Scribe introduces new SL lightweight wheel range with lofty aero claims

Scribe has introduced a new SL range of lightweight wheels in three rim depths which, it says, offer an aero advantage over Roval’s CLX I with the same 21mm internal profile.

It must be said that the Roval’s CLX I wheels are a few years old now and they’ve been superseded, but we’ll come back to the aero claims in a sec.

Scribe is adding SL (Superlight) variants to its existing Core and Elan wheel lineups. The idea, according to the brand, is to “focus primarily on an impressive weight reduction – in which the carbon material and resin utilisation has been optimised whilst the integrity of rim remains uncompromised – alongside the aerodynamic advantage they offer”.  

Scribe says, “Our goal has always been to bring the fastest wheels to the market, at the most competitive price possible for the associated performance and quality, and also to position them among the leaders for advanced carbon technology.”

The rims use what Scribe calls “a new T1000 carbon fibre, advanced resin system and a revised carbon layup”. The Core SL wheels are built with Sapim CX-Ray aero spokes, while the Elan SL wheels have carbon aero spokes. Both models are laced to Scribe’s ratchet hub system.

The Core SL and Elan SL are available in three depths: 40mm, 50mm, and 60mm. The price is the same whatever the rim depth: £999 for the Core SLs, £1,399 for the Elan SLs.

In terms of weights, Scribe claims 1,314g for the 40mm version of the Core SL and 1,242g for the Elan SL equivalent. At a claimed weight of 1,343g, the Core SL 50 is about 100g lighter than the existing Scribe 50-D Carbon wheelset. 

Back to the aero claims, then… Scribe says that even though the rim profiles have been modified only slightly, the new wheels tested faster than the previous generation in the wind tunnel.

Scribe says it will release more aero data shortly, but it has given us access to its comparison with Roval’s wind tunnel-optimised CLX I (the data was gathered in the Silverstone Cycling Wind Tunnel). This 50mm deep model has the same 21mm internal width as the Scribes, although it has been superseded in the Roval range. 

Why not compare with the current Roval Rapide CLX II wheels, then?

"We used the CLX I as the profile was similar to what we had been modelling around (~21mm internal, with ~29/ 30mm external)," says Scribe's Alan Graham. "We felt this was the best comparison to use as a benchmark against our designs, as the Roval CLX was tested as one of the fastest wheels on the market for a significant period of time. The newer CLX II is significantly wider (35mm for the front), and when aero tested, there was only +1 watt variation between CLX II and CLX I."

"The SL range was designed with a focus on keeping the weight to a minimum, so we benchmarked them against similar fast aero wheelsets, with the same spec." 

Scribe says, “All models, even our Core SL 40, showed less drag with a 25mm tyre up to approximately 10° of yaw angle; and the 50 SL and 60 SL showed significant aero gains when compared to the Roval. As most riders fall within a 2-12° yaw window, the new SL range is right on the money for those aero gains.”

We look forward to checking out the aero data in more detail when it is published.

Scribe recommends a 25mm tyre for the front for aerodynamic performance, and a 28mm tyre at the rear – where aero considerations are less important – to add comfort. That said, Scribe suggests that there’s no issue sizing up on tyres depending on use, a 28mm tyre up front resulting in a small aero penalty that may be trumped by a reduction in rolling resistance.

As well as CFD (computational fluid dynamics) testing and tunnel validation, Scribe says it has had a batch of prototypes of various sizes under riders on UK and Irish roads for the last three to four months, capturing feedback while testing stability across a range of conditions. 

All SL models come with Scribe’s lifetime crash replacement and a three-year warranty. Scribe also offers its ReGeneration programme, allowing you to send your old wheels back and get a discount of up to 40% off a new set. 

"With regards to a wider variant, we are currently developing and testing wider rim profiles that come with a small weight penalty (with the same carbon tech as used for our current SL range), aimed more at an all-road application," says Scribe's Alan Graham.

"We will test these against comparable very wide profiles from Reserve, Roval CLX, Zipp and so on. These should be available in summertime this year."

Get more info here.