Cyclistsย Hub is supported by its readers. We may receive a commission if you buy products using our links.
All content on Cyclists Hub is written by humans, not robots. Learn More
Elitewheels DRIVE II were long anticipated, since the first generation was already introduced in 2022. But are they better than the previous generation, which was timeless? I conducted internal testing and rode them in the Slovenian mountains to find out. Additionally, I compared them with some of the top Chinese carbon wheels.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Elitewheels DRIVE II wheels still offer a similar sensation to the first generation, namely, rapid acceleration. They are stiff, so a little bit harsh on rough roads. However, thanks to the wider internal rim width, they are better suited for wide tires that are more comfortable. They also feel more stable in crosswinds and roll well on flats.
I’m curious about the bearing quality since the ones on my first-generation DRIVE wheels didn’t last too long. I will update this review if I encounter any long-term issues. I recommend them not only to climbers, but to everybody who likes to attack, or just wants a pair of great wheels. You can continue reading for more info or buy them here.
Use this Elitewheels discount code CYCLISTSHUB at elite-wheels.com on the checkout page to get 15%ย OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.
My DRIVE II wheels scoring at a glance:
Crosswind Stability 5/5 | Stiffness 5/5 | Riding Comfort 4/5 | Speed Maintenance 4/5 | Tire On 3/5 | Trueness 4/5 | Spoke Tension 5/5 | Dishing 5/5 | Price 3/5 | OVERALL 4.2/5
More about this road wheels scoring.
Elitewheels DRIVE vs. DRIVE II: What’s New?
Elitewheels DRIVE II wheels bring several improvements over the 1st generation, including:
- Wider internal rim width (while keeping the same weight)
- Kinetic hubs introducing a 50T conical ratchet (not 4-pawls anymore)
- Wider spokes (4.5 vs. 3.2mm)
- Enclosed flanges
- Different decal design and colors (black and gold)
- Reduced hooks design (a hybrid between hooked and hookless)
- Not available for rim brakes anymore
- Higher price (from $1199 to $1299)
Elitewheels DRIVE II: Main Features and Specs
Here are the main features and specifications of the Elitewheels DRIVE II 50D wheels. Other rim depths (36D and 65D) are also available.
Main Features
- Lightweight, stiff, responsive (super low inertia)
- Well built and assembled
- Stable in crosswinds
- In-house designed “Kinetic” hubs
- Tubeless rim tape and valves included and installed
- Updated rim profile combining hooked and hookless rims
- 4 spare spokes included
- Quality control protocol included
- 3-year warranty
Technical Specification
- Type: Clincher (tubeless-ready), reduced hooks
- Weight (with tubeless rim tape):
- Front Wheel: 602g
- Rear Wheel: 720g
- Measured weight: 1322g
- Claimed weight: 1300g (ยฑ5%)
- Measured rim width:
- Internal: 23.2mm
- External: 29.4mm (30.7mm in the widest point)
- Rim depth: 50mm
- Spokes: 4.5mm wide Elitewheels carbon spokes
- Hubs: 50T Kinetic ratchet with ceramic bearings
- Enclosed flanges: Yes
- Riderโs weight limit: 120kg (265lb)
Use this Elitewheels discount code CYCLISTSHUB at elite-wheels.com on the checkout page to get 15%ย OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.
First Impressions and Unboxing
Elitewheels has come a long way since my review of DRIVE wheels. They have improved their packaging and internal processes, so I was looking forward to unboxing the DRIVE II. And I was not disappointed. The wheels came in a branded box and were well packaged to prevent damage in transit.
The packaging included wheels in protective bags, branded orange end cap protectors, 4 spare spokes packed in a nice box, and an Elitewheels bottle.
Additionally, the wheels had tubeless tape already applied and tubeless valves. The valves have multiple “air shafts” for better air flow. In theory, they should make seating a tubeless tire easier. Well, we will see!
