As a bare wheelset the Zero is very light at 1,460g for the pair. Aluminium bladed spokes help keep weight down, and carbon-fibre-bodied hubs fitted with ceramic bearings reduce it further. With tyre and skewer the front weighs 1kg, the rear 1.25kg.
A tough anodised freehub body keeps cassette damage at bay. Smooth ceramic bearings help the Zeros glide up to speed, and the lack of mass makes them well suited to climbing.
The rims are solid with no flex or brake rub and, while that stiffness can show when running tyres at high pressure, you can run them at 10-15psi lower than recommended to add comfort without affecting grip or feel.
The combination of a machined brake track and a very rigid rim meant that braking was brilliant across all our test bikes equipped with brakes from Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM.