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Elitewheels EDGE are among the best-selling carbon wheels on Aliexpress. During Black Friday sales, I bought them for an incredible price of around $470. However, I made a mistake when choosing shipping, which resulted in high import fees. But more about this later.
I also bought and tested the cheaper Elitewheels ENT to learn how they perform. Apart from these cheap carbon wheels, I have also reviewed Elitewheels DRIVE (Elitewheels’ flagship wheelset) and have experience with many popular Chinese road bike wheels.
So, how did the EDGE hold up and compare to them? In this review, you will find out!
KEY TAKEAWAY
What impressed me most about these wheels was the low weight and price. Compared to 2× more expensive wheels, they are definitely not 2× worse. I perceive the difference, especially in the lower stiffness and keeping the momentum when riding on the flat, than the more expensive wheels. Stability in crosswinds is good, as is ride comfort. In in-house testing, I found below-average lateral and radial trueness. Spoke tension and dishing were fine.
I recommend Elitewheels Edge for beginners and those who live in hilly or mountainous areas. That’s where the lightweight will come in handy. You can order the wheels here or read on for more info.
My EDGE wheels scoring at a glance:
Crosswind Stability 4/5 | Stiffness 3/5 | Riding Comfort 4/5 | Speed Maintenance 3/5 | Tire On 3/5 | Trueness 3/5 | Spoke Tension 5/5 | Dishing 4/5 | Price 5/5 | OVERALL 3.8/5
More about this road wheels scoring.
Elitewheels EDGE Main Features
Here is a quick summary of the features and specs of the Elitewheels EDGE 50mm wheels.
Main Features
- Clincher (tubeless-ready)
- Tubeless rim tape included but not pre-applied
- Good crosswind stability
- Tubeless valves are not included
- Spare spokes are not included
- Relatively soft
- Don’t maintain speed too well
Technical Specification
- Brake Type: Disc (rim brake option available)
- Weight (without rim tape and valves)
- Front Wheel: 633g
- Rear Wheel: 720g
- Measured weight: 1353g
- Claimed weight: 1347g (±3%)
- Measured rim width:
- Internal: 21.2mm
- External: 28.9mm
- Rim depth: 50mm
- Spokes: Pillar Wing 20
- Hubs: Elitewheels (steel bearings)
- Rider’s weight limit: 125kg (275lb)
Elitewheels EDGE are one of the cheapest but also the lightest wheels you can buy on Aliexpress. They don’t even list them on their official website to avoid hurting their brand image. They are available in:
- in rim or disc brake option
- in multiple rim depths ranging from 40 to 65mm
Shipping and Import Fees from China Explained
First, let me clarify one thing: import fees. I ordered from Aliexpress many times, but mostly cheap products within $50. Naturally, these wheels are more expensive and exceed the threshold for customs. I had two options:
- Order free shipping and take my chances to see if the package will pass through Czech customs without having to pay import fees as with cheaper items.
- Pay $70 extra for DPD shipping with customs clearance included to avoid potentially paying much more in the customs clearance process.
Guess which option I chose. Well, I wanted to play it safe initially, but then I had a brain switch off and didn’t pay the pre-paid shipping. I could have a worry-free customs process, but now I was afraid customs officers would apply anti-dumping customs, which would double the price.
In the end, I paid an extra $155* for import fees. This is more than double the price of prepaid shipping. Well, this was an expensive mistake. In total, however, the wheels only cost me $625.
*Customs $24.5 + TAX $117.5 + Customs declaration services clearance $13.
Anyway, Elitewheels will contact you directly on Aliexpress and ask you which option you want to choose before shipping your order. Even during Black Friday, they replied within a day.
I placed my order on 25/11/2023, and the package was shipped on 19/12/2023. Remember, this was during the Black Friday shopping frenzy when Elitewheels had crazy huge deals.
