9Velo CC45 CC55 Carbon Wheel Review: An Engineering Masterpiece

9Velo is a relatively new company, but the individuals behind it have been in the carbon fibre wheel industry for a considerable length of time. These gravel wheels have some of the highest levels of manufacturing quality that I have ever seen. The hubs are probably the best ones you can buy; they make DT Swiss units look like rough copies in comparison. You can view a previous review of 9Velo wheels here.

Wheel Rims

The wheel rims are of carbon construction. The outer width is approximately 28mm with an internal width of 21mm. The rims are hooked. There are no spoke holes, so rim tape is not required. This is advantageous from an inertial perspective as it reduces the inertia of the wheels (so they accelerate faster), but it does mean you’ll need a magnet and some patience if you have to change a spoke.

The set reviewed was measured at 797g for the rear wheel, 610g for the front wheel. Giving a combined weight of 1407g. The quoted weight was 1440g +/-30g.

Hubs

This wheelset features a ratchet system that is very similar to that of the DT Swiss hubs which have a central spring-loaded tooth ramped ring. The ring has a series of ramps and cliffs, drive is transferred in one direction and allowed to freewheel in the other.

The hubs have been completely faultless, they feature a recessed labyrinth seal which is technically quite difficult to make on a wheelset as there is a compound tolerance stack up. The axial positioning was clearly repeatable.

The bearings have the same vibration signature as NTN, and the internal construction also appears to be the same. They have the same cage design, the same number of balls and an almost identical seal. The only difference is the text on the sidewall of the bearing.

The runouts and dimensional accuracy of the hubs is class leading.

Spokes and Tension

The wheels come with sapim spokes, they are of proven design and have been in production for many years, there we no issues. The spoke tension remained constant throughout the test period. There is an even tension across the wheels. Idealized spoke tension is less than 5% deviation.

Please note that due to the limitations of the graphing software, there is an interpolated limit on the front wheel DS. This is due to the wheel having an odd number of spokes.

The tension across the wheels was excellent, there was little deviation across the planar sides. In riding, the wheels felt quite stiff. There was little in the way of discernible flex.

Out of Balance

The out of balance was good. It was well within limit values. You can find about limit values in this technical document.

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Spares and Warranty

All of the supplied wheels come with spare spokes and a tubeless valve fitted. The wheels have a 2 year warranty. Dealer service exists for major markets (North America, Australia, China, Singapore, Europe)

Conclusion

This wheelset is a watershed moment in the cycling industry. A Chinese company has made a wheelset and specifically a hubset that is superior to the brand leading western counterpart (DT Swiss) and sells it for significantly less. 9 Velo does not have anywhere near the brand appeal of the larger western brands but there is little doubt that this wheelset is manufactured to a high technical standard.

Most cyclists do not have the technical capability to assess the manufacturing quality of wheelsets so they are largely driven by the mainstream cycling media who are a proxy for the marketing departments of cycling companies. And this is where companies like 9 Velo will be disadvantaged as they do not have the marketing clout yet.

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Discount Code

You can use the discount code 9velo-hambini10 and receive 10% off your wheels 9Velo Website

Links

9Velo Website