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Elitewheels ENT are among the best-selling carbon wheels on Aliexpress. I couldn’t resist ordering a pair for review during the Black Friday sales to find out what was behind their success.
I have tested Elitewheels DRIVE, their flagship wheelset, and have experience with many Chinese carbon wheels. So, how did the ENT hold up on Belgian cobbles during my Tour of Flanders recon? And how do they compare to other wheelsets? In this review, you will find out!
KEY TAKEAWAY
Elitewheels ENT are the cheapest carbon wheels I tested, but they are definitely not the worst ones. Thanks to their momentum, I find them fast on flats. They are also reasonably comfortable and stable in crosswinds. On the other hand, they are pretty soft and not too responsive. I feel their weight when climbing hills above 5%.
I recommend them to those who prefer doing steady efforts and live in a flat or hilly area. You can order them here or continue reading for more info.
My ENT wheels scoring at a glance:
Crosswind Stability 4/5 | Stiffness 2/5 | Riding Comfort 4/5 | Speed Maintenance 4/5 | Tire On 3/5 | Trueness 4/5 | Spoke Tension 4/5 | Dishing 4/5 | Price 5/5 | OVERALL 3.8/5
More about this road wheels scoring.
Elitewheels ENT Main Features
Here is a quick summary of the features and specs of the Elitewheels ENT 50mm wheels.
Main Features
- Clincher (tubeless-ready)
- Relatively soft
- Can maintain speed well
- Good crosswind stability
- Heavy and not too responsive
- Tubeless rim tape included but not pre-applied
- Tubeless valves are not included
- Spare spokes are not included
Technical Specification
- Brake Type: Disc (rim brake option available)
- Weight (without rim tape and valves)
- Front Wheel: 828g
- Rear Wheel: 950g
- Measured weight: 1778g
- Claimed weight: 1681g (±3%)
- Measured rim width:
- Internal: 20.0mm
- External: 28.4mm
- Rim depth: 50mm
- Spokes: Pillar 1423
- Hubs: Elitewheels (steel bearings)
- Rider’s weight limit: 125kg (275lb)
Elitewheels ENT 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. 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 $105* for import fees. This is a bit more than the price of the prepaid shipping. In total, however, the wheels only cost me $382.12 (287.12+105).
*Customs $16 + TAX $78 + Customs declaration services clearance $11.
Elitewheels will contact you directly through Aliexpress and ask you which shipping 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 5/12/2023. 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 28/01/2023. 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 basically the same as with all other wheels. You don’t have to be afraid the wheels will arrive damaged. The package didn’t include spare spokes or tubeless valves, but at this price point, I didn’t expect it. The tubeless rim tape was included, which was a pleasant surprise. However, I had to install it myself.
The Elitewheels ENT are almost indistinguishable from the Elitewheels ENT. I only noticed the different weights and slightly different rim profiles when holding them. The rim finish and decals are the same.
In-House Tests
I conducted the following tests before I started using the wheels:
Lateral and Radial Trueness
I put both wheels on a truing stand and double-checked their lateral and radial trueness. The wheels were trued pretty well, as I didn’t observe any major deviations. The results were comparable with some of the more expensive carbon wheels.
Spoke Tension
The spoke tension also pleasantly surprised me, as it was relatively consistent, and only a few spokes were outside the 5% of the average. That’s a strict limit. See the following charts for reference.
Rim Centering (Dishing)
The dishing (measuring how well-centered the hub is) also ended well. Only the rear wheel showed a gap of about 0.2mm between the tool and the end cap. The front wheel was perfectly centered. But that’s just me being picky.
A Look Inside
Looking inside, I discovered more wrinkles and epoxy residue than usual. The carbon’s texture was not completely smooth, and honestly, at this price point, I didn’t expect it to be.
The Difficulty of Putting the Tire On
Despite their low price, ENT 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 put on slightly used tires without tire levers. This wasn’t a problem with most of the higher-end Chinese wheels I tested. Seating them with an air compressor was not a problem, though.
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
I started riding ENT wheels right after I finished testing Elitewheels EDGE wheels. I rode them mostly in my area, but I also took them with me to Belgium, where I conquered the most famous cobblestone climbs, such as the Koppenberg, Paterberg, Oude Kwaremont, and many more.
I can tell you that riding the steep climbs in Belgium with ENT wheels was tough. These wheels are heavy (1778g). I am used to riding wheels of the same depth that are 300-400g lighter. That’s a huge difference. They are relatively soft because they use steel spokes. This results in better riding comfort on rougher roads but lower responsivity. Especially in the steep climbs, I felt like the power I put into the pedals was not transferring into the forward movement. The wheels felt sluggish.
It was super windy on my way to Gent, so I could experience how they ride with tail, cross, and headwinds. With a tailwind, they were flying. Their weight and inertia resulted in a good momentum. In crosswinds, they remained pretty stable and felt predictable. And with the headwind, it was more about my tired legs than the wheels.
Stiffness and comfort-wise, I would compare them to Trifox WT11. But those are narrower, not tubeless-ready, and more expensive. The even more expensive Farsports Wave and YOELEO SAT PRO 2022 provide slightly better riding characteristics in all aspects. The same applies to most higher-end wheels, such as Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm (1280g). The difference between ENT and DRIVE is huge, especially in terms of responsivity.
Elitewheels ENTs use Pillar 1423 steel spokes, so finding a replacement should not be a problem if you break them.
The hubs are from Elitewheels and use the 6-pawl hub system, which has a pleasant noise. It also survived my high torque power intervals in the steep climbs.
Elitewheels ENT Alternatives
Elitewheels ENT wheels have a few Chinese alternatives (price-wise). They compete with:
- Elitewheels EDGE, which look the same but are lighter and more expensive.
- These cheap Superteam wheels you can buy them on Amazon.
- Eventually, with cheaper wheels from ICAN like their Alpha series.
My Verdict
After riding these wheels for over 1500 km on various terrains, including Belgian cobblestone climbs like Koppenberg, Paterberg, or Oude Kwaremont, flats, descents, etc., I can say that:
The Elitewheels ENT great wheels are suitable for beginners or those on a tight budget who want to transition from aluminum to carbon wheels. I bought them for $287.12 during Black Friday sales. Even though the total price, including import fees, jumped to $382.12, I think it’s a good deal, and the wheels offer fantastic value.
Their greatest strengths are flat riding and steady efforts, as their weight makes them great at keeping momentum. Unfortunately, the weight is also the biggest drawback, as the wheels don’t feel lively and aren’t suitable for hills.
It’s no wonder why ENT bikes are so popular. Their attractive price and good handling characteristics make them a worthy upgrade from aluminum wheels. Lastly, it’s also important to mention that they are tubeless-ready.
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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