Lún HYPER vs. Elitewheels DRIVE: Which Ones Are Better?

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This is my comparison of the Lún HYPER and Elitewheels DRIVE wheels. These wheel ranges belong among the best Chinese carbon road bike wheels you can buy. So, which ones are better?

I tested HYPER 2020 50mm, HYPER SE 2023 D45, HYPER 3 D45, HYPER 5 D50, and DRIVE 45mm, and DRIVE II 50D, so if you are interested, you can read my in-depth reviews for all the details, but the main conclusion is as follows…

Continue reading for more info, or:

Technical Specifications

The following table shows the technical specifications of HYPER and DRIVE wheels.

Features Comparison and My Experience

To make the comparison as comparable as possible, I’ve used all wheelsets with the same tires (Tufo Comtura 4 TR), the same tire pressure, and usually, with the same bike(s).

The following table summarizes the scoring of individual features. I will explain them more below.

You can also watch my video reviews. Here is the Lún HYPER SE review.

Lún HYPER 3 review:

Elitewheels DRIVE review:

Elitewheels DRIVE 2 review:

Crosswind Stability

I tested 45mm DRIVE, 50mm HYPER, D45 HYPER SE 23, D45 HYPER 3, D50 DRIVE II, and D50 HYPER 5 wheels. I honestly don’t know what difference these few millimeters in rim depth make, because I haven’t had the opportunity to test the same 45mm and 50mm-deep wheels side-by-side. However, I noticed the wider wheels feel more stable in crosswinds.

In theory, the shallower the wheels, the more stable they are, and vice versa. Another factor that could contribute to the better crosswind stability of DRIVE wheels is their external width. HYPER 2020 wheels have an external width of only 26mm, while DRIVE wheels have an external width of 29mm. The HYPER SE 23 feel more stable than HYPER 2020, maybe because of the 27.6mm external width, but they still have worse crosswind stability than DRIVE. Finally, the HYPER 3, HYPER 5, and DRIVE II feel more stable, most likely thanks to their external width of over 30mm.

Stiffness and Responsivity

The high stiffness of the wheels means you don’t feel like they flex when riding out of the saddle or sprinting. Since all these wheels have carbon spokes, they are among the stiffer wheels.

Responsivity is the ability of the wheels to start spinning quickly. It’s mainly influenced by weight, weight distribution, and stiffness.

You might have even heard that HYPER wheels are too stiff. I can confirm that. HYPER and HYPER SE 23 feel great on smooth tarmac but not so well on rougher roads. They transfer too many vibrations. Surprisingly, this doesn’t apply to HYPER 3 and HYPER 5, as they have wider internal rim widths and allow the tire to inflate into a slightly different shape. This is what I believe contributes to better riding comfort. DRIVE are stiff as well, but not as much, so they feel more comfortable, and the DRIVE II wheels behave similarly.

The first-generation DRIVE wheels have extremely low inertia, making them incredibly responsive. They are like a sports car. Once you start pedaling, they immediately react. You will love them if you like attacking or accelerating out of the saddle or during criteriums, for example. The DRIVE 2 offer a similar sensation.

Riding Comfort

Regarding ride comfort, I don’t notice big differences. I find the DRIVE slightly more comfortable than both HYPER 2020 and HYPER SE 2023. The DRIVE 2 and HYPER 5 are basically on the same level. However, the differences are marginal. In my experience, all carbon-spoked wheels are less comfortable on rough roads than steel-spoked wheels.

Speed Maintenance

I’ve tested over 20 wheelsets, and the lighter the wheels, usually, the better they accelerate, but the lower their momentum. Of course, this depends on many factors, but as always, I do my best to eliminate the variables that I can influence (bike, tires, pressures). Unless you can test the wheels side by side, I don’t think you have to worry about this.

People living in flat or hilly areas should consider HYPER (SE) or HYPER 3. They feel like they have better momentum, so they can maintain their speed better than the lightweight DRIVE, DRIVE II, or HYPER 5s. Ok, so maybe you don’t have to, because again, we are talking marginal differences here. It could be more beneficial to opt for a deeper wheelset if you are willing to sacrifice a bit of stability in crosswinds.

Putting the Tire On and Off

All these wheels have tubeless rim tape preinstalled, so you only have to put the tires on.

