YOELEO vs. Farsports: Which Wheels Are Better?

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This article summarizes my experience and compares YOELEO vs. Farsports. These two of the most well-known Chinese carbon bike manufacturers have rich experience and good products.

But is one brand better than the other? And which of their products are the most popular? Below, you will find out! I have experience with products from both these brands.

About YOELEO

YOELEO was established in 2011, but its story began in 2007 when it started manufacturing carbon fiber products for other brands. Over the years, it gained rich experience that it transformed into improving its products. YOELEO’s portfolio includes frames, UCI-approved wheels, and accessories for road, mountain, gravel, track, and other types of bicycles.

About Farsports

Farsports was founded in 2008. However, it flew under the radar of international customers for the first years of its existence. They focus mainly on developing and manufacturing road, gravel, MTB, track, and other carbon wheels from all price ranges. Farsports also designs its hubs. Their wheels meet (and exceed) ISO 4210 standards and are UCI-approved.

YOELEO vs. Farsports Compared

Let’s look closer at the basic differences between YOELEO and Farsports.

YOELEO’s product offer is much wider. In addition to wheels, they also produce carbon frames and accessories for road, gravel, and other bike types. Farsports focuses on wheels only.

Farsports, on the other hand, offers wheelsets in various price ranges. They also develop their hubs and use technologies (like this unique braking surface for better stopping power) that improve the final product.

Both companies offer UCI-approved products and products that meet high-quality standards. However, remember that not all Farsports wheels are officially UCI-approved (check out this list for more info).

YOELEO has a slight advantage over Farsports thanks to its European warehouse. The import fees and taxes are already included in the price, so you don’t have to deal with customs yourself.

Unfortunately, Farsports has no European warehouse. This means you have to pay import fees separately. To learn more, read my article explaining import fees for cycling products from China.

The last thing I want to mention is the hubs. YOELEO uses DT Swiss hubs and DT Swiss-inspired hubs that are most likely manufactured by another manufacturer but with the YOELEO logo. Farsports designs its own hubs for its high-end wheels but also allows you to configure wheels with 3rd party hubs from likes such as DT Swiss.

The table below shows a comparison of YOELEO and Farsports.

Both companies offer wheels in similar price ranges.

YOELEO road bike wheels start at around $800, and Farsports start at around $650 (Classic), $750 (Kaze), $1150 (Feder), and $1100 (C Series).

Customer Support Test

I tested the customer support of both brands. I sent the following email at 8:06 AM GMT+2 and waited for the answer.

Hello YOELEO / Farsports
I am looking for a road bike wheelset that combines the best price-value ratio. Which one of your wheelsets would you recommend?
What is your current approximate order processing time for wheels?
What is the approximate delivery time to Europe?
Thank you.
– Petr

My first question was pretty tricky. I expected the agents to ask me what type of rider I am and how and where I ride to provide a relevant recommendation.

Please keep in mind that these periods may vary and are not guaranteed.

YOELEO Customer Support Summary

The YOELEO’s agent asked me a few follow-up questions and then recommended me these wheels based on my answers. The rim depth is ok (for flat and hilly terrain), but I don’t understand why he recommended CX wheels instead of standard road bike wheels.

Because I know the YOELEO wheels, I also expected a comment on the difference between STD, SL, and PRO wheels*. Unfortunately, the agent did not comment on this.

*YOELEO already simplified their lineup, so this categorization is no longer relevant.

He also forgot to answer my other two questions, so I had to ask him about them specifically. Then I got the answer.

On the other hand, I was offered a discount if I ordered the wheelset soon (the blacked-out part in the email).

Farsports Customer Support Summary

The Farsports agent immediately recommended one of their most popular wheelsets to me based on sales data. The 45 mm rim depth is okay because it is pretty versatile and suitable for flats or hilly terrain, which I ride the most often.

Farsports wheels offer is pretty broad, so I would appreciate a comment about the differences between their Kaze, Feder, Classic, or Ventoux series. They also offer multiple hub options and other configurations, but these were not discussed either (probably due to the complexity of this topic).

The agent answered the other two questions in the first email and also provided me with a pre-quote. In addition, she asked me for the exact address to provide me with the exact price after adding shipping and import fees.

Once I answered her follow-up questions, I got the exact quote within a few hours.

Customer Support Wrap-Up

I am fully aware of the limitations of this test. For example, the customer support agents could be new, tired, or busy. So, I don’t make any definitive conclusions. Customers shouldn’t be affected, though.

