CARBON SPOKES on Chinese Wheels - Farsports Ventoux S

Farsports Ventoux S, a lightweight wheelset with carbon spokes. Does this new tech make a difference?
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53/39 Podcast
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Farsports produce some really tasty carbon wheels, and I’ve actually reviewed a pair of their Kaze rim brake wheels in a previous episode. They were great, and these new Ventoux S disc brake wheels are no exception!
With carbon spokes, custom hubs, and a lightweight carbon fiber rim, these are the lightest and stiffest wheels I’ve ever used and after 700 miles, or 1125km, they have been completely flawless. They feel great on the bike, and really help to drop those extra few grams for the weight weenies among us.
These are a relatively premium wheelset, but they are extremely well built, SUPER lightweight, and when compared to competing wheels from some of the other brands like Mavic, and ENVE, the value really starts to show through.
In this episode, I will go into detail around the construction, the setup, how they ride, and ultimately my thoughts on these pretty cutting edge road bike wheels.
Got any questions or comments, stick them below 👇 and I'll try and get back to as many of you as I can!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Start
00:20 - Sponsor Segment
01:30 - Intro
04:03 - Rim Construction
08:28 - Carbon Spokes
12:29 - Hubs & Bearings
16:10 - Hub Service
18:48 - Cost & Weight
19:56 - Name Brand Comparison
22:26 - On the Road
27:08 - Podcast Plug
27:51 - Final Thoughts
32:30 - Stolen Bike
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - www.go2dev.co.uk
Music:
Birocratic (birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)
-Fresh Healthy Perspectives
Lakey Inspired ( / lakeyinspired )
-The Process, In my Dreams
Noir Et Blanc Vie ( / billyocean2185 )
-MydNyte, Still Not Rite
NoMBe ( / @nombe )
-Take Me Down to The Fashion Show
Patrick Patrikios (kzbin.info/door/TPI...)
-Just Dance
About Trace Velo:
I love cycling, and I love getting pro cycling kit for less. If it’s cheap, from China, and made of carbon fibre, I’m interested!
Instagram:
/ tracevelo
Email:
[e-mail]
Please note:
With the exception of Farsports, all other products demonstrated in this video have been purchased by me, and I have no affiliation to any of the sellers or vendors shown.
In addition, I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!

[@chriswatson2769]

My biggest complaint about this channel….not getting a video every week! Every video is top notch.

[@fwmtb]

He would upload more often if Aliexpress shipped faster!

[@kevinpeterman7127]

I think the quality makes it worth the wait. I save watching these videos for when I need to improve my day.

[@winterrider6668]

That.. is one short turn time to make a quality video. Luke suggest you test a product longer before a first take on it. Some of the junk goes south pretty quick.. as you come back and note... AFTER you create a ?(smallish) purchase wave.

[@shannonparker7404]

Why has this channel only 56k subs? Thankyou Luke for the effort you put in.

[@SniperSnake50BMG]

In wondering the same

[@emmanuelvenasquez5819]

Sir it's because he's not consistent in uploading videos but all of his video are very well informative especially about these super budget bike parts where Americans would disagree with him for using such Chinese Carbon Bike Parts even those who lives around Europe and Asia would disagree with him.

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Shannon, really appreicate it!!! But your right, I need more subs! Maybe if I ask GCN nicely they will give me some of theirs... 🤔

[@codexTu]

Quantity is not clearly synonym of quality... keep going Luke. You are the "bargain" man 🤣

[@firesurfer]

@@TraceVelo He he.

[@BenitoAndito]

No shirt stains this time! Production quality 11/10

[@TraceVelo]

I'm clearly not trying hard enough... Next time i'll have 2 stains!!!

[@RANGERMTMirage]

The "countryside living" at the end got me

[@TraceVelo]

HUGE worms everywhere - _Executive summary of the countryside_

[@steve24550]

Awesome Luke. I love the fact that you focus on quality/ value for money rather than branding. It's obvious that there's some great carbon coming out of China , but for most of us the manufactures are an unknown quantity. With that in mind, your roadtests are much appreciated. I'd have to say these wheels look very, very tasty ! Keep up the good work, and keep safe.

