I would stay away from hookless Zipp wheels. Not only is it less safe for no benefit, there is an aerodynamic disadvantage to having a wide inner width with narrow outer width.

    You’ll get suggestions for Chinese-direct wheels which cost half as much but are not tested in a tunnel, may not support you if an issue comes up, and come with the typical labor/environmental/economic/political downsides.

  2. toujours drole de voir une photo random de Lonchamp où je passe personnellement beaucoup trop de temps proche de cette foutu barrière en haut de la bosse ahah; à bientot sur l’anneau

  3. I wouldn’t exchange the DT Swiss wheels for Zipp. The Zipp hubs are worse compared to the DT Swiss ones and hookless only really works well with tubeless.

  4. Salty_Low_8039 on

    If you are gonna use 30mm or 32mm tires then go for a wheelset that has a wider internal (24mm+) and external width (33mm+). Scope Artech 6.A are a great example but they are incredibly expensive. There are also a few direct to consumer brands with a great reputation like Farsports or Lightbicycle.

  5. Out of your options I would go for the zipp firecrest, you can find some great deals on these. Or get elitewheels with 25mm internal, 60m deep and lighter than all these suggested.

  6. I can recommend Tagoola All road wheels from AliX (I got them there) 24mm or 25mm inner width, don’t remember at the moment of writing. 40mm deep. €450 approx 

    Equally important; good tires. What do you currently use? 

  7. No_Description7494 on

    is this the champagne color? looks more like grey but I haven’t seen a grey one in the website

  8. OrignalSauce on

    Out of those SwissSide m, I wouldn’t go hookless.

    I personally went for LightBicycle, cheap, its DT Swiss hubs, weighs as low as 1200g for about 50mm deep.

    Recently went over a nail the size of a finger that got stuck in my tyre spun around hitting chainstays and bent the nail, rim edge only got slightly damaged which I think was pretty good considering, got a big discount on just a rim to replace it with their warranty.

    Not an add for LightBicycle specifically but I don’t think ill buy another pair of wheels that isn’t from one of the large Chinese brands now.

  9. Daedalus0506 on

    I just upgraded my Endurace to Reserve 57/64 Wheels with DT350 Hubs, coming from the same wheels you currently have. It’s so so good. Its so easy to hold speed over 30km/h and they look the part honestly.

  10. To be honest, I find both the rim design / shape as well as the internal width a bit outdated with DT Swiss. Out of your options I would go with the Zipp 404s. If you are willing to splash a little more cash, you could check something like the Scope R4.A or R6.A, nice and wide and modern design. For some cheaper alternatives you could also look at some Chinese brands

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