Both customer supports were pretty fast. I got answers from both companies within a day. There is room for improvement, though, especially in the preciseness of the answers.

The best-case scenario would be an email with several follow-up questions and then an in-depth explanation of why these wheels are good for my use case (a comparison with its alternatives) and a price quote.

Popular YOELEO Products and My Experience

Below are the most popular YOELEO products. They include carbon road bike wheelsets and carbon road bike frames. I tested YOELEO SAT PRO and SAT PRO 2022 wheels, as well as R12 and G21 frames.

1. YOELEO NxT SL2

Surprisingly capable yet affordable wheels…

My SAT PRO 2022 wheels scoring at a glance:
Crosswind Stability 4/5 | Stiffness 3/5 | Riding Comfort 4/5 | Speed Maintenance 4/5 | Tire On 4/5 | Trueness 5/5 | Spoke Tension 4/5 | Dishing 5/5 | Price 4/5 | OVERALL 4.1/5
More about this road wheels scoring.

YOELEO produces UCI-approved, quality, easily serviceable, and reasonably priced wheels that you can use in official UCI events. I tested the C50|50 PRO wheels with DT Swiss 350 hubs and the PRO 2022 with YOELEO 230 S hubs. My experience with these wheelsets was that they were almost perfectly true and well-made.

Then, YOELEO introduced NxT and NxT SL2. They lowered the weight and increased the rim width. I’m awaiting the delivery of the NxT SL2 50mm, so the above rating is for the PRO 2022 wheels. However, I expect the NxT SL2 will surpass it. Thanks to an average 200g lower weight, they will feel more lively and accelerate faster.

Unlike many other Chinese manufacturers, YOELEO kept the steel Black Pillar WING 20 Aero spokes. I guess this is because of better serviceability, lower costs, and better riding comfort.

If you are interested, you can watch my review of the previous generation wheels below.

I hope the current YOELEO hubs won’t be as loud as the previous generation. They had the most annoying hub sound I’ve ever heard. Stay tuned; I will update this text once I try these wheels.

You might also be interested in this selection of the best Chinese carbon wheelsets.

2. YOELEO R12 All-Rounder Road Bike Frameset

The YOELEO R12 frameset is a versatile all-rounder that’s popular mainly because of its ride comfort. I’ve been riding it for around two years, and while I agree it has comfortable, relaxed geometry, it also has a pretty stiff rear end. So, if you combine it with super stiff wheels, the ride comfort suffers a bit.

The frameset can accommodate tires up to 32mm wide, making it suitable for roads ranging from smooth tarmac to light gravel. I’ve tried knobby tires for rides in the forest, and it’s fun. But of course, a dedicated gravel bike like the YOELEO G21 is much more suitable for it.

What I liked about the R12 was its durability. It handled everything I threw at it, so I wasn’t worried about it falling apart under my hands. I felt like I was in a tank like I could ride it through anything. You can read more in my YOELEO R12 review or watch the following video.

I got my frame with a manufacturing defect (the rear wheel was slightly misaligned). The Czech distributor YOELEO assured me that they do not refer to manufacturing defects in the new generation. I have personally inspected several of the new R12s, and they look on point.

Based on today’s standard, the R12 is outdated and deserves a redesign. However, it’s still a well-made frame that will serve you well. Another benefit is that you can specify the handlebar width and stem length to ensure the best possible fit, which is not always an option with mainstream brands. Additionally, the cockpit is included in the price.

Also available at yoeleoeurope.com

3. YOELEO R11 Lightweight Frameset

The YOELEO R11 is a lightweight frameset that includes a frame, fork (390g), handlebar, and seat post (204g). It is available with rim or disc brakes as an option.

When placing your order, you can opt for the handlebar width and stem that suit you best.

R11 frameset can also accommodate up to 30mm (32mm) wide tires, which is great if you need wider tires for light gravel and dirt roads.

The frame’s internal cable routing has improved (compared to its previous version) thanks to new EPS+Latex frame molding, which makes internal cable routing less of a hassle.

It is available in multiple colors and sizes (49cm, 52cm, 54cm, 56cm, and 59cm). Together with YOELEO NxT wheels, it will be the ultimate climbing machine.

Popular Farsports Products and My Experience

Farsports offers multiple wheelset lines for road bikes and also wheelsets for MTB, track, etc. The Ventoux, Kaze, and Classic lines are the most popular. I tested Farsports Ventoux S 45mm and Farsports C5 wheels.

