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NOTE: YOELEO SAT DB PRO wheels were discontinued online. All shopping links lead to the YOELEO road bike wheels page.
This is my YOELEO SAT C50|50 DB PRO wheels review. I bought these wheels together with my YOELEO R12 road bike.
I tested them in my modest workshop and by riding outside. Below, you will find the results of my spoke tension tests, lateral and radial trueness tests, and my riding experience.
You learn who they are for, whether they are worth your money, how they stand out against other Chinese carbon wheels, and much more.
KEY TAKEAWAY
YOELEO SAT PRO wheels passed my in-house quality control checks without issues. Ride-wise, I enjoyed them mainly on flats and rolling terrain as they keep their momentum well. They are also stable in crosswinds. On the other hand, they are not as stiff as carbon-spoked wheels, and due to their weight, they are unsuitable for steep climbs.
My SAT PRO wheels scoring at a glance:
Crosswind Stability 4/5 | Stiffness 3/5 | Riding Comfort 4/5 | Speed Maintenance 5/5 | Tire On 4/5 | Trueness 5/5 | Spoke Tension 5/5 | Dishing 5/5 | Price 4/5 | OVERALL 4.3/5
More about this road wheels scoring.
NOTE: I reviewed the older version of SAT PRO wheels with DT Swiss 350 hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes. The current wheelset (2022) has YOELEO hubs and Pillar spokes. You can read my YOELEO PRO 2022 wheels review for more info.
Main Features & Specs
I bought the YOELEO SAT C50|50 wheels with a complete Chinese road bike YOELEO R12. I could choose from three YOELEO road bike wheel lines:
- STD DB
- SL DB
- PRO DB
DB – disc brake
I decided to go for the PRO line, which is the most advanced. It comes with DT Swiss 350 (or DT Swiss 240 for an extra fee) hubs instead of cheaper Novatec hubs on STD and SL.
Here is a quick summary of the YOELEO SAT C50|50 DB PRO’s main features and specs.
Main Features
- UCI-approved & SGC certified
- Easily serviceable thanks to DT Swiss 350 hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes
- Two spare spokes included
- Great crosswind stability
- Ideal for steady efforts and TTs on flats and rolling terrain
- Tubeless valves and valve extenders are not included
- 3-year warranty
Technical Specification
- Type: Disc (also available for rim brakes), clincher (tubeless-ready)
- Measured Weight
- Front Wheel: 705g
- Rear Wheel: 830g
- Pair: 1535g
- Rim width: 18.5mm (internal), 25.5mm and 27.5mm in the widest point (external)
- Rim depth: 50mm
- Spokes: Sapim CX-Ray
- Hubs: DT Swiss 350
- Rider’s weight limit: 105kg (231lb)
Use this YOELEO discount code CYCLISTSHUB on yoeleobike.com during checkout to get 10% OFF your purchase. It’s also applicable to YOELEO Canada, Europe, and Japan. Share this code via email.
First Impressions and Unboxing
The wheel box came with a slightly damaged corner, so I was worried about whether the wheels were damaged.
However, it turned out the wheels were securely packed to prevent any damage during transport.
My first impressions of the wheels met my expectations. They are not the lightest but look nice, clean, and minimalistic. That’s what I like.
The overall unboxing experience is not very special, unlike with Lún HYPERs, for example. YOELEO box misses a few details, and carriers should handle it better.
The question is, how will they perform?
You can watch my entire unboxing video below.
In-House Tests
Before I started using these wheels, I also conducted the following tests:
Lateral and Radial Trueness
A simple trueness test showed that the wheels were almost 100% true. The deviations (<0.5mm) were hardly visible.
The same applies to the radial test. The wheels were almost perfectly round. The YOELEO SAT PROs ended better than Lún HYPER, Farsports Ventoux S, and Elitewheels DRIVE.
Spoke Tension
I measured the spoke tension of every spoke of both wheels. The results pleasantly surprised me. I put the results into the charts to make the results more visually interesting.
And here is the rear wheel chart:
As you can see, the lines form almost perfect circles. This means the spoke tension is super consistent.
All spokes were within a 5% limit, so if the average reading was 25, no spoke deviated for more than 1.25.