However, I was most pleased with the quality control protocol. First of all, it shows that they care about quality. Secondly, it can help them catch poorly assembled wheels that shouldn’t have made it to the customer, and then also track down the responsible wheel builder. Thumbs up, Elitewheels!
In-House Tests
As always with road bike carbon wheels, I concluded the following tests before I started using the wheels:
These tests provide a better understanding of the wheel’s assembly quality. So, did the DRIVE II wheels pass them?
Lateral and Radial Trueness
The DRIVE II wheels’ lateral trueness was pretty good, as the deviation was less than 0.3mm. The radial deviation was basically perfect.
Spoke Tension
The spoke tension was excellent, showing a high level of consistency. No spoke was off by more than 5% of the average. It’s one of the best results I recorded.
Rim Centering (Dishing)
The hubs were also well-centered, with no gap between the end cap and the middle piece of the dishing tool. Perfect results again.
A Look Inside
I also took a few photos from inside the rim. I didn’t discover any issues during my inspection. Below, you can see details of the spoke nipple, spoke hole, and the outer wall of the rim.
The wall had the same pattern as the first generation. This is most likely caused by the way the rims are manufactured. Overall, I observed no excess resin in the rims, and the side walls appeared smooth.
The Difficulty of Putting the Tire On and Off
Elitewheels introduced a new rim profile featuring a “reduced hook design.” They claim it takes the best of both worlds, hooked and hokless rims. It should allow the tire to inflate itself into a smoother shape while remaining safely in place, even at higher pressures. Naturally, I was curious how the tire installation would go. I’m also curious about the safety of this system. So far, I have luckily not experienced any issues and I hope it stays that way.
I always use the Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tires for comparable results. The first part is the difficulty of mounting tires on the rims and then seating them. I needed tire levers for putting the tires on. These wheels gave me a hard time. The tires were probably the worst to put on them of all the wheels I’ve tested so far. So I figured seating could be done with a floor pump. And I was right. I didn’t need tire sealant or a compressor, as with most other wheels. The tires seated easily with just a few presses of the pump.
Use this Elitewheels discount code CYCLISTSHUB at elite-wheels.com on the checkout page to get 15%ย OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.
Riding Experience
I honestly didn’t expect huge differences in ride qualities between the DRIVE and DRIVE II. And I was more or less right. The second generation is still stiff and responsive, so the accelerations feel quick. As expected with carbon-spoked wheels, the ride comfort is not ideal on rough roads, and you either have to use lower pressures or wider tires to compensate for the stiffness. Of course, this mainly depends on the quality of the roads in your area and also the stiffness of your frame.
In terms of speed, I can only talk about my feelings because conducting any meaningful testing is almost impossible due to the high number of variables. So, do they feel fast? Yes, they do. Do they feel faster than the first generation? Well, the difference doesn’t feel as significant, so I can’t tell for sure. I would probably achieve a bigger difference if I just swapped bad tires for good ones. The reality is that most Chinese carbon wheels at this price range are similar, and the differences between them are marginal.
Let me also comment on the conical ratchet. According to Elitewheels, it should: “allow for increased engagement surface area, which increases longevity. A new, stronger spring reduces the likelihood of skipping and slipping, ensuring a consistent riding experience.”
I’ve been riding these wheels for about 500 km, so I can’t comment on the longevity. However, the truth is the hub ratchets never skipped. But to be fair, they never skipped on my other wheels except for the Superteam All-Carbon Ultra. I also don’t feel the faster engagement. So, while I admire the technical aspect of more difficult manufacturing, so far, I have yet to see how it translates into the ride experience.
Another thing you may have noticed in the picture above is that the flanges are enclosed, unlike the first generation (see the image below). This means that the spokes should not come apart in case one or two spokes break. They will most likely stay in place and allow you to stop safely.
