Bontrager Aeolus XXX Wheels | GCN's First Look
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- What better place to put a brand new range of top end wheels by Bontrager through their paces than the component proving, or should that be wrecking, ground that is the Flanders region.
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Bontrager have just released their brand new range of Aeolus XXX wheels, in three different depths, and Matt and Dan were lucky enough to give them a ride out in Flanders.
Bontrager claim they're not only the company's best performing wheels in terms of aerodynamics and weight, but they're also incredibly stable in crosswinds and have the best braking of any carbon wheel they have ever produced.
Let us know what you think of them down below.
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Leave us a comment below!
I've been subscribed to GCN for 4yrs. Over that time I've learnt the craft of bike maintenance, used the fitness vids for IM training(pre Zwift), learnt tips tricks and places to cycle. GCN is my bike bible 😀😎 keep up the good work lads and lass. GCN just gets better and better 👍
Thanks @SAF1981. We try to make the best videos we can and it's great to know that they help you along the way and that you take something from them. Happy cycling!
I prefer a quiet free hub. That way when I’m behind somebody they can’t tell if I’m coasting or pedaling, and thus don’t know how hard I’m having to work or whether I’m going to attack.
Vincent Tichenor Couldn't agree more
That orbea with those wheels looks absolutely beautiful!
I realize it's pretty randomly asking but does anybody know a good site to watch new series online?
@Huxley Rodney Flixportal =)
@Liam Alfred thank you, I signed up and it seems like a nice service =) I appreciate it!
@Huxley Rodney You are welcome =)
I love silent free hubs. Although louder ones warn other road users much more.
Onypop I have a quiet set which I really like but my training wheels have super clicks novatec hubs. People do hear you coming for sure. The mousey hubs make me think there's more material in the hubs
Warn them? Warn them that they are coasting? Not working.
Wow! Those hubs are quiet!
What's the point in a freehub that doesn't let someone know you're coming up quick behind them and not even pedaling?
Stealth?
Ninjas will be all over these new Bontrager wheels then...
But if it was me, I'd have some big (aero, of course) speakers on the front of my bike playing the Jaws theme music as I come up for an overtake. ;)
You could always put a baseball card or two in the spokes
I love a quiet hub for crit racing.
I just bought them. I hope they get noiser?
Spectacular video as always!
That Bontrager wheel looked super nice!
Thanks Omaris!
Anytime! (^_-)
I highly appreciate your gratitude.
Keep up the good work!
1455g at that price for the 47mm is pretty good even before the aero benefits.
Yeah! and if they claim about crosswinds are true, will make quite an interesting set of hoops
That's not to mention the must notable property (or at least spec) of these wheels - the absence of a rider weight limit!
Recently picked up the new Aeolus Pro 5 rims. You guys need to do a vid on them. Not as pricey and high end as the XXX but I'm finding them to be great! Thanks for all you do! GCN is the best cycling show anywhere bar none!
M Markovitch Just ordered mine! Looking forward to putting them on my Emonda!
I feel a giveaway coming! Well, I hope so ;)
Hopefully the 60s
Yes, GCN!
best sounding free hubs I've heard yet :-)
Bontrager Aeolus are bulletproof...have original 50mm rims from 2012... I started at 288lbs and down to 208 doing 7k miles a year...racing, doing gravel and long climbing...I have also snapped two forks in head on crashes where wheel took brunt and they are as true and stiff as I can remember...no advert here...just great stuff
The Aeolus are fairly underrated wheels.
Much as I like the Zipps, the LightWeights, the Princetons, Mavics & the like, to Me, the Bontrager, the Spinergy, the Scope & Reynolds take the cake. Why? Because they do away with rider weight limit. I'm sick and tired of spec sheet entries like "Max. rider / system limit: 109kg." (or 120, for that matter).
The Spinergy is also very customisable, sports by all accounts very comfortable, thicker and tougher, but more compliant PBO Zylon spokes and classic carbon weave (although, I will admit that the texture of Zipp, Scope & other carbon wheels does fully vcompensate for the otherwise boring look of UD pattern).
man that trek is sweet.
For someone who falls over his bike once in a while, Matt has got a very interesting position and good balance when sitting on his toes in a stiff road shoe!
do a vid on Chinese carbon wheels
This wheel seems to be aimed square at the Roval line of wheels. The XXX4 and the CLX 50 are real close. Same weight, same internal width but the XXX4 has a smaller external profile (more aero I guess?). I think the decision comes down to which is more important: CeramicSpeed bearings or crosswind stability. The stability probably leads to a faster real world experience.
It seem as Bontrager did very good light wheel! Matt and Dan have a good Eastern Holliday! Enjoy some Flander beer too and thanks for your great video.