Due to the package being held at customs and a delay in customs clearance, it arrived on 12/02/2023. I could probably have received it much sooner if I had prepaid the DPD shipping. At least now you won’t have to repeat my mistake.
First Impressions and Unboxing
The unboxing was standard. The wheels were well-packaged and undamaged. The package didn’t include spare spokes or tubeless valves. Tubeless rim tape was included but not pre-applied, which is a shame. But I understand they have to save costs somewhere.
However, I heard something rattling in the front wheel. I figured a piece of plastic wrap had somehow gotten into it. I hunted for it with tweezers for about 5 minutes before I managed to pull it out.
Surprisingly, the Elitewheels EDGE are almost indistinguishable from the Elitewheels ENT. I only noticed the different weights and slightly different rim profiles when holding them.
In-House Tests
I had no idea what results to expect during my in-house testing. I conducted the following tests before I started using the wheels:
Lateral and Radial Trueness
Before I started riding, I put both wheels on a truing stand and double-checked their lateral and radial trueness. Neither wheel was centered very well compared to the other wheels I tested. There was a clear deviation in the front and rear. On later examination of the spoke tension, I found it was fairly consistent (more about this below). So, I guess that the rims are not made to high tolerances. Otherwise, with consistent spoke tension, there should also be near-perfect centering.
Spoke Tension
After measuring all spokes, I found out that the front wheel had much worse spoke tension consistency than the rear wheel. Several spokes were outside the 5% spoke tension limit. This is still not such a big deal. I just want to demonstrate the level of craftsmanship of these affordable carbon wheels. See the following charts for reference.
Rim Centering (Dishing)
The dishing (measuring how well-centered the hub is) ended well. Only the front wheel showed a gap of about 0.5mm between the tool and the end cap. The rear hub was perfectly centered.
A Look Inside
After looking inside the rims, I found that the internal structure of the carbon is smoother than, for example, cheaper ENT wheels. While this is not the smoothest possible finish, as I found occasional wrinkles, it is a solid result in this price range.
The Difficulty of Putting the Tire On
Despite their low price, EDGE wheels are tubeless-ready. So, as always, I tried to put my Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tires on once I applied the rim tape.
I couldn’t get the tires on without using tire levers, even though they were already a few hundred miles old. Older (stretched) tires are always easier to put on. However, seating with the help of a compressor was not a problem. If you have the option, I recommend getting a compressor. It will save you a lot of time. However, despite the tighter fit of the tires, I could not seat it using the floor pump.
The table below shows the individual criteria of all wheels I tested and my rating.
| Reviewed Wheelset | Buy | Average Score | Crosswind Stability | Stiffness & Responsivity | Riding Comfort | Speed maintenance | Tire On¹ | Lateral and Radial Trueness | Spoke Tension | Rim Centering | Price | Rim depth | Weight (F | R | Pair) | Rim Width (I | E) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO | Check Price Check Price (yoeleoeurope.com) | 4.3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 50mm | 705g, 830g, 1535g | 18.5mm 25.5mm | Affordable and easy-to-service wheels suitable for flats and steady efforts. |
| Lún HYPER 50mm | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF | 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. |
| Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm Disc | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF | 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. |
| Farsports Ventoux S | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB150 to get 150Â USD OFF | 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. |
| YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO 2022 | Check Price Check Price (yoeleoeurope.com) | 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. |
| Trifox WT11 | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 8 % OFF | 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. |
| Farsports Wave | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB50 to get 50 USD OFF | 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-looking wheels suitable for flats and steady efforts. |
| Superteam All-Carbon Ultra 2023 | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 5% OFF | 4.6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 50mm | 633g, 769g, 1402g | 21.3mm 28.7mm | Not overly stiff, but responsive. Stable in crosswinds and ideal for most terrains, questionable reliability. |
| Lún HYPER SE 2023 | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF | 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. |
| Lún MEGA | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF | 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. |
| Elitewheels EDGE | Check Price | 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. |
| Elitewheels ENT | Check Price | 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. |
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.