1. Farsports C and S Series

Premium wheels backed up with clever engineering…

My C5 wheels scoring at a glance:
Crosswind Stability 5/5 | Stiffness 4/5 | Riding Comfort 5/5 | Speed Maintenance 4/5 | Tire On 3/5 | Trueness 5/5 | Spoke Tension 5/5 | Dishing 4/5 | Price 3/5 | OVERALL 4.2/5
More about this road wheels scoring.

Farsports has specialized in developing and manufacturing carbon wheels since 2004. In 2022, I bought and reviewed their Ventoux S wheels, which I still have as my backup wheels. But in 2024, I also tried the updated C Series 2025 wheels. I simply had to include them because of their price-value ratio.

The difference between the C and S series is that the C series has steel spokes, and the S series has carbon spokes. Another important thing you have to know is that Farsports slashed the prices and weights and increased rim width. For more details, I recommend checking out this comparison of Farsports wheels.

The C5 wheels are comfortable, surprisingly stable in crosswinds, and also pretty stiff. They feel almost as stiff as carbon-spoked wheels while maintaining great comfort on rougher roads. There is a difference in stiffness, but it is so marginal that I probably wouldn’t notice it in a blind test. I honestly don’t know how they achieved that.

On the other hand, it seems to me that they don’t maintain their momentum as well as heavier wheels, especially on flats or in rolling terrain. However, considering their affordability and high-end specifications, I think these will become pretty popular. And, if you don’t want to sacrifice stiffness, you can opt for the carbon-spoked version. I don’t recommend upgrading to CeramicSpeed bearings, though, as their benefits are questionable, and their price is high. You can learn more information in my Farsports C5 review.

2. Farsports Wave

Stand out from the crowd with the wave-like rim shape – for under 1000 USD…

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.

I had no idea what to expect from Farsports Wave wheels. I wondered if I could notice any riding specifics due to the wave-like rim pattern.

Theoretically, they should be as fast as 50mm wheels but more stable. To be honest, I didn’t notice any riding specifics. But, they pleasantly surprised me when I reviewed them.

These wheels are stable in crosswinds, hold their momentum well, and are comfortable. They don’t excel in any of these categories but score high in all of them.

They have Sapim CX-Ray spokes and DT Swiss 350 (or DT Swiss 240s) hubs that are widely available, so Wave wheels are the sure bet. They are easy to service worldwide.

I enjoyed riding them on flats and in rolling terrain. However, I would avoid them for serious climbing due to their higher weight and lower responsiveness than carbon-spoked wheels like Elitewheels DRIVE.

It’s also a shame they don’t come with pre-applied tubeless rim tape. I believe tubeless wheels should have the tape installed to save you time and money.

The last feature I want to highlight is the external rim width of 31mm. It ensures a relatively smooth transition between the 28mm tires, contributing to better aerodynamics.

Don’t miss this selection of the Best Chinese Road Bike Frames.

3. Farsports Asymmetric 29″ MTB Wheels

Technical Specifications

Farsports’ Ultralight MTB wheels series includes Asymmetric 29er wheels—their asymmetry results in better durability and stiffness.

These wheels meet the ISO 4210 standard, and according to Farsports, their internal impact tests are even stricter, so you can be sure they are highly durable.

You can choose the rim finish (UD matte or satin finish), hub spec depending on your axle, hub (Shimano, XD, or XTR), and also nipples (black alloy, black brass, red alloy).

The rim depth and width vary depending on the specific option that you can choose as well.

Farsports Ultralight Asymmetric wheels are covered by a 2-year warranty.

My Verdict

If I were choosing new carbon wheels, I would lean more towards Farsports. Their range is much wider (from cheap to premium), allowing me to choose exactly the type of wheelset I want. However, I have to give YOELEO credit for their NxT SL2 wheel series, which is very competitive.

The choice of a frame here is clear, as Farsports doesn’t make them. I have experience with the YOELEO R12, which provides good value for money but is not perfect (read more in my review). Luckily for YOELEO, my experience with the G21 gravel frame was more positive.

It’s clear that both these brands are among the Chinese cycling brands and care about their reputation. I’m looking forward to seeing how they develop their products in the future.

Do you have experience with either of these? Share your experiences in the comments below. If you decide to shop with either of them, please consider using the discount codes below. It’s the best way to support this website.

YOELEO vs. Farsports FAQ