"just as aero and fast as some of their key competitors' rims that are 50% deeper"... "aerodynamically on a par with some deeper rims from their competitors" - conveniently no proof provided at all to back up these claims (Which specific wheels are these competitors? Are they obsolete V-shaped rims or the newest Enve/Zipp/DT Swiss?), so they can't be verified or refuted, we're just supposed to take it at face value from this paid infomercial.
Every company says the same things... It's nothing to fuss about haha
Zipps are crap.
I love a quiet freehub. Sneaky. Stealthy. Like a ninja!
Thanks, Matt and Dan, and it'd be cool if Keith turned on the garage cam and chatted with you about these wheels. I like the way he talks about components and such.
brillant as always lads .
I like Matt's comment about the middle model wheels being Bontrager's "All Round Wheels". They are so much better than square ones!
The less free hub clicking the better for me.
Scott Shaffer the only reason I like it is because it gives an audible cue to other riders that I might be slowing down a bit -> dont get hit from behind
I have both and some how I prefer both at the same time. I love that clicking and when it is not there, I love it as well. Maybe I just love when I get to free-wheel on my bike and have a rest.
Noooo!!!! HAS to click, the louder the better!!
..not that I ever get to showcasemine, but that's another story :(
My XXX 4's arriving Monday April 2, 2018. Super hyped and excited.
Nice! Let us know how you get on.
Sure thing.
Thanks Dan! For the freewheel test.
loving the drive shots. More please
eerily quiet...... i like!
I actually used to think that in all these "free hub tests" the more silent the better...
Hahaha. I’ve always liked the really noisy ratcheting sounds.
Charlie Bennici I agree
It was so quiet I thought he'd spun the wheel the wrong way, at first!
At £ 1,999 GPB or $ 2,804 USD for the pair, I'll pass.
they are 2950 CDN for a set, so i think your pricing info is off
that Orbea looks sweet
A silent freehub might mean that there's more grease inside, but that might slow down the wheel. Unless there's another way of making quiet freehubs....
Really like the look of the xxx2's. They'd work great on my frame. And they're silent, even better 🙌
ima have to get these wow
Good one! I'm a total Bontrager - Trek fan!! If these are better then the Aeolus I have on my Madone9 (tub version) then they must be spectacular! I think I'd go for the 4s.
Fantastic.
Nice video guys , wanting to upgrade to carbon wheels and was told nooooooo , risky in the wet and hearing I couldn’t stop ✋. Thanks you have made me feel I have to get the bad ass wheel upgrades 😎👍
I'll have the 4s.
Also, That Orbea suits those 6s down to a fucking tee! Fucking love that machine.
love a quiet freehub
Putting a pair in my cart now and....purchased!
alright mr money bags
1:22 Matt's squat is flawless
I prefer ads where you can skip after 5 seconds. This one lasts 8 mins.
Love a silent freehubOn my upgrade list for sure
Welcome back boys!
What is the location of the cobbled section where you present the bike and/or the grind paths ? I'm from Flanders and really into cobbleriding and it doesn't seem like i've riden that stretch. Thanks
Wow that free hub sound test wow
Hope you make more videos of this kind in the future :)
We definitely will!
Movie ts,
' urwçhknlz Kerr
When Dan said they had forgotten something, I started looking for the link to win a pair.
bike is my life
Another excellent video! Cheers from Seattle!
Damn those hubs are so sick
How to get a bike bike for under 1000€? I'm still at school and want to use this bike for vomiting, but there are gravel and forest ways. Is a normal roadbike robust enough? Or do I need a gravel or crossbike?
Thanks for any advice.
I can't afford big repairs
I can't help but feel this is just an advert .... (Nothing wrong with that of course :) ) - Bontrager say this, Bontrager say that without any public data to back their claims up. I just don't see how the Aeolus XXX 6 are meant to be that much greater in cross wind performance etc. it's just sort of laughable. At least Zipp wheels with their saw tooth wheels look like they have a visible effect. If I was paying for over priced carbon rims I would want data first, other wise there are many other more value oriented wheelsets out there I would rather have, even if they are 1 watt slower ..... compared to their key competitors haha - At least that new lazer etched brake rim is forward thinking!
@Ultra - thanks for the comment. We do work with brands like Bontrager on videos like this one, but we're not told what to say in these videos and they're not adverts. We highlight what we think is most relevant and interesting about new tech. As presenters we get the final say on the brands and products we make videos about, so we'll always go for something that offers something new and that we think will be of interest to you. Cheers!
Hi Ultra. They do have a lot of testing data available and we shall be going more onto that on a separate video that you'll find on GCN Tech shortly.
