These flagship deep-section wheels from top Taiwanese builder Novatec are a solid choice for riders who want to stand out from the pack as well as pull away from it.
The 99mm deep carbon rims take tubular tyres so you’ll need to get Novatec’s W250 85mm deep wheels if you want to run clinchers. The vast fat carbon body hubs mean they’re not as heavy as they look at 807g front and 1,014g rear.
Short, stiff bladed spokes mean they accelerate pretty well and turn precisely for deep wheels too. Curved grooves moulded into the rim flanks helps to stiffen the rim and smooth overall airflow that makes them slightly less stubborn to turn than conventional flat wheels.
They’re certainly not as crosswind-friendly as the latest fat toroidal rims, though, and their serious stiffness makes long rides on a stiff bike fairly masochistic even with tubs.
This article was originally published in Triathlon Plus magazine, available on Zinio.