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TECH NEWS
Shimano WH-RS330-CLShimano introduces 30mm-deep 11-speed wheel + video
Shimano has introduced a new 30mm-deep 11-spd wheel to its lineup, the entry level WH-RS330.
“This wheel is a balance between rigidity, durability and lightweight and designed for comfort and everyday riding,” says Shimano. “The main characteristics of the wheel are a 30mm high rim, a 2:1 spoke pattern at the rear wheel, cup and cone bearings, oversized alloy nipples and it’s compatible with 10 and 11-speed groupsets.”
The rear wheel has 21 spokes, 14 on the driveside and seven on the non-driveside.
Shimano claim weights of 845g (front) and 1,179g (rear). That's a total of 2,024g.
The wheels are priced at £99.99 (front) and £119.99 rear).
Here's a video explaining Shimano's cup and cone bearing design.
Go to www.shimano.co.uk for more info.
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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13 comments
Bring Back the Mavic Cosmos!
The R501s have worse hubs. Whether that matters to the buyer I don't know. With factory wheels the rims pack in before the bubs anyway.
The 2:1 ratio of rear spokes always made sense to me. I wonder if the move to 11 speed drives narrower flange spacing and has encouraged Shimano to the 2:1 ratio for rear spoking?
They seem to be almost like the RS31 except with an extra spoke on the rear like some of the other offerings in the range with different (assymetric?) lacing... and maybe with/without aero spokes? Looks like they are flooding the market with options for cheap wheels.
Surely one of the most important things is omitted here, what is the rim width?
You can buy the (presumably) similar R501 30, just with a few more spokes, for very little money. Maybe these are an 11-speed replacement. They probably will find there way onto most new bikes with 11-speed groupsets though.
“This wheel is a balance between rigidity, durability and lightweight and designed for comfort and everyday riding,” says Shimano.
or perhaps...
"This wheel is designed to make fairly budget bikes look fancier, or to be included on top end bikes where the manufacturer knows that whatever wheels they include will be replaced immediately anyway, but they still need something that looks OK in the brochure"
This wheset sounds redundant, unless it is a replacement. Shimano already makes the RS31 wheelset, which is basically this exact same wheel and is the exact same price. The only difference is the rear lacing pattern.
Describing a wheelset with just 16 spokes on the front as one designed for "everyday riding" sounds like nonsense to me. For an everyday wheelset, meaning something I'm going to use for commuting and a general purpose runaround, I will want something that will still get me home when a spoke inevitably breaks.
Inevitably? I don't think I have ever had a spoke break.
When was the last time you had a spoke let go on the front wheel?
Over a decade ago, only had the one on the front. I've had two or three on the back in all my years of riding, it's rare but it does occasionally happen. I would actually be interested in how common it is myself, I don't know if anyone has ever done a survey on that. Maybe someone at an LBS would have a view.
My point is, that at this end of the market I think wheels are built with very low spoke counts more for fashion reasons, and the perception that it's a higher quality wheel than it is, than a sound technical or performance reason appropriate for its use. I don't expect every wheel to have 36 spokes, but it would be nice to see a slightly more sensible middle ground on a wheelset described as for "everyday use" than 21/16.
Incidentally, on longer rides I carry a kevlar spoke just in case, something I only found last year and it's a very small addition to the saddle bag.
Having been looking at exactly this type of wheel lately, I have to admit that these seem heavy for the price. Both Mavic Cosmics and Fulcrum Quattros can be had for similar money and save about 250g (claimed), so its hard to look past either of those in favour of these.
Can you help me out and do a group test of 30mm alu clinchers around the £300 mark, as I can't decide what to get?!
for £300 you can get fulcrum racing 3s, they might be the best wheels more people will ever need.
I can't comment on the ride until the weather warms up, but I paid £280-ish for a pair of Swissside Franc Evo 3. 27mm alloy clincher, build quality seems top-notch.
For £300 i'd get some chinese carbon imports. I got some a year ago after riding RS30's for a while and there's no comparison. Light, bullet proof, well made. you can't go wrong