I remember struggling to put Tufo Comtura 4 TR tubeless tires on DRIVE wheels. I had to use tire levers. I could put the same tires on HYPERs without tire levers. When I tried seating the tires for the first time, I struggled more with the DRIVE than the HYPER wheels. But that was in the days when I had little experience with tubeless tires.

Nowadays, I can seat them easily with an air compressor. However, Lún HYPERs seem to be more beginner-friendly when seating TL tires. This doesn’t apply to HYPER 3, though. They have a wider internal rim width (23mm), so there may be more space for air leaks. I could not seat the tires with a standard floor pump, and I had to use a compressor.

Putting tires on DRIVE II was challenging, but I could easily seat them with a floor pump. Putting tires on the HYPER 5 was pretty tricky, too, but I needed a compressor to seat them. I recommend reading my in-depth reviews of specific models for more details.

Lateral and Radial Trueness

Elitewheels and Lún wheels regularly score high in my lateral and radial trueness tests. They are always almost perfectly true, with tiny deviations at one or two places. Of course, these deviations are so minor that they don’t affect the ride. It’s just me being picky!

Spoke Tension

I also always test spoke-tension consistency when I receive the wheelsets. Again, these two brands send wheels that are well built and have consistent spoke tension. Below are a few examples.

Dishing

Dishing, which shows how centered the hubs are, yielded slightly different results. While DRIVE wheels are usually perfectly centered, HYPER wheels are often slightly (<0.5mm) off-center.

Price

The difference is that Lún wheels have a 2-year warranty, while DRIVE have a 3-year warranty.

With the CYCLISTSHUB10 discount code, you can get 10% off on winspace.cc and lunwheels.cc.

With the CYCLISTSHUB discount code, you can get 15% off on elite-wheels.com.

Design

Evaluating design is highly subjective, so I don’t include it in the overall verdict. Those who read CyclistsHub.com regularly know HYPERs were my dream wheels because of their butterfly-weave rim finish. I think they are one of the most beautiful road bike wheels. The pattern is unique and turns heads. My friends gave me a lot of compliments. Unfortunately, the 3rd generation was only matte and the butterfly pattern returned with the HYPER 5.

Elitewheels took a slightly different approach. They went for a raw, glossy carbon finish. It’s original, but I don’t like it as much as HYPERs. The finish of your bike also affects how things work together.

NOTE: HYPER 23 SE and HYPER 3 have a matte finish.

Which one do you like more? Let me know in the comments below.

Serviceability

Winspace and Elitewheels use in-house-designed hubs and spokes on their wheels. Winspace no longer includes spare spokes in the packing. You have to email them and ask them to send you spare spokes for free if you break them, so you (or your local wheel builder) can replace them. Elitewheels still includes spare spokes in the packing. With bearings, it’s a little more complicated.

The front hub of the HYPER 2020 disc brake wheels uses 6803 and 6903 ceramic bearings, and the rear hub uses two 6803 and two 6903 ceramic bearings. This information was unavailable on the Winspace website, so I had to ask their support.

DRIVE disc brake wheels use two 6803 ceramic bearings in the front hub and one 6903 and three 6803 ceramic bearings in the rear hub. This information is available on the Elitewheels website.

Elitewheels sells replacement bearings, while Winspace only sells replacement freehub bodies. Eventually, you can buy bearings from manufacturers like NTN and SKF (these two are among the best).

You might also be interested in the pros and cons of ceramic and steel bearings.

The same applies to the hubs; you have to contact their customer support if something happens to them. It won’t be as easy as going to a store, buying DT Swiss 350 hubs, and rebuilding the wheel.

But it depends on the scenario. Either way, both manufacturers still lack a stronger distribution network. From my experience, ceramic bearings in HYPERs last longer than those in DRIVE wheels. I had to service those in DRIVE wheels after about 2000 km.

HYPER wheels feature a titanium ratchet, which should be more durable. Elitewheels started experimenting with conical ratchets that should provide better engagement and also last longer.

Last thing worth mentioning are the flanges. Luckily, the DRIVE II and HYPER 5 already use enclosed flanges that are safer than open flanges. The past generations had open, or partially closed flanges.

My Verdict

I hope this comparison helps you decide which brand and wheelset is better for you. The older generations were more in favor of Winspace, but this changed in 2025. At the time of updating this article (October 2025), DRIVE 2 wheels seem like they offer the best price-value ratio, especially if you use my discount code below.

I would love to hear from you. Which wheelset is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below.

Lún HYPER vs. Elitewheels DRIVE FAQ