Token DHuezz Zenith Alloy Wheelset

The Token DHuezz Zenith wheelset delivers low weight, plenty of stiffness and a durable ceramic coating in what looks to be a very competitively priced package, especially for those who want all the benefits of carbon fibre without any of the drawbacks. Only those with rim brakes need apply though.

As the DHuezz Zeniths go to show, the rim brake is still very much alive and, more importantly, is still to be found on many high-end race bikes.

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These wheels are only available in a rim brake option, and are designed to work primarily with 23mm and 25mm wide tyres.

Some of you may be up in arms worrying about the limited rubber capacity on offer, but at the end of the day your brake callipers are only going to allow you to run 28s anyway, so it's not exactly a huge issue in the first place.

With 25mm Bontrager R3 Hard Case Lite tyres fitted and pumped up to 100psi, the Tokens delivered a very comfortable ride. They're smooth along the majority of road surfaces, with little in the way of harshness passing up into the bike.

With an internal width of 18mm (22mm external), various 25mm tyres were easy to get on and off, both when using an inner tube or running them tubeless. The DHuezz wheels come with tubeless rim tape installed, all you need to do is add valves and sealant.

With a name like DHuezz linking to Alpe d'Huez, one of the most famous ascents in Tour de France history, it's no surprise that these wheels are designed for climbing. A 1,400g weight on our scales is impressive, especially when you consider that that includes the tubeless tape.

It's no good being light if that means sacrificing stiffness, though. I'm no lightweight and can deliver a fair old chunk of power when climbing hard, and I had no issues with flex or brake rub when running the pads just over 1mm away from the rim.

Coating the 22mm deep AL+ rims are ceramic particles, which is what gives the wheels their greyish appearance. It increases durability by reducing rim wear from braking.

Token supplies carbon-specific brake pads in the box and with these fitted I found the stopping performance to be very good. There was no grabbing of the rims when temperatures increased, and I had plenty of confidence that they were going to pull me up quickly in wet weather too.

I tried various other carbon brake pads too and they all worked just as well, so when it comes time to replace the Token ones you aren't necessarily tied to using the own brand specifically.

The ceramic coating means the DHuezz wheels stay looking fresh and clean for a long time too, and the fact that the braking surface remains the same colour as the rest of the rim (apart from a bit of pad dust) gives a neater finish.

The one gold nipple and corresponding logo give a premium look to the wheels, and the Token logos are reflective too.

For the rest of the build Token has used Pillar Wing aero spokes laced in a radial pattern of 18 on the front, and 24 on the rear in a 2x pattern on the drive side, radial on the non-drive.

The hubs are Token branded which it calls Z1, and I found them to run smoothly, straight out of the box. Give the front wheel a spin in the air and there's basically no resistance whatsoever.

The freehub is quick to engage and is available in either a Shimano/SRAM 8/9/10/11-speed option or SRAM's XRD.

The DHuezz wheels are priced at £799.99, which isn't exactly cheap for an aluminium alloy set of wheels, but not ridiculous either.

If you don't mind a bit more weight you could spend a lot less – the Scribe Race wheelset is a touch heavier at 1,520g, but only costs £360.

Just Riding Along's Lark Light Road wheelset is £414.80 and weighs just 1,460g. I'd say that the Tokens have the edge on stiffness, though.

Both of those companies are 'direct to consumer models', which does enable more aggressive pricing against some of the distributor-led rivals.

And don't forget, the Tokens have the added benefits of the ceramic coating, which gives them extra durability and that impressive braking performance.

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If those are your priorities, you're going to be looking at something like Mavic's Ksyrium Pro Exalith wheels to compare with the Tokens. They do well on the weight front at 1,475g (claimed), but will set you back a cool £1,050.

Conclusion

Overall, if weight vs cost is your only concern, there are plenty of cheaper wheels out there to choose from. The Tokens deliver more than that, though. The ceramic coating adds plenty to the braking performance and also means they look like new for a very long time. The ride quality and overall build quality of these wheels is also up there with the best.

Verdict

Lightweight, stiff wheelset that excels in the hills while looking the business too