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31 October 2005

Neuvation R 28 SL Wheelset

R 28 SL Wheelset - A Road Review

When this brand new set of Neuvation R 28 SL's arrived on the BiciRace.com doorstep, I couldn't wait to get them onto my bike and take them out. The first two things that caught my attention was the incredibly high polish on the finish of the rims and hubs. A wheelset should look good as well as be functional, and the R 28 SL's definitely turned a few heads when I showed up to ride with my local chain gang. The wheels came out of the box complete with rim tape and skewers (and 6 extra spokes 2 of each length) ... They were ready to ride.

One of the coolest features of the wheelset is the straight forward design of the hub and spokes. The design requires nothing more than simple tools we all have in our garage to repair a broken spoke. And if you find yourself without the length you need, just e-mail Neuvation, and they'll send you replacements.

For a mid-range priced wheelset these are rather light, weighing in at 1470 grams per set. And when you compare that to say, a Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL wheelset weighing in at 1624 grams and upwards of $800 in price range, these are an incredibly smokin' deal!

The hubs are forged alloy with cut outs between the spoke beds. These hubs are shined to perfection and they glimmer under the sunlight when you ride. The spokes, stainless steel triple butted, are 20 up front and 24 in the rear. The connections to the rims are made with alloy nipples, except on the rear drive side, where Neuvation uses brass for a bit more security. Finally, the rims are a deep V (27 mm, 420g), but not that deep so that I was feeling the negative effects of crosswinds.

But how does such a sensibly priced wheelset perform when the rubber meets the road?

Hammering on the R 28 SL

The first thing that concerned me was that I am a big rider (86kg or 190lbs) and I could do some damage to such a light wheelset. In fact I'm infamous with my mechanic for being hard on my equipment. But, I've been on them for a few weeks now, riding through all sorts of rough terrain, bunny hopping pot holes, in wet and dry without so much as a single deviation in the true of either wheel. The R 28 SL's feel very fast and responsive when making quick jumps out of the saddle. They enable me to climb the local côtes with newfound power. And then I felt as safe as a baby in his mother's arms when bombing down the other side at 80K/hr (50+ mph). A superb wheelset that is both responsive and tough.

Neuvation boldly states in their ads: "Other wheel companies claim to make the best wheels. I don't. I make the highest quality wheels at the lowest price. If you claim to make the best, you have to be different. This difference typically comes at a heavy price. Rather than making the best wheels, I focus on offering the best value. If you want to pay $300 more for 2% more performance call the other guys. If not call me." That is difficult logic to dispute, especially for those of us who ride for pleasure rather than livelihood. I cannot see a much better offer for a super high quality training or race wheelset.
- Franco

The Low-Down:
•  1470 grams per wheelset
•  Shimano 8, 9 and 10 speed or Campagnolo compatible freehubs
•  Deep V 27 mm CNC silver sleeved 420 gram rims
•  20 spoke up front, and 24 spoke in the rear
•  Silver Stainless steel triple-butted spokes: 2.3 - 1.7 - 2.0
•  Alloy nipples, brass drive side rear
•  Forged alloy silver anodized hub shell with cut outs
•  Forged alloy cassette body easily changed between Shimano and Campagnolo
•  Precision-sealed cartridge bearings with dual seals super smooth
•  7000 series alloy axles
•  Comes with Neuvation rim strips and 6 extra spokes (two each length)

More Photos:
Brake Surface, photo: BiciRace.com
Front Wheel, photo: BiciRace.com

Price and Shipping:
Shimano freehub: $499, sale $399
Campagnolo freehub: $519, sale $399
Please note that Neuvation can send their wheels almost anywhere in the world, including BiciRace.com headquarters in Italy.

Visit Neuvation Cycling for these and other great wheelsets.