Farsports Ventoux S Review: The BEST Chinese Carbon Wheels?

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This is my review of the Farsports Ventoux S wheels, the most expensive and high-end wheels I’ve ever tested.

If you had told me that I would buy and review wheels that cost almost twice as much as my first road bike, I would have laughed at you.

But here we are, and I’m excited to share the results of my in-house testing and riding experience.

Spoiler alert: They passed all the tests (although not without some flaws), and they ride great. In fact, these are one of the best wheels I tested.

Keep reading to learn more and claim the $150 discount I negotiated for you.

Let’s dive in!

About Farsports

Farsports has been developing and manufacturing carbon wheels since 2004, making them one of the most experienced Chinese bicycle brands.

Their Ventoux wheels line consists of four models: Ventoux C, Ventoux C EVO, Ventoux S, and Ventoux S EVO. These models differ mainly in price, weight, and parts, with the EVO wheels being the most advanced.

I chose the Farsports Ventoux S wheels with in-house designed hubs and spokes. They are among the most high-end Chinese carbon wheels available, but Farsports also offers the even more expensive (and lighter) Ventoux S EVO series.

I opted for Farsports Ventoux S wheels with in-house designed hubs and spokes (more about their specs below). They are one of the most high-end Chinese carbon wheels you can buy. However, they also offer the Ventoux S EVO series, which is even more expensive (and lighter).

Main Features & Specs

The Farsports Ventoux S wheels have several notable features, including the layout of individual carbon layers.

Farsports reinforced rim areas near spoke ends and reduced the amount of carbon where it’s not needed, resulting in a lower overall weight but the same stiffness.

Another feature is their ‘Anti-Aqua Rim Brake Surface Design’ on rim brake wheels. This design uses Brachistochrone-curve-inspired drainage channels to improve braking performance in wet conditions.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t test it because I have the disc brake version. But according to online reviews, its braking performance is great.

NOTE: As shown in the pictures above, the logo on the wheels is an ordinary sticker that can be removed or damaged. Therefore, be careful when using tire levers, for example. On the other hand, they are reflective, which improves your visibility in low-light conditions.

First Impressions and Unboxing

The wheels arrived in a compact branded box, securely packed to avoid any damage during shipping.

However, unlike the Lún HYPER wheels, the unboxing experience did not feel premium.

My biggest disappointment was seeing spare spokes, a cassette spacer, and some orange plastic pieces all thrown into a plastic bag rather than being neatly packed in a box or some other packaging that felt more substantial.

I knew the orange plastic pieces (which I later found out are called Veloplugs) were intended for filling the spoke holes, but I wasn’t sure how useful they would be with tubeless tires. I will discuss them further in the Difficulty to Put the Tire On section.

In-House Tests

Let’s now examine every area individually.

Lateral and Radial Trueness

I have high expectations when I spend almost $2000 on a product.

However, I was disappointed to find that the lateral and radial trueness of the wheels was not up to par. In fact, it was the worst of all the wheels I’ve tested, including Lún HYPER, YOELEO SAT PRO, and Elitewheels DRIVE.

I’m not sure if this was due to poor quality control in the factory or if the wheels were damaged during shipping. I guess that it’s the former.

Spoke Tension

Based on the lateral and radial trueness tests, I expected more variable spoke tensions than on other wheels. And I was right.

The front wheel showed relatively good results, with all spokes except one on the right side (spoke 10 – 5.3% variation) being within 5% of the average.

But the rear wheel didn’t end up so well. Spokes 3, 5, and 6 on the left side exceeded the 10% limit, but 4 and 7 were within the 15% limit.

For comparison, all spokes on wheels like YOELEO SAT PRO, Elitewheels DRIVE, and Lún HYPER were within 5% accuracy.

I’m not saying this will significantly affect the riding experience, but the rim deviation was relatively small (within 1mm). However, given the high cost of the wheels, I was hoping for better standards. Maybe I was just unlucky.

Rim Centering (Dishing)

Luckily for Farsports, the hub was almost perfectly centered, as shown in the following pictures.

A Look Inside

Despite my limited knowledge of carbon manufacturing and processing, I found the Ventoux wheels to be well made.

From the following photos of the inside of the rim, it is clear that the walls are smooth and there are no obvious defects.

The Difficulty of Putting the Tire On

At first, I tried to install Tufo Comtura 4TR 28mm tubeless tires on Ventoux S wheels without the Veloplugs or rim tape that came with them. However, it was challenging, and I had to use tire levers to put them on.

Later, I added the Veloplugs but quickly realized that it made things even harder. The Veloplugs increased the wheel’s overall circumference, making it almost impossible to fit the tire on.

So I decided to use tubeless rim tape instead. Unfortunately, the installation proved to be the most difficult of all the wheels I’ve tried (including Lún HYPER, Elitewheels DRIVE, and YOELEO SAT PRO).

However, once I managed to install the tubeless tires, seating them properly was surprisingly easy. I could do it without using a tire sealant or compressor; only a floor pump was necessary. I added the tire sealant later as a precaution in case of any possible punctures.

In conclusion, once you successfully install tubeless tires, seating them correctly is almost effortless, unlike with YOELEO SAT PROs.

The table below shows all wheels I tested.

Here is where I add outside (unscientific) speed tests once I finish them. The weather is still against me, so it will take longer than expected.

Riding Experience

I’ll be honest with you. I was nervous about using these wheels for the first few kilometers. They’re the most expensive ones I’ve ever used.

But I got used to them pretty quickly and was curious to see if I could tell the difference between these and less expensive wheels like the YOELEO SAT PROs 50mm.

The short answer is yes, I could. The Ventoux S are about 200g lighter, which makes them more responsive.

Thanks to their lower weight, they’re better suited for climbing, punching, and attacking. But how do they perform on rolling and flat terrain compared to similar wheels like the Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm?

Well, I mainly noticed a difference in maintaining/gaining speed on flats and the responsiveness of the two wheelsets. The Ventoux S are in another league, which isn’t surprising, given the price difference.

They accelerate quickly and don’t lose momentum like the DRIVE wheels. This makes them ideal for constant changes of pace in races like criteriums.

However, I feel like the crosswind stability is better on the Elitewheels DRIVE. I assume it’s because of the wider rim depth and different rim profiles that combine the U/V shapes, but I may be wrong.

Farsports Ventoux S Alternatives

If these wheels are too expensive for you, I recommend you browse my selection of other Chinese carbon road bike wheels that also includes more affordable wheelsets.

Farsports Ventoux S FAQ

My Verdict

After unboxing and conducting in-house tests, I was initially disappointed by the results of this expensive wheelset.

However, once I put them on my bike and tried them out, I forgot about all the shortcomings.

These wheels are incredibly responsive, making them ideal for punchers or criterium racers who need to accelerate quickly.

Their crosswind stability is better than the Lún HYPER (50mm) but slightly worse than the Elitewheels DRIVE (45mm).

The Ventoux S wheels are also excellent at gaining and maintaining momentum, so you won’t lack pace on flat terrain. Additionally, they create a cool ‘whoosh, whoosh’ sound.

To summarize, buy these wheels if you are looking for a set of racing wheels from a premium manufacturer that puts a lot of effort into research and development.

You will get a quality product covered by a crash replacement policy. If you crash, you will get a discount on your next wheelset from Farsports.

I hope you found this review of the Ventoux S wheels helpful.

If you plan to purchase them, claim the discount code below. This way, you will also support my website, allowing me to do more reviews like this in the future.