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TECH NEWS: PERFECT WHEELS CARBON WHEELSET
Road Bike Action
November 26, 2008
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THE STORY
Larry Naylor of Perfect Wheels has been quietly building a reputation on the west coast as one of the premier wheel builders in America. So when Larry offered us a chance to test a set of his custom creations the Road Bike Action staff happily accepted.
THE TECH
The wheels that Larry built for us used Reynolds MV32 rims, Tune Skyline 150 rear hub and Mig 70 front hub mated to black Sapim CX-Ray bladed spokes. The front wheel was 18-spoke radially laced, while the back was 24-spoke radial lace non-drive side and three cross on the drive side. They weighted in at 1360-grams.
RBA SAYS
In an industry that has become dominated by machine built wheels the art of building is becoming an endangered art. The RBA staff was curious to see the difference in a hand built set of wheels that used the latest in carbon rims compared to machine built wheels. The wheels did not disappoint. The first thing the RBA staff noticed was how light and responsive the wheels were. The Reynolds rims provided good side-to-side stiffness while the thin Sapim spokes provided just the right amount the tension and allowed the wheels to absorb road shock noticeably better than off the rack built wheels. More than one tester made the comment that it felt as if you were riding in faster gear when riding on the Perfect Wheels. The Tune hubs helped keep the weight down and remained smooth throughout the test. The cassette body on the Tune hub is constructed using 7075 T6 aluminum and has soft threads. Special care needs to be taken when tightening the cassette lock ring as to not strip the cassette body. When compared to other carbon-rimmed wheelsets, the $1800 Perfect Wheels carbon wheelset is worth considering, especially when considering the performance and ride quality that can only come from a set of handcrafted wheels.
PRICE: $1800
INFO: www.perfectwheels.net
WEIGHT: 1390-grams
BONUS POINTS: Handbuilt, lightweight, and great ride quality.
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