Although I use 28mm Tufo Comtura 4 TR tires for testing wheels, they usually inflate to around 30-31mm depending on the rim width. On the DRIVE II, they inflate to 30.3mm. I noticed that it benefits me in better riding comfort (but very marginally), crosswind stability, and cornering. The tire-rim transition is excellent, but I can’t forget to mention that the wheels have 30.7mm external width only at the widest point. The width closer to the rim edge is around 29.4mm. So this is also worth keeping in mind. The YOELEO NxT SL2 or Farsports C5 are slightly wider.
I appreciate the overall stability, not only in crosswinds but also at higher speeds. I descended some mountains in Slovenia at speeds exceeding 70 km/h (43.5 mph), and I felt confident. They didn’t start to wobble like the Trifox WT11.
To wrap things up, I enjoyed DRIVE II wheels not only on flats or rolling terrain, but also in steep climbs (such as Kolovrat or Mangart in Slovenia) or descents. So, I believe they will become as popular as the first generation.
I am not a big fan of the glossy, raw carbon rim finish or the golden decals, so I opted for the black ones. It’s a shame Elitewheels doesn’t offer white ones because white decals go well with almost any bike color, while the golden ones in the offer don’t.
Use this Elitewheels discount code CYCLISTSHUB at elite-wheels.com on the checkout page to get 15%ย OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.
Elitewheels DRIVE II Alternatives
There are several alternatives to the Elitewheels DRIVE II. I want to highlight the Farsports C and S series and YOELEO NxT SL2. The table below displays all the wheels I tested, along with their ratings.
| Reviewed Wheelset | Average Score | Crosswind Stability | Stiffness & Responsivity | Riding Comfort | Speed maintenance | Tire Onยน | Lateralย and Radialย Trueness | Spoke Tension | Rim Centering | Price | Rim depth | Weight (Fย |ย Rย |ย Pair) | Rimย Width (Iย |ย E) | Note | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepest NOVA | 4.1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 45/55mm | 567g, 691g, 1258g | 23.4mm 29.6mm | Stiff,ย stable,ย andย responsive, but might be too stiff for rough roads. | Checkย Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 8% OFF |
| Elitewheelsย DRIVEย II | 4.2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 50mm | 602g, 720g, 1322g | 23.2mm 30.7mm | Stiff, stable, and responsive, but might be too stiff for rough roads. | Checkย Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF |
| YOELEO NxT SL2 C60 | 4.2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 60mm | 623g, 736g, 1359g | 23.3mm 31.1mm | Great balance between speed, riding comfort, and stability. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 10% OFF |
| Farsports C5 | 4.2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 50mm | 602g, 726g, 1328g | 24.2mm 30.4mm | Great balance between stiffness, riding comfort, and stability. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 30ย USD OFF |
| Up-Vine Pro+ | 4.2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 50mm | 661g, 768g, 1429g | 23.5mm 29.1mm | Great balance between stiffness, riding comfort, and stability. | Check Price |
| Lรบn HYPER 3 | 4.1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 46/54mm | 598g, 766g, 1364g | 23.2mm 28.6mm | Betterย crosswindย stability and comfort than HYPER 2023, but much higher price and no butterfly-weave finish. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF |
| Elitewheels ENT | 3.8 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 50mm | 828g, 950g, 1778g | 20.0mm 28.4mm | Heavy and soft but comfortable and good on flats and steady efforts. | Checkย Price |
| Elitewheelsย EDGE | 3.8 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 50mm | 633g, 720g, 1353g | 21.2mm 28.9mm | Comfortable, lightweight but relatively soft compared to carbon-spoked wheels. | Check Price |
| Lรบn MEGA | 4.1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 46/54mm | 616g, 782g, 1398g | 20.8mm 28.1mm | The stiffest wheels I tested. Ideal for smooth roads or racing, but they are not comfortable. | Checkย Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF |
| Lรบn HYPER SE 2023 | 4.3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 46/54mm | 654g, 803g, 1457g | 21.3mm 27.9mm | Better than HYPER 2020 in all aspects. I believe they provide better value for money than HYPER 23. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF |
| Superteam All-Carbon Ultra 2023 | 4.6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 50mm | 633g, 769g, 1402g | 21.3mm 28.7mm | Notย overlyย stiff,ย butย responsive. Stable in crosswinds and ideal for most terrains, questionable reliability. | Checkย Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 5% OFF |
| Farsports Wave | 4.2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 45/50mm | 736g, 880g, 1616g | 21.0mm 28.7mm | Affordable, easy-to-service, unique-lookingย wheels suitable for flats and steady efforts. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB50 toย getย 50ย USDย OFF |
| Trifox WT11 | 3.8 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 50mm | 769g, 874g, 1643g | 18.4mm 25.1mm | Affordable and comfortable, but not well assembled. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 8 % OFF |
| YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO 2022 | 4.1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 50mm | 705g, 830g, 1535g | 18.5mm 25.5mm | Affordable and easy-to-service wheels suitable for flats and steady efforts but with too loud hubs. | Checkย Price |
| Farsports Ventoux S | 4.0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 45mm | 637g, 755g, 1392g | 19.2mm 25.5mm | Stiff, responsive, and premium wheels suitable for most terrains. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 30ย USD OFF |
| Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm Disc | 4.0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 45mm | 562g, 718g, 1280g | 21.4mm 28.8mm | Stiff, responsive, and lightweight wheels suitable for hilly and mountainous terrain. Not too fast on flats. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF |
| Lรบnย HYPERย 50mm | 4.0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 50mm | 650g, 779g, 1429g | 19mm 26mm | Stiff, responsive, and lightweight wheels suitable for hilly and mountainous terrain. Not too stable in crosswinds. | Checkย Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF |
| YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO | 4.3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 50mm | 705g, 830g, 1535g | 18.5mm 25.5mm | Affordableย andย easy-to-serviceย wheelsย suitableย for flats and steady efforts. | Check Price |
The scale for each feature is 1-5 points, where 5 is the best. The rating can be retrospectively adjusted based on the comparison with other wheelsets (more about this scoring).
SCROLL HORIZONTALLY FOR MORE INFO.
ยนHow difficult it is to put a Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tubeless tire on and properly seat it.
If you prefer comfort over stiffness, I recommend choosing steel-spoked wheels like the YOELEO NxT SL2 or Farsports C series. They offer similar specs, but are slightly more comfortable. The Farsports S series has carbon spokes, so it is stiffer, but also less comfy on rough roads.
My Verdict
I’m happy to see how Elitewheels pushes things forward, not just in terms of their products but also merchandising and marketing. In the end, they sponsor several continental teams and also GCN. The DRIVE II series is a nice improvement over the “ahead of its time” DRIVE 1st generation.
They are stiff, stable, and roll well. They don’t seem to have any obvious flaws except that updated “reduced hook” rim design. So far, I have not experienced any issues with it. Remember these wheels use carbon spokes that are not ideal for rougher roads. But if you don’t mind them, DRIVE II wheels offer excellent value for money.
I hope you find this review helpful. If you decide to buy them, please consider using the discount code below. It’s the best way to save on wheels and support me. Thank you very much in advance!
Use this Elitewheels discount code CYCLISTSHUB at elite-wheels.com on the checkout page to get 15%ย OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.
Elitewheels DRIVE II FAQ
Browse More Chinese Carbon Wheels Reviews
Elitewheels DRIVE II D50 Review
Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm Review
Elitewheels EDGE 50mm Review
Elitewheels ENT 50mm Review
Farsports Ventoux-S 45mm Review
Farsports Wave 45/50mm Review
Farsports C5 Review
The product for this review was kindly provided by the manufacturer. This did not influence my overall verdict or my opinion about the product. You can learn more about how I approach reviews here.
Great article, love your straight to the point approach and practical nature of your reviews. I really wanted to know about the Drive IIs and how they differ from original Drives so great to hear they’re not so different.
Cool! I’m glad you like it, Song.
โ Petr