8LIEN wheelset - Light , Aero , Wide ...what more could we want?

[@Alex-bl6oi]

your reviews are so good. thanks for the attention to detail you put into them. not only do they help me learn about the quality of products, but your videos also help me truly understand the anatomy of bikes.

[@fabianmolyneux2308]

Fantastic review and done so with great knowledge base. Not only do I learn about fantastic wheels, but receive just heaps of tips that don’t exist in other reviews. For the first time ever, I’ve graded up from 28 to 30mm tyres. I am an older rider now and need that softer ride to assist in injury management and prevention. Thanks

[@Chris._P._Bacon]

I'm just happy to announce, same here, according to the new "trend", I was able to outfit my Ducati 996 wheels onto my Giant TCR bike, and now I have motorcycle tires and rims for maximum thickness and comfort. Best part overall, it came with "disc" brakes as well. No need for lame sealant........tubeless tires baby....tubeless.

[@TESTA-CC]

They look good 👍👍

[@Mike0]

To be the most aero you want to be running tyres smaller than the rim, 34mm wide rims for 30mm tyres ideally. Otherwise the extra wheel width is just extra weight. This is based on aero data from another manufacturer with 34mm wide rims, but the shape of the wheel could make a difference.

[@gabrielex2900]

Dear Steven, after viewing your video, as many of them, I decided to buy a wheelset. That is not the first Chinese wheelset that I’ve ridden, but eventually I hope that all yours reviews are thoughtful.

[@nadsim154]

Strong, Solid, Durable ... That's what we want also !

[@andiandi9275]

Great Video!👍

[@derekhobbs1102]

That's wider than my old 90s MTB wheels.

[@williammorris4419]

Wait to see how good the hub is.

[@itsm3th3b33]

Interested to know how durable these wheels are in real world situations.

[@michabramorski4567]

Great wheels for the Paris rubaix race

[@micaelpereira953]

@oz cycle Do you think these wheels are equaly strong as to use as a gravel set? Bevause 8lien also have a gravel set of wheels. Thank you.

[@stevenleffanue]

The gravel version has more spokes, so would be better for gravel.

[@emc3065]

Looks great value for the pricing and package. Quite a few manufacturers making wheels with these hubs and rims now. Hunt seem to be the only brand that have something similar for "all-road" riding at the moment from a western brand, but even then they are a few mm behind for the ideal 32mm 105 ratio profile. Trek had something that was close, but again still not as wide as these and a good 200g heavier per set. How long until a major brand catches up at a decent price?

[@bleuify7]

what other brands that use the dt swiss style hub?

[@stijndeklerk]

What's a 105 ration profile?

[@emc3065]

@@stijndeklerk the "rule" states that for the best aero, your wheel profile should be at least 105% the width of your tyres - or basically 5% wider.

[@stijndeklerk]

@@emc3065 I C, thx!

[@jusuflazami9580]

Per ExampleFor Optimal Aerodynamics, if the 28mm Tyre blows up to 30 mm( with wider inner widths like 23-25mm!!) then 105 rule applied to it should produce the 1.5mm Total Width to the Rim, meaning roughly 32mm Rim Width. That in turn makes for Arround 1 mm wider Rim on Each side of the Tyre!

[@RodimusPrime]

When is the spoke harp Christmas album coming out?

[@badger0888]

Fantastic review as always. I can't help but to interpret what I see as a massive crack @ T4:46 I'm sure it is just image processing aberration. Keep up the great work for the cycling community.

[@stevenleffanue]

No cracks...I wouldn't ride them if there was anything like that. 👍

[@8lienbike]

@badger0888 That`s definitely not crack, this is the carbon weave which shows under a certain light angle, due to our rims are coating-free type, so you can see the carbon weave clearly. If that is a crack, it couldn`t even stand the rider`s weight. 😊

[@Chris-derf5]

looking at the 8lien site from US it says the L series wheels are 28 wide external 21 internal

[@stevenleffanue]

Wider are the pre-order ones... 8lienbike.com/products/best-aero-wheels

[@whootoobe]

How was the lateral stiffness of these wheels? Did you experience any brake rub due to flex during hard efforts?

[@theunknownunknown3007]

A kingdom for a silent hub! Love your videos!

[@nanokeem]

Is that right to write the numbers on TM-1 cells from the digital guages? I think TM-1 numbers should be shown as TM-1's measurement. Tension(KGF) is too low considering manufacturer's recommendation which are mostly 1200 to 1500kgf. Then total ratio of balanced tension will be different bigger than 10%. Just my opinion.

[@bikinparadise5483]

Nice video, thank you very much. I actually have a pair of EliteWheels Drive 50D (1300g 21mm internal, 28mm external with GP5000 25mm front and 28mm rear) and I hesitate to take a pair of 8lien in 50/60 (which is doable after contacting them) to switch to 28mm / 30mm tires. I mainly do criteriums. What do you think? Do you think it’s worth it? One thing i can't explain is the weight difference between their new L5 an L6 Wide, 1240g vs 1270 according to their website (yours is only 1240g for L6 apparently) ? why so little knowing that we go from 45mm/50mm to 60mm/60mm ?