The difference between the left and right sides spokes tension has a simple explanation. Rear-wheel has higher spoke tension on the drive side to handle the torque from the drivetrain.
The front disc brake wheel has higher spoke tension on the left side because of the disc brake rotor.
Rim Centering (Dishing)
Thanks to the excellent results of the tests above, I didn’t expect any surprises when checking the centering of the hubs (dishing).
And here is the rear wheel:
Both wheels passed without issues. The rear hub was slightly off-center by a fraction of a millimeter. The middle part touched the end cap when I applied a little force to the dishing tool.
Difficulty to Put the Tire On
The difficulty of putting the tire on the wheels is no less important. Naturally, it also depends on the type of tires you use.
I could put the Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tubeless tires on the rims without tire levers. However, I experienced issues inflating them (unlike with Lún HYPER rims that allowed me to inflate them using a compressor even without the tire sealant).
So, I had to use tubeless rim tape, although the rims have no spoke/nipple holes. In theory, the tubeless rim tape shouldn’t be needed. After installing the tape, I could finally seat the tires using a compressor.
TIP: If you struggle to seat tubeless tires, add one or two layers of tubeless rim tape.
For a better comparison, I also tried putting the Continental Grand Sport Race 28mm tires on these rims. I can tell you it was a pain because these tires are hard.
Use this YOELEO discount code CYCLISTSHUB on yoeleobike.com during checkout to get 10% OFF your purchase. It’s also applicable to YOELEO Canada, Europe, and Japan. Share this code via email.
Riding Experience
Based on the time spent riding these wheels (about 500 km now) and comparison with other Chinese wheels like Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm, Lún HYPER 50mm, and Farsports Ventoux S 45mm, I enjoy YOELEO SAT PROs mostly on flats, descents, and rolling terrain.
Due to their higher weight, they require a bit more power to get them spinning. But once they do, I feel like the bike wants to go faster and faster.
Their crosswind stability is excellent. I would say better than the lighter wheels like Elitewheels DRIVE or Ventoux S.
However, they are not as maneuverable at high speeds (especially in technical descents) because of their higher weight and, therefore, larger inertia.
I believe the riding comfort mainly depends on the tire pressure and geometry (or bike fit, respectively). However, the wheels are not super-stiff, so they are suitable for harsher roads.
I would summarize YOELEO SAT PRO as follows:
They offer great value for the money. Moreover, they are easily serviceable thanks to widespread components like DT Swiss 350 hubs and Sapim CX-Ray spokes. You can buy these parts in many bike stores.
However, they are heavier (about 200-400g) and not as stiff as other Chinese alternatives like Lún HYPER, Farsports Ventoux-C, or Ventoux S (these are much more expensive, though).
Use this YOELEO discount code CYCLISTSHUB on yoeleobike.com during checkout to get 10% OFF your purchase. It’s also applicable to YOELEO Canada, Europe, and Japan. Share this code via email.
YOELEO SAT PRO Alternatives
There are a few YOELEO SAT PRO alternatives worth mentioning.
- Lún (Winspace) HYPER are slightly more expensive. They come with in-house designed hubs, carbon spokes, and a beautiful rim finish. Based on multiple independent reviews online, they pretty much set a new standard for Chinese carbon wheels. Use the ‘CYCLISTSHUB10‘ discount code at winspace.cc to get 10% off your purchase. You can also read my in-depth HYPER review.
- Farsports Ventoux C come with Sapim CX-Ray steel spokes and in-house designed hubs. They are not UCI-approved, but meet ISO 4210 quality standards. Use the ‘CYCLISTSHUB‘ discount code at www.farsports.com on the checkout page to get 30 USD off your purchase. You can also read my in-depth Ventoux S review.
- Elitewheels DRIVE are super-lightweight (they weigh only 1280g in the 45mm option). They have in-house designed hubs, carbon spokes, and a unique rim finish. Use the ‘cyclistshub‘ discount code at www.elite-wheels.com on the checkout page to get 15% off your purchase. You can also read my in-depth DRIVE review.
If these wheels are too expensive for you, I recommend you browse my selection of other Chinese carbon road bike wheels, which includes more affordable wheelsets.
