Farsports Wave 45/50mm Wheels Review: Stand Out from the Crowd

Farsports Wave 45/50mm wheels review: Wheels shot in the park

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A few weeks ago, Farsports introduced a new wheelset, the Farsports Wave.

They were kind enough to send me a pair for review. As always, I assured them that I wouldn’t spare them.

I had already reviewed the Farsports Ventoux S wheels, so I was excited to test their latest invention.

Even though it’s already winter, I’ve managed to ride them for about 500 1000 km. So, how did they hold up?

KEY TAKEAWAY

The results of my in-house testing and riding experience were great. Wave wheels were perfectly trued and had consistent spoke tension except for a few spokes. Ride-wise, they surprised me with their crosswind stability, good riding comfort, and decent momentum on flats and rolling terrains. The use of wide-spread DT Swiss hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes means they are easily serviceable. I can recommend them if you are looking for reliable carbon wheels.

Use this Wheelsfar (Farsports) discount code CYCLISTSHUB50 at www.wheelsfar.com during checkout to get 50 USD OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.

My Wave wheels scoring at a glance:
Crosswind Stability 5/5 | Stiffness 3/5 | Riding Comfort 4/5 | Speed Maintenance 5/5 | Tire On 5/5 | Trueness 5/5 | Spoke Tension 4/5 | Dishing 3/5 | Price 4/5 | OVERALL 4.2/5
More about this road wheels scoring.

Farsports Wave Background Info

As their name suggests, Farsports Wave are wheels with a sinusoidal wave pattern. So, in theory, you should get the aero benefits of deeper wheels while having the crosswind stability of shallower wheels.

However, as Jean-Paul Ballard from Swiss Side explains in his Google talk, the wave pattern doesn’t bring significant benefits but is good for marketing. The same applies to the golf ball-like dimples on wheels.

Anyway, Farsports offers their Wave wheels:

  • in multiple rim depths (45/50, 55/60)
  • with different hubs (DT Swiss 350 and DT Swiss 240 S)
  • in matte or satin finish
  • with Shimano or XDR freehub body

The wheels with DT Swiss 240 S hubs are about 400 USD more expensive than those with 350.

The question is:

Who are these wheels for?
The Wave wheels will catch the eye of others because the sinusoidal rim profile is still not that common. They are also relatively easy to repair thanks to the widespread parts like DT Swiss hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes.

Let’s check their features more in-depth.

Main Features

Here is a quick summary of the Farsports Wave wheels’ features and specs.

Main Features

  • ISO 4210 certified
  • Clincher (tubeless-ready)
  • Unique ‘wave’ rim profile
  • Great crosswind stability
  • Tubeless valves included
  • Spare spokes not included
  • Rim tape not included
  • 2-year warranty

Technical Specification

  • Brake Type: Disc (rim brake option is not available)
  • Weight
    1. Front Wheel: 736g
    2. Rear Wheel: 880g
    3. Measured weight: 1616g
    4. Claimed weight: 1580g (±30g), 1470g (with DT Swiss 240 hubs)
  • Measured rim width:
    • Internal: 21.0mm
    • External: 28.7mm
  • Rim depth: 45/50mm
  • Spokes: Sapim CX-Ray
  • Hubs: DT Swiss 350
  • Rider’s weight limit: 110kg (242lb)

Use this Wheelsfar (Farsports) discount code CYCLISTSHUB50 at www.wheelsfar.com during checkout to get 50 USD OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.

First Impressions and Unboxing

Farsports Wave wheels came in a box wrapped in a plastic bag.

I don’t think the bag was necessary. Let’s be more environmentally friendly next time.

What’s more important (from the brand’s perspective), they completely missed the opportunity for branding.

Their logo was not printed anywhere on the box. It didn’t include any brochures, etc. Just the wheels and tubeless valves.

I guess this is because the Wave wheels series are not as ‘premium’ as the Farsports Ventoux S, for example.

Anyway, upon unboxing, the wheels were scratch-free. It’s a shame the tubeless rim tape is not included or preinstalled.

I believe the rim tape should already be preinstalled on tubeless wheels. What do you think?

Out of curiosity, I checked the greasing of the bearings of the rear hub. It was ok. See the following pictures for more details.

In-House Tests

Lateral and Radial Trueness

I put both wheels on a truing stand and double-checked their lateral and radial trueness.