[@stevenleffanue]

The Drives would be just fine for criteriums. In wet conditions you would get slightly better grip on corners with 8liens on 32c tyres...splitting hairs really. No idea why the wider rims weigh less.

[@8lienbike]

Regarding the weight of L6W, the rims are used were the lightest from productline, for example , if a rim weighs 460+/-15g, the one used will be lightest 445g (460g-15g), so it can save 30g for a pair. So that we make deep wheels light still.😉

[@8lienbike]

Regarding the weight of L6W, the rims are used were the lightest from productline, for example , if a rim weighs 460+/-15g, the one used will be lightest 445g (460g-15g), so it can save 30g for a pair. So that we make deep wheels light still.😉

[@bikinparadise5483]

@@8lienbike oh ok i see, thank you for the details ! Still thinking 😉

[@8lienbike]

@@bikinparadise5483 😁😁

[@space.youtube]

I suspect the rims are counter weighted on the opposite side to where the valve will be seated. The material removed for the valve hole doesn't seem sufficient to explain the rim's aggressive bias. PS How's the Wheeltop EDS TX video coming along?

[@stevenleffanue]

Maybe they counter-weight them for the valve. Wheeltop tx going good. Will put up review vid hopefully next month

[@space.youtube]

@@stevenleffanue My point is that it isn't a question of "maybe". Two small holes for a valve doesn't remove enough mass to create the rim's aggressive '6 o-clock' weight bias, and I see no other reason to deploy a counterweight other than to compensate for the long valves the rims required. In short, the holes aren't the reason why the rim's 'at rest' bias is so dramatic. Good to hear that the EDS TX group is going well. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts after having lived with it for some time.

[@sigfroelich2027]

Good stuff! Impressive and thorough review of the specs and a convincing examination with calipers and scales. I am just about convinced to buy these in lieu of the 2025 Farsport 58mm deep. Will go research what I can on 8Lien before committing. I didn’t notice any mention of how they “felt” riding. Perhaps to avoid subjective realm? Thx!

[@stevenleffanue]

The tyre dictates most of the feel. Surprisingly good in crosswinds.

[@マイケル-d2b]

Is the 60T ratchet used in the video made by DT SWISS? Can you tell me the model number?

[@stevenleffanue]

No. From Aliexpress.

[@peterserjeant4376]

Wondering when we’re getting the long term review of the Wheeltop TX, you must have done a few k by now.

[@stevenleffanue]

December

[@Hernández-ot3l]

I just checked the UCI List Approved Wheels, and this brand only has one product that is UCI certified. Given its extremely light weight, I doubt it can meet UCI testing standards, even with the very low 40J testing standard. I am concerned about the quality. I have visited some large factories in China and learned that there are many small trading companies with just 1-2 people, some of which don't even have quality control or after-sales service. I have Elitewheels DRIVE 50D and Winspace Hyper wheels, and all the products from these two brands are UCI certified. After riding them, I can confirm they perform really well. Don't make blind choices.

[@Hard_Work_Is_Rewarding]

What more could we want? No holes in the rim bed instead of tape.

[@stevenleffanue]

Yes , agree on that one 👍

[@8lienbike]

This will be possible soon when we release next generation!🤩

[@Hard_Work_Is_Rewarding]

@@8lienbike I find most manufacturers struggle with no holes + carbon spokes. Some do it but charge more. This is why I had to go with stainless spokes on my most recent build.

[@yukiko_5051]

What's the difference it make?

[@morneauh]

18:05 how many layer of rim tape do you normally put on?

[@stevenleffanue]

Only need 1 layer of the tape provided

[@sigfroelich2027]

Are they hooked? Did I miss that being addressed?

[@stevenleffanue]

Hooked yes

[@stijndeklerk]

Are the freehub parts interchangeable with the genuine DT-Swiss parts, or where did you get the 60 tooth option (I know DT-Swiss don't make those)? Build tolerances look impressive. Thx

[@stevenleffanue]

You can get the clutch rings from Aliexpress cheap.

[@stijndeklerk]

@@stevenleffanue will all the Aliexpress ones work?

[@stevenleffanue]

@stijndeklerk yes

[@gaborozorai3714]

I checked the 8lien store and the pricing is rather puzzling. The lighter carbon spoke wheels are cheaper than the Sapim CX-ray spoke ones? Also, same price across all rim depths? 30mm rims with half as much carbon material costing the same as the 50's? Can that be right?

[@stevenleffanue]

Correct

[@gaborozorai3714]

@ Ok, but don't you find it illogical? Do you have an explanation? Selling all rim sizes at the same price could be a marketing decision but carbon spoke wheels being cheaper than heavier steel spoke versions of the same is completely unheard of.

[@bretonsmith1939]

The website shows materially different widths (21\28). Who to trust??

[@stevenleffanue]

You must have the wrong page. Here it is... 8lienbike.com/products/best-aero-wheels

[@8lienbike]

The 21/28 type is our standard version which can fit most bikes. The wheels in the video is our wider version with 25/34.😊

[@edwardlow667]

how much wheel sets do you own by now ? ;) Cross your heart....