You can also check out the wheels in the following table, which shows the individual criteria of all wheels I tested and my rating.
| Reviewed Wheelset | 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 | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO | 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. | Check Price |
| Lún HYPER 50mm | 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. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF |
| Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm Disc | 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. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF |
| Farsports Ventoux S | 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. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 30Â USD OFF |
| YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO 2022 | 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. | Check Price |
| Trifox WT11 | 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. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 8 % OFF |
| Farsports Wave | 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. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB50 to get 50 USD OFF |
| Superteam All-Carbon Ultra 2023 | 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. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 5% OFF |
| Lún HYPER SE 2023 | 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. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF |
| Lún MEGA | 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. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF |
| Elitewheels EDGE | 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. | Check Price |
| Elitewheels ENT | 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. | Check Price |
| Lún HYPER 3 | 4.1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 46/54mm | 598g, 766g, 1364g | 23.2mm 28.6mm | Better crosswind stability and comfort than HYPER 2023, but much higher price and no butterfly-weave finish. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF |
| Up-Vine Pro+ | 4.2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 50mm | 661g, 768g, 1429g | 23.5mm 29.1mm | Great balance between stiffness, riding comfort, and stability. | Check Price |
| Farsports C5 | 4.2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 50mm | 602g, 726g, 1328g | 24.2mm 30.4mm | Great balance between stiffness, riding comfort, and stability. | Check Price Use code CYCLISTSHUB to get 30Â USD OFF |
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.
My Verdict
Overall, these wheels fulfilled my expectations. Visual-wise, they are nice and clean. They don’t stand out and go along well with pretty much any bike.
They easily passed all my in-house tests – YOELEO’s wheel builder or their quality control department did a really good job.
Putting on Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tires was pretty easy. However, I also tried more durable, and puncture-proof tires, Continental Grand Sport Race 28mm, and putting them on was difficult.
Inflating the tubeless tires required adding tubeless rim tape, although the rim’s design should allow seating TL tires without it.
Ride-wise, they are not too stiff, so they are pretty comfy on rougher roads. I enjoy riding them on flats and rolling terrain because they keep their momentum well.
Due to their deeper profile and higher weight than some more expensive alternatives, they are not as responsive when climbing as shallow or lighter carbon wheels.
I don’t recommend them for criteriums or riders who often like to change their pace. But, on the other hand, they are pretty stable in crosswinds.
It’s a shame that the packing didn’t include tubeless valves and valve extenders. I think they should be included at this price point.
I hope my review was helpful to you. Please consider using my discount code and the link below to support my website if you plan to purchase these wheels.
Use this YOELEO discount code CYCLISTSHUB on yoeleobike.com during checkout to get 10% OFF your purchase. It’s also applicable to YOELEO Canada, Europe, and Japan. Share this code via email.
YOELEO Wheels FAQ
Browse More Chinese Carbon Wheels Reviews
Good review, when will you review their version with carbon spokes (YOELEO PILOT C50 DB). Its weight is inline with Elite and Winspace
Thank you, Cornel. I also reviewed the newer, the 2022 version. You can read the review here.
Unfortunately, I don’t plan to buy PILOT wheels anytime soon. But I reviewed HYPERs and DRIVE wheels too. 🙂
– Petr
very disappointed with quality.
Freehub is cheap and unreliable. (not freehubing, not catching back after free wheeling)
I broke the front rim after less than 1000km. Dont know how it happened. But rim was finished.
Got untrue very fast.
I broke the back wheel rim hitting a pothole during a race (I am a 80kg guys and ridmg 25mmm tubesless at 80-85 at the time)
Rim again destroyed.
I have many other set of wheel including a fulcrum (alu) which hit first the same pothole (front wheel at the time) – I flated but wheel still true, not a scratch, and had none of the above problems. They all have gone through potholes, cracks, bad weather, not one single issue.
Strongly advise based on my experience not to buy these wheel. On top of it, customer support was soso. I felt like I had to be sorry and appologize from breaking their rims…nah not a happy customer.
Hi Nico,
I am sorry to hear about your experience. Looks like you had bad luck with the wrong piece. How did customer support resolve the issue? And did you deal directly with the French YOELEO dealership?
– Petr