Awesome :) I look forward to the video because I do love a good bit of data!
its says Paid Promotion in the beginning
If you have ever ridden a Aeolus 5 wheelset you would know if the new XXX are still on the same level or a bit better concerning their behavior in crosswinds we still talk about one of the best wheelsets on the market. If compared and ridden many wheelsets in the past and for me in all over comparison the Aeolus 5 was always a bit ahead to the others. There haven't been many wheelsets which match with an internal rim width of 19,5 mm, a perfect crosswind behavior and a weight of 1440 to 1470 gramms. Simply to get the same weight somehwere else (Zipp for example) you have to pay much more money. So even if the XXX6 is heavier now it will still beat many, many other wheelsets on the market. The only thing i always complained about concerning the Aeolus wheels was there braking performance. There have been better solutions. If the new braking surface is good as promised we have a big thing going on here. They have not made them more expensive.
Greetings from NYC. Keep up the great content GCN.
Thanks Joseph!
Just got a set of the A2 disks attached to an Emonda SLR, and Conti 4000 28's. An amazing upgrade from an excellent Madone and the older Aeolus 3. Incredibly smooth on rougher than cobble Northern California mountain roads. Well done Trek!
Gary Zimbric I’m rocking an Sworks Tarmac SL5 with Roval CLX wheels and etap. They’ve been quite good so far. I haven’t ridden Trek before so I have no comparison but these new wheelsets look quite good. Marginal gains is the game I suppose.
beautifull bike
Free hub test steps
1- lift rear wheel
2- pedal with your arm (don’t do what dan did)
3- enjoy the sound.
Good video and review... question, do these wheels support Cotton wall tires? Enve recommends not using cotton wall tires on tubeless ready wheels. I have these wheels and would like to run Specialized S-Works Turbo cotton clincher tires.
3:20
It looks cool and stuff but it's not practical to stop in your largest gear
They probably left it there after changing the wheel. It's much easier to get the wheel off when you have your chain at the smaller cog.
But but but, why were these all tested (it appears) in 23's when GCN now seems to be major proponents of the wider 25 or even 30 mil widths?? I'm planning of getting some 30's for a disc brake road bike and now I'm confused. HELP!!
Whats the longevity of these wheels though? My existing carbon wheels breaking surface seems to wear down far quicker than an alu rim?
Love my Bontrager Aeolous D3 clinchers but I would like then to be a bit noisier. Does the silent hub mean lower friction though?
Can you tell me your review of bontrager aelus pro 3 disc? ?
My DTS Swiss ERC 1100 wheels had a freehub sound like that when new, and so did my ERC 1600 wheels. With a few months of riding each became a little louder. Might be down to the grease installed from factory? Nice wheelsets. I noticed that Dan and Matt referred to "key competitor" when describing the competition, and I can't help but wonder if DT Swiss falls into this category? These wheels have attributes that are very similar to those of the DT Swiss ERC and PRC range.
Love my i9 annoy-a-trons !
Nice tyre and nice video 😯😉
I would love to see how they compare to the lighter and less expensive HED carbon wheels.
I’m into photography and road biking, does anyone know a good small bag that can take a Sony A7RIII size camera?
Why does there seem to be a bunch of marketing comments under this video? "Looks great!" "Bought a set just now!" "Hope you do more of these videos!" - something is amiss.
@Mambo Dave - they're comments from viewers. There's nothing amiss here.
Just waiting for a Madone Disc. Will be nice with a 6 on the back and 4 on the front
If these are good as Enves, go 6s all the way. I have a pair of 4.5s and at 76 kg I feel virtually no difference between that and a set of DA 9000 C24s.
would be keen to see if the XXX4 is worth double the price of the aeolus pro 5. I run disc brakes so don't need to concern myself with the braking surface. hoping for a long term review!
Wow it is coincidence? I was just deciding on ownership of one of these two bikes :o
Very cool! Let us know which one you choose.
Even if this was an ad without these paid promotions gcn might not be able to make the quality of videos they do
UPDATE: Ended up going for the Orbea!
Ive been hearing some weird clicking noises coming from my BB area. It only happens when pedalling. Any ideas?
Could be any number of things. We have a few fixes suggested in this video: czcams.com/video/ZEiIFbIklJg/video.html
Aeolus 3 vs aeolus xxx 2, how much of a difference between the two?
It sounds like Bontrager is getting a little closer to Enve and Zipp, who've been the industry leaders in the road market (and still are). The most significant news to me, is Bontrager's decrease in wheel weight while, at the same time, increasing wheel strength. Plus, I like the silent freehub a lot. But the fact that it took Bontrager over 10000 (ten thousand) iterations with their aerodynamic modelling software to arrive at their rim shape seems funny. In the end, all they've done is apply the same aerodynamic principles that are now widely established facts in the industry: namely, for better crosswind stability you need a bigger radius on the inside edge of the rim in order to minimize crosswind air turbulence as it passes the inside edge of the rim. Why did Bontrager need over 10000 model iterations to re-discover what is now common knowledge? Maybe they were looking for a way to compete against Zipp's innovative saw-tooth edge which may be the best method to-date to overcome crosswind air turbulence in a non-solid wheel. As for the laser-etched brake tracks, I wonder how they compare to Enve and Zipp which also use some kind of textured surface on their brake tracks. It would be very interesting to see a wet-braking test that compares all of the top carbon wheel models using an identical test procedure.