The results positively surprised me because both wheels were perfectly true (lateral and radial-wise).

The Wave wheels reached one of the best results of all the Chinese wheels I have tested so far.

For a better idea, the biggest “bump” was caused by the Farsports sticker near the valve hole.

Spoke Tension

In theory, spoke tension should be relatively consistent, given the radial and lateral trueness results.

However, a few front wheel spokes were out of the 5% tolerance and one out of the 15% limit.

Farsports Wave 45/50 front wheel spoke tension readings showing relatively consistent spoke tension except for a few spokes.
Farsports Wave 45/50mm front wheel spoke tension readings | Source: cyclistshub.com

The rear wheel ended up much better. Only two spokes didn’t meet the 5% tolerance. Otherwise, the spoke tension was super consistent.

Farsports Wave 45/50 rear wheel spoke tension readings showing relatively consistent spoke tension.
Farsports Wave 45/50mm rear wheel spoke tension readings | Source: cyclistshub.com

Rim Centering (Dishing)

The dishing (how well-centered the hub is) ended a little worse. Both wheels had a tiny gap (<1mm). See the following pictures for reference.

A dishing tool placed on the left side of the front wheel.
Front wheel (left side)
A dishing tool placed on the right side of the front wheel.
Front wheel (right side)

And here is the rear wheel.

A dishing tool placed on the left side of the rear wheel.
Rear wheel (left side)
A dishing tool placed on the right side of the rear wheel.
Rear wheel (right side)

A Look Inside

Compared to the other carbon wheels I’ve reviewed, the internal rim structure of the Wave wheels looked good.

Only in one spot (middle picture) did I notice a change in the texture of the outside of the rim. Unfortunately, I can’t explain what caused it. However, this is a cosmetic detail that does not affect the ride.

The Difficulty of Putting the Tire On

Wave wheels are tubeless-ready, so as always, I tried to put my Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tires on.

Putting them on was so easy that I didn’t need tire levers. This could be influenced by the fact that I already used the tires for a few hundred miles (kilometers).

But, seating them was also easy with an air compressor. I didn’t try seating them with a floor pump, though.

Anyway, I wish all tubeless wheels would be so easy to seat. Or maybe I just get more experienced? Who knows. Haha.

The table below shows the individual criteria of all wheels I tested and my rating.

Reviewed WheelsetBuyAverage
Score
Crosswind StabilityStiffness & ResponsivityRiding ComfortSpeed maintenanceTire On¹Lateral and
Radial Trueness
Spoke TensionRim CenteringPriceRim depthWeight
(F | R | Pair)
Rim Width
(I | E)
Note
YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PROCheck Price
Check Price (yoeleoeurope.com)
4.343454555450mm705g, 830g, 1535g18.5mm
25.5mm
Affordable and easy-to-service wheels suitable for flats and steady efforts.
Lún HYPER 50mmCheck Price
Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF
4.035355444350mm650g, 779g, 1429g19mm
26mm
Stiff, responsive, and lightweight wheels suitable for hilly and mountainous terrain. Not too stable in crosswinds.
Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm DiscCheck Price
Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF
4.055343445345mm562g, 718g, 1280g21.4mm
28.8mm
Stiff, responsive, and lightweight wheels suitable for hilly and mountainous terrain. Not too fast on flats.
Farsports Ventoux SCheck Price
Use code CYCLISTSHUB150 to get 150 USD OFF
4.055453444245mm637g, 755g, 1392g19.2mm
25.5mm
Stiff, responsive, and premium wheels suitable for most terrains.
YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO 2022Check Price
Check Price (yoeleoeurope.com)
4.143444545450mm705g, 830g, 1535g18.5mm
25.5mm
Affordable and easy-to-service wheels suitable for flats and steady efforts but with too loud hubs.
Trifox WT11Check Price
Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 8 % OFF
3.842545433450mm769g, 874g, 1643g18.4mm
25.1mm
Affordable and comfortable, but not well assembled.
Farsports WaveCheck Price
Use code CYCLISTSHUB50 to get 50 USD OFF
4.253455543445/50mm736g, 880g, 1616g21.0mm
28.7mm
Affordable, easy-to-service, unique-looking wheels suitable for flats and steady efforts.
Superteam All-Carbon Ultra 2023Check Price
Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 5% OFF
4.644555555350mm633g, 769g, 1402g21.3mm
28.7mm
Not overly stiff, but responsive. Stable in crosswinds and ideal for most terrains, questionable reliability.
Lún HYPER SE 2023Check Price
Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF
4.345355554346/54mm654g, 803g, 1457g21.3mm
27.9mm
Better than HYPER 2020 in all aspects. I believe they provide better value for money than HYPER 23.
Lún MEGACheck Price
Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF
4.155255554146/54mm616g, 782g, 1398g20.8mm
28.1mm
The stiffest wheels I tested. Ideal for smooth roads or racing, but they are not comfortable.
My scoring of the Chinese carbon road bike wheels with a note and other technical details.
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.

