Swiss Side says the new version of its Gravon Carbon 500 is its most aerodynamic gravel wheelset to date. New hubs and spokes lead to a reduced system weight of 1,620g and the new wheels are cheaper, too.
Jean-Paul Ballard, Swiss Side founder and CEO states: “The goal with the new Gravon Carbon 500 was clear: deliver measurable performance improvements, reduce the weight, and make it more fun to ride.”
The new Gravon Carbon 500 wheelset has a 50mm-deep carbon rim with a 36.5mm external/24mm internal width hooked tubeless rim, designed to support wider gravel tyres.
Road efficiency, gravel strength
The cycling aerodynamics specialist claims aero efficiency comparable to aero road wheels with the strength and compliance needed for gravel riding, as well as crosswind stability and the agility to tackle technical terrain.
While the rim is compatible with gravel bike tyre widths from 35mm to 65mm, for the best aero performance Swiss Side recommends 40mm tyres for racing and 45mm for all-round, all-conditions riding.
The rim is laced to DT Swiss 350 Spline hubs with a 10-degree engagement angle using 24 DT Swiss Aerolite and Aero Comp straight-pull spokes, a switch from the J-bend spokes used in the version 1 Gravon wheels. The wheels are available with a Shimano HG11, Shimano Micro Spline or SRAM XDR freehub.
Swiss Side claims a weight of 1,620g per wheelset (760g front, 860g rear), which represents a 126g weight saving over its previous-generation Gravon wheels.
The new Gravon Carbon 500 wheelset is sold with rim tape pre-installed, and with tubeless valves and valve extenders. It is priced at £1,105 / $1,620 / €1,439 via retailers, although you can buy it from Swiss Side’s site for £884 / $1,295 / €1,199.
Swiss Side has also recently launched a new road wheelset, its first with carbon spokes, the Hadron3 Ultimate 380. Designed for pro use in climbing stages and with DT Swiss 180 hubs, the wheelset weighs a claimed 1,213g and is priced at £2,357 / $3,465 / €3,199 or direct from Swiss Side at £1,885 / $2,765 / €2,559.