*Question:* When comparing the crosswind susceptibility of the front wheel to the rear wheel, is the front wheel's greater vulnerability due simply to the fact that there is usually less weight on the wheel? What about TT bikes where the rider is in an aggressive aero position? In these positions, the weight distribution over the wheels is often the same (close to 50% on each wheel). Wouldn't the front and rear wheels be equally susceptible in this situation? Or are there other factors at play here (like the fact that the fork allows the front wheel to pivot)?
It's a good (and difficult!) question, although it does sound like you've answered it for the most part. I'd add that the front wheel is also less sheltered by the rider compared to the rear. That, compared with the other factors you've mentioned make the profile of the front wheel the important one in crosswind situations.
Yes, GCN does science. Carbon rim brake performance testing. wet/dry, tubular/clincher, etc
Quiet is beautiful
Hi GCN. If you have a high ftp in terms of W/kg, however that being down to a low body weight, will it translate into a disadvantage on the flat as your raw ftp won’t be that high?
Keep up the great videos👍🏼
Answer: Yes. Absolute power matters on the flat. I have an ok FTP for for a 45 year old but my 1hr W/kg is terrible (I weigh 95kg). However on a flat course criterium I can stay with a super fit bunch of skinny 20 year olds (gotta love drafting) and smash them in the finishing sprint because I am carrying 45kg of muscle and I have fast twitch muscle fibres (I even have the muscle biopsy results to prove it 😁) so my 30sec W/kg is quite good. So you don't have to have a good W/kg to win some types of races but it will help. I recommend you go to the gym and do some squats, leg press and core exercises to build up some muscle. Cheers
hi +Richard George thanks for the reply. What you said does make sense because I weigh 60 kg so when I race in flat crits it gets pretty tough as you can imagine😂. But the hills are a god send.
Any reason not to by the XXX 2 for front and XXX 6 for back?
Interesting, so did Bont silenced the rear hub? Cause DT Swiss Hubs doesn't make that kind of sound
thats just why i replaced DI and Whells on my new Madone. Need Sound, need eTap. The rest is perfect @ Trek ;)
Ok on the wheels, will look good on my Domane. But, what are the Continental tires you rode at Flanders?
i have the xxx 4 but its not silent like that.. why ?
Change the gears remove the 36tooth ratchet gives and install the 24 tooth ratchet one or it should quiet them a bit more
I did
Out of interests sake, who do Bontrager/Trek consider as competitors i.e what are these wheels being compared against? Am guessing Roval as one, but what else?
love silent hubs!
6:26 Not 16 but 18 spokes for the front rim brake wheels. ;)
Coasting without the sound of a freehub is like relieving yourself without hearing the splash, like pouring a carbonated beverage without the sound of fizzing, like waves without hearing the crash. It ain't natural!
need a suggestion
weight - 95 kgs
height - 6'2
want MTB
frame size ?
tyre size ?
keep doing videos! love it!
Whats the weight of the mid-range depth wheels btw GCN? You might have said it but I missed it
Oh just noticed in the comments 1455g. Cheers
No offense guys... but they’re just wheels! For me, I don’t worry about carbon and titanium... I just ride my aluminum trek hybrid turned road bike with a steel surly fork and it’s awesome! Still, great video!
Tech isn't necessarily for everyone, but cycling definitely is. Thanks for the comment Theo! 👍
Make sure have one part mine too 😍😍🙏
2:25
WTH helped to the editing😂
I just picked up the XXX 4 in disc and they are quiet!!
If the wheel have some hub noise manufacturers should aim to make them silent and vice versa if the hub is hoisy. A ratcherty hub is a pro hub 😎🚴
Matt finally got new sunglasses
what is the cost of the rims?
Can you get them in 650c sized wheels
2:59 Is Matt going to use his Speedplay pedals ever? Would be interesting if he gave them a try for a while and told us his thoughts on them. Maybe he just doesn't like them.
That hair! That's the first thing I notice... XD
Louder freehub = people ahead of you knowing that someone is coming behind them, so it's safer on top of being cooler than a quiet freehub.
I am not sure if anyone else noticed at the 0:26 second mark. Looks like missing carbon fiber on the left side picture above the "R"..... Am I wrong? Just wondering.
I was totally sold on these until the freehub spin test.