Use this Wheelsfar (Farsports) discount code CYCLISTSHUB50 at www.wheelsfar.com during checkout to get 50 USD OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.

Riding Experience

I couldn’t wait to try these wheels outside. Although it was winter, I rode them for about 500 km in harsh cold weather.

My first impressions were great. I particularly noticed that the stability of the wheels in crosswinds is pretty good and predictable. Although not as good as shallow wheels, they are definitely one of the best 50mm wheels I have tested. I did not observe any wobbling at high speeds (60km/h+), which gave me confidence when descending.

Due to their higher weight and lower stiffness, they are less responsive than lightweight wheels with carbon spokes. Therefore, they are more suitable for steady efforts rather than quick accelerations or climbing.

On the other hand, they feel more comfortable on rough roads. It’s important to note that I always use the same tires and tire pressure when testing wheels. The wheels simply absorb more vibrations, resulting in a more comfortable ride.

Other aspects worth highlighting are DT Swiss hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes. These parts are widely available, so you can easily service the wheels almost anywhere in the world (unlike proprietary carbon spokes/hubs).

Thanks to their rim width and shape, they also have a relatively smooth tire-rim transition, resulting in better aerodynamics. Unfortunately, I do not have the resources to conduct scientific testing.

Detailed picture of the tire-rim transition of the Tufo Comtura 4TR tires and the Farsports Wave 45/50mm wheels.
Tire-rim transition (Tufo Comtura 4TR tires)

I like how they maintain speed. Once I spin them to about 40km/h (24.9mph), they keep the momentum pretty well.

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by their riding characteristics. They are a good choice for flat or rolling terrain. But if you are a climber, look elsewhere.

Use this Wheelsfar (Farsports) discount code CYCLISTSHUB50 at www.wheelsfar.com during checkout to get 50 USD OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.

Farsports Wave Alternatives

Farsports Wave (with DT Swiss 350) have multiple alternatives:

  • YOELEO SAT PRO 2022 are a little more expensive but have a unique rim finish and are lighter. I reviewed them here.
  • Elitewheels BWT have optionable hubs from DT Swiss and Sapim CX-Ray spokes (use the code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF). 
  • Farsports Kaze are almost fully customizable. The price differs based on the components (use the code CYCLISTSHUB50 to get 50 USD OFF).
  • ICAN AERO are well-built and, according to Hambini, belong among the fastest carbon wheels at this price range.

My Verdict

I tried hard to find any significant negatives about these wheels, but the only issue I found was their higher weight and lower stiffness, which resulted in worse responsiveness.

However, most other features, such as crosswind stability, riding comfort, serviceability, and ability to maintain speed, are above average – especially in this price range.

When we consider the unique rim wave-like pattern, which helps you stand out from the crowd, these wheels certainly deserve your attention.

They are ideal for flat or rolling terrain and for those looking for easily serviceable wheels they can rely on.

Use this Wheelsfar (Farsports) discount code CYCLISTSHUB50 at www.wheelsfar.com during checkout to get 50 USD OFF your purchase. Share this code via email.

Farsports 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.

2 thoughts on “Farsports Wave 45/50mm Wheels Review: Stand Out from the Crowd”

  1. Profile picture of Petr Minarik - the founder of cyclistshub.com

    Hi Petr, on the Farsports site, the outer width of your tested wheels are “31mm”. And the wheels are also tubeless compatible since they do not appear to have any holes on the inner channel. Are your tested wheels the same as those on their website?

    1. Profile picture of Petr Minarik - the founder of cyclistshub.com

      Hi Lukie,
      yes, they should be the same. The 31mm width is the width in the widest point. And yes, they are tubeless compatible. 🙂
      Let me know if you have any questions.
      – Petr

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