¹How difficult it is to put a Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tubeless tire on and properly seat it.
Riding Experience
Below, I share my ride experience and a few thoughts on their practicality and maintenance.
The more wheels I test, the smaller the differences between them I notice. I rode the Elitewheels EDGE for about 1000 km during the winter. Based on the specifications, I expected a comfortable ride and high responsivity.
While I found these wheels similarly comfortable to most steel-spoked-based wheels, such as the YOELEO SAT PRO 2022 or Farsports Wave, I was wrong about the responsiveness. In fact, it fell far short of the Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm, which I consider to be the most “lively” wheels I’ve tested. Riding uphill, it didn’t feel like I was riding only 1350g wheels. This is due to the weight distribution and lower overall stiffness. The spokes and rims are actually heavier than the Elitewheels DRIVE. So, the weight is distributed more on the outside of the wheel than in the center, resulting in lower responsiveness.
I don’t have too many complaints about ride comfort. I have ridden the wheels during the winter and on bumpy roads. Due to their lower stiffness, they are able to absorb more vibration than super stiff wheels such as the Lún MEGA. So, if you’re looking for comfortable training wheels, the EDGE might be worth your consideration.
During winter, we were often troubled by strong winds. However, this was the perfect opportunity to test the stability of these wheels. I consider it good; it is basically comparable to more expensive wheels. EDGE wheels behave predictably. However, due to the 50mm depth, I recommend paying extra attention to strong wind gusts, which can throw you off balance.
Let’s talk about the feel of riding on flats and rolling terrain. Here, the EDGE wheels are a minor disappointment, as they don’t maintain speed as well as heavier wheels. Allowing for the fact that they don’t feel as lively as the lighter wheels either, I’m wondering where their main added value actually is, apart from the paper-light weight. For me, it’s probably a combination of low price and decent quality, but I’ll discuss this further in My Verdict.
Elitewheels EDGEs use Pillar Wing 20 steel spokes, which are relatively easy to find. If you break one of the spokes, replacing it shouldn’t be a problem.
The hubs are from Elitewheels and use the 36T ratchet system. The freehub sound is reasonably noisy, but I like the sound of the ENT hub better. I can’t rate the hub’s durability because of the mileage. However, after my experience with the Superteam All-Carbon Ultra, I decided to put it through a power interval on a hill (slow cadence and heavy gearing). The hub/freehub handled the load with no problems.
Elitewheels EDGE Alternatives
Elitewheels EDGE wheels have a few Chinese alternatives (price-wise). They compete with
- Elitewheels ENT, which look the same but are heavier and cheaper.
- These cheap Superteam wheels you can buy them on Amazon.
- Eventually, with cheaper wheels from ICAN like their Alpha series.
My Verdict
The Elitewheels EDGE are good wheels for beginners or those who want comfortable training wheels at a good price. The price is a big attraction, especially if you buy them at a discount, e.g., on Black Friday, as I did. They often sell for around $600, which is a discount from the price of around $1,000. However, this is just a marketing trick. Their real price is definitely not $1000. Aim for a price below $600 and use discount coupons if available.
Their weight is also impressively low. Unfortunately, however, the weight distribution doesn’t have much effect on agility and responsiveness. For example, the Elitewheels DRIVE are much more responsive.
At the same time, EDGE wheels don’t have as good momentum as heavier wheels, so they’re not as fast on flats or rolling terrain. However, they have good crosswind stability and are easy to service due to the use of conventional spokes and extended hub type.
Overall, I now understand why they are so popular on Aliexpress and can recommend them mainly to beginners, less performance-oriented riders, or those who want lightweight and comfortable wheels. On the other hand, you should avoid them if you want fast and stiff wheels for riding on flats and steady efforts.
Elitewheels Wheels FAQ
The product for this review was kindly provided by the manufacturer. This did not influence my overall verdict or my opinion about the product.
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