The Shimano Ultegra C60 wheels use the very same rim form because the dearer Dura Ace C60 wheelset. The one distinction is the burden of the edges and the worth. So how do they fare?
Development
The edges measure 60mm deep because the title suggests, 28mm exterior width, and 21mm inner width. The entire weight is a claimed 1,659g whereas the burden on my scales is 1,676g.
Shimano claims the C60 wheels are sooner than the competitors at 0-15 levels yaw, however doesn’t title the competitors. Slightly digging reveals that testing speeds had been 48kph and watt financial savings had been three watts on common however this was on the subject of the shallower C40 rim; Shimano says the C60 saves extra.
The 60mm deep rims have a 21mm inner width and a 28mm exterior measurement
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The wheels use 24 spokes entrance and rear, however with totally different patterns for every. The entrance wheel makes use of a 1:1 ratio of 12 on all sides in a 2-cross lacing sample. The rear makes use of a 2:1 16 drive facet 8 rotor facet with a 3-cross and radial sample. That is what Shimano name OPTBAL (Optimum Stability). It is used to raised distribute the unequal forces utilized on the drive-side of the rear wheel the place elevated torsional stiffness is required whereas sustaining lateral stiffness. The spokes are proprietary so have to be bought from Shimano.
The C60 hubs use cup and cone bearings
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The hubs are Shimano’s personal model Ultegra WH-R8170 and use a pawl ratchet engagement system, with cup and cone bearings to permit for preload adjustment with a contact seal. The metal Borozon-treated races are designed to be sturdy and extra resistant. Simpler upkeep can be promised because of a ‘easy-to-adjust’ lockring design.
The hubs solely have a 20-degree engagement, however so long as you’re pedalling this isn’t a problem, and a decrease diploma of engagement can enhance sturdiness. The hubs are additionally solely suitable with Shimano 11 and 12-speed cassettes, limiting their usability with various groupsets.
The journey
The very first thing I actually appreciated concerning the Shimano Ultegra C60 wheels was how straightforward it was to get the tyres on. With some wheels stretching of the tyres is required alongside some significantly grippy gloves to get them over the rim. On the Ultegras the primary tyre bead obtained onto the tyre very simply whereas the second bead required minimal drive to hook on. The tyres then took a bit extra effort to seat, requiring the valve core to be eliminated and a compressor. Nevertheless, after this, they retained their stress with out an preliminary journey required to unfold the sealant. The 28mm Pirelli PZero RS sat on the rim at 28.5mm and prolonged barely wider than the utmost rim width of 28mm.
By way of driving, they’re pretty heavy on the rim and this ends in them being fairly sluggish to rise up to hurry. Due to this I would not suggest them for criteriums. The hub engagement angle of 20 levels doesn’t really feel significantly spritely both so there’s typically a component of slack earlier than the uptake of energy.
When fitted to the C60 rims the 28mm Pirelli P Zero tyres measured just a little wider
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The place these wheels shine is their rolling pace. At 30kph and past, they really feel very snug and it is lots simpler to speed up as soon as they’re already turning at pace, with the broader profile, deep rims and total weight serving to to carry pace brilliantly. Which means as soon as up to the mark they’re tougher to decelerate, however not in a means that makes braking troublesome. Even on some steeper inclines, so long as I used to be in step with my energy the wheels climbed fairly effectively. On the flats and downhills, they had been extremely quick and over rolling terrain I used to be in a position to maintain pace effectively.
One space the place these wheels do undergo a bit is within the wind. The profile is a bit more V-shaped than the predominate U-shape. For probably the most half, this wasn’t an issue, however in stronger breezes the wheels had an inclination to get picked up by the wind, and significantly affected by gusts. How the wind caught the wheels was not all the time constant and I discovered on some blustery days that I needed to transfer across the highway fairly a bit, which was not excellent.
The rear hub runs quietly which can, or could not, be a blessing relying in your choice
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The wheels have a number of sensible options that I appreciated The rear hub runs very quietly, which I personally desire to having a loud buzz akin to a hive of indignant hornets each time I coast. The spokes will be modified with out the necessity to take away the tubeless tyres and tape to entry them. Nevertheless the nipple can solely get replaced with elimination of tyre and tape, and solely Shimano hubs can be utilized with the two:1 rear wheel.
The entrance wheel’s 24 spoke, two-cross sample, makes it very secure and stiff for cornering in addition to braking. The rear hub is attention-grabbing because it makes use of a three-cross sample on the drive facet with 16 spokes however a radial sample of eight spokes on the braking facet. Whatever the radial sample, the wheel has nice lateral stiffness and the three-cross on the drive-side appears to assist acceleration properly.
The valves for the tubeless tyres additionally function a pleasant addition with a rim profile-shaped washer to supply a safe seal with none impression on the rim, whereas internally the form sits within the rim effectively so it doesn’t twist when tightening externally.
The tubeless valve washers have the identical profile because the rim to assist promote a safe seal
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For the worth, it is a set of wheels that performs very effectively. Nevertheless, for lighter riders I might go for the 50mm variant, primarily because of the instability in crosswinds that may be skilled. The burden isn’t actually a problem if tempo and energy stay constant, however for these driving occasions the place low-speed acceleration issues, a lighter rim can be higher suited.
Worth & Conclusion
The Shimano Ultegra C60 wheelset has nearly an identical efficiency stats to the far dearer Dura-Ace wheelset however at a a lot lower cost.
The wheels are stiff and roll effectively throughout most terrain. Solely on steep climbs or low-speed accelerations does their weight change into an issue, however 60mm wheelsets typically expertise this. Additionally they get caught in stronger gusts due partially to their V-shaped profile. The hubs supply improved serviceability and sturdiness in comparison with many wheelsets, making these an incredible on a regular basis choice. The one problem is that they’re Shimano suitable solely, however for these with a Shimano groupset, these wheels are an excellent worth choice.