[@stevenleffanue]

They get sold on to local riders for half to quarter of their value. 11 sets here at moment

[@georgefouskitakis6697]

The hubs are most probably the Farsports RD270 hubs

[@ivanyhtang]

How can you tell that? I'm curious if the Farsports hubs are same as Go Zone too

[@georgefouskitakis6697]

@@ivanyhtang I own a pair of Farsports Hypers, 50/24/30 mm with carbon spokes and the hubs look identical in every single detail. Greetings !

[@ivanyhtang]

@@georgefouskitakis6697 Greetings! congrats on that wheelset! I was eyeing that too a few months back from the Wheelsfar website but it didn't seem to show up anymore! I wonder why they took it away

[@ivanyhtang]

​@@georgefouskitakis6697Greetings and congrats on that wheelset! I was eyeing that myself and I think it used to be listed on the Wheelsfar website but no longer it seems, not sure why. What are your thoughts on this wheelset so far? I'm really wondering if the Farsports hubs are actually Go Zone hubs, who actually offer their own wheelsets. Cheers!

[@AJackal]

They need to put a good tough coating on top of the decals or they will chip and peel in a few bike washes. Protects the top face of the carbon surface as well. Worth it for a few extra grammes. You could you do it yourself when you buy them of course which is what I would do, if I could justify upgrading my light carbon falcon 45's which I cannnot.

[@stevenleffanue]

The decals could eventually get damaged, but the carbon surface itself is very durable...a lot of carbon products are used clean like this now.

[@roberthenri9945]

This makes it easier to remove branding and replace it with a fake DT SWISS, Zipp or other legit brand label. Most Chinese knockoff wheels are sold without decals as buyer are embarrassed by their purchase or so they can resell the wheels to unsuspecting buyers on eBay. It's easy to make a wheel look good, but producing a safe and reliable wheel at this price, even with stolen designs and counterfeit materiald is not easy. Dumb wheels for dumb people 😂

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

Looks too good to be true TBH…!! An OZ Cycling Special? Website states 1300g for the 60mm yours at 1240g is INSANE!! Also they seem to be sold out?

[@stevenleffanue]

They are a brand new item, so they need to be pre-ordered. Will take an extra week or two before you get them.

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

@@stevenleffanue great! would you have a discount code?

[@stevenleffanue]

Yes. It's " Ozcycle "

[@jusuflazami9580]

How much Discount will it be??

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

@@jusuflazami958010% he says it at the end!!

[@ArteUltra1195]

Could you confirm the weight again? 1240g seems too light for a 60mm deep and very wide wheelset, even 8lien state on their website that they are 1300g (and often times real weights are a good bit higher) Edit: They changed it to 1270, which is still 30g over

[@stevenleffanue]

Using Park Tool DS-1 the total weight for the pair was 1240grams ...no tubeless valves installed.

[@8lienbike]

Regarding the weight of L6W, the rims are used were the lightest from productline, for example , if a rim weighs 460+/-15g, the one used will be lightest 445g (460g-15g), so it can save 30g for a pair. So that we make deep wheels light still.😉

[@johnlesoudeur3653]

An aero rim for MTB then lol.

[@Mike0]

To be the most aero you want to be running tyres smaller than the rim, 34mm for 30mm tyres ideally. Otherwise the extra wheel width is just extra weight.

[@johnlesoudeur3653]

@@Mike0 Thanks for the information, I did not know that. My comment was really tongue in cheek and meant to be humorous. In the MTB world inner rim width has settled around 30mm and 2.4 tyres designed for this width very common and raced.

[@peterserjeant4376]

Sorry, I know Im OT. But FWIW, My TX is about 1k in, zero probs.

[@LegSpinna]

29:56 Is that Simon Whitlock? 😀

[@TheMoodyedge]

Not great with names are they.

[@lakevacm]

Deecahls mate

[@itsm3th3b33]

Can that ugly 8LIEN sticker be removed?

[@stevenleffanue]

Yes it can be removed

[@christianschutzler4800]

Missing your helpful diy tricks, not interested in all that china advertising 😢😢😢

[@stevenleffanue]

Yeh , it's been a while. I have a new wax video coming soon if that's any good😁

[@Raymond-Farts]

Those wheels look ridiculous on a road racing bike. The market is surely going after suckers.

[@dcataj5085]

Bicycle shows your social status. Aero bike looks higher status. Social status is the most important!... ;-)

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

Please explain, i don’t understand why they would look ridiculous. 60mm deep isn’t that much

[@Raymond-Farts]

@@SamuelBlackMetalRider It's not the depth, it's the width.

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

@ the Roval front wheel is wider for instance. Same for the Reserve.

[@Pertemba40]

Too wide!

[@ArteUltra1195]

No. The fastest testing wheels (Roval, Reserve) have exactly that rim width at the front, plus it is more stable in crosswinds

[@Peregrino.51]

Then buy Mavic Cosmic rim brake

[@Pertemba40]

@@Peregrino.51 I only ride RIM brakes.

[@Peregrino.51]

@@Pertemba40 ok dino