[@brygry]

For bearing removal you really should be using some blocks or a larger diameter tube directly on the hub, thereby removing any shock forces to the spokes and rim. By doing it the way you are, you are exerting rather large impact forces on the spokes, as well as very uneven lateral forces on the wheel. These bearings came out easy as they're new, but if they were old and had not been looked after, the bearings could be a bit stuck and this could over-stress the spokes or even cause deformations in the rim.

[@jpjipperwong]

It's a good day when Trace comes out with a video

[@ashleymcavery4132]

Another quality production, I think we need to see a Chinese carbon gravel bike build soon!

[@shannonparker7404]

Yes! This!

[@justdude8115]

Nah, titanium gravel makes more sense.

[@wheatonrunner69]

Carbon China gravel bike review please!!!

[@stuartbird5139]

Can we start a just giving page to get Luke a rubber mallet 😆

[@thepaincave8272]

Plus bearing pullers and Over Axle bearing press sets!

[@wheatonrunner69]

I'll donate!

[@jarrettttttt]

love this channel, love the content, the attention to detail, trace velo should blow up 100 fold in subscribers to be fair. I hope you'd get more exposure and more audience and sponsors could find it

[@michaelbradbrook9575]

Nice review Luke. I appreciate that you put a lot of time & effort in the reviews, with time stamps for each segment. I bought the Winspace Hyper 50mm wheel set with carbon spokes (same style) about 6 months ago and I really love them. You notice the stiffness when get up and sprint, but also just cruising on the flat is a dream. Just take care with the spoke tension, I had a spoke come loose as the carbon spokes don't stretch like the steel ones, so can loose tension under compression (e.g. high tyre pressure). I had mine re-tensioned and thread locked - no issues at all.

[@TraceVelo]

Nice, good to know Michael, will def keep that in mind if if ever face any issues with the spokes. Thanks for the comment!!

[@1601mat]

Your videos are informative, laugh-out-load funny, and completely enjoyable. I look forward to them.

[@boyacki]

Our boy is indeed a legend!!😄 Love the depth of analysis and humour, your enthusiasm is contagious and I like it! Your work and the product as well!

[@jameslowe2979]

Great review! Great video too, really appreciated the details like the diagrams. Top job!

[@AllanPhillips]

I think we all appreciate how much detail you go into with your reviews. Another tip-top Trace Velo production.

[@johnflynn4923]

Top man Luke, after finding your channel last year I went and built a budget Chinese carbon myself for ballpark a grand (great way to get to know your postman). It can hold its own no bother with fast road groups on branded 5K upwards bikes.

[@poopscoop2000]

Not had a great couple of weeks so really glad to see you post this as your vids always cheer me up. Don't even mind what you are reviewing, it's always a cheery, good watch. Thanks!👍

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks for the comment :) Sorry to hear you have had a tough couple of weeks, hope it all comes together for you!!!

[@richard7059]

That smile at the very beginning already got a like from me before I even started to watch it . Love ya bro

[@humstrumbangtwang]

Nice one. The best wheel review I’ve seen. Wheely good!

[@danielalejandro8045]

Great video, amazing channel. The thing I like the most is that you look absolutely honest.

[@jessegarcia8671]

Great rim's, thank you for the time you take showing us the quality of the product. And I was out of pop corn does help with my drooling over this tasty looking rim's. Very nice video. Will be looking for the next one, from Texas....

[@PeakTorque]

Let's just appreciate the level of detail and work you put in to this review. Top work. Serious time and effort. Can i ask what lavalier mic you use? Is it wireless? Cheers!

[@TraceVelo]

Dude, thank you so much, that def means a lot coming from you! I wish I could have tested the stiffness in the same way you did with the Winspace wheels, but i assume as they use very similar spokes, they will be in the same ballpark. But yeah my mic isn't wireless, I just capture the audio separately using a cheap lav mic from Amazon and a cheap tascam.

[@PeakTorque]

@@TraceVelo wow. So even more work involved! Nice one.

[@nivramnuqui8339]

cliked like the flash

[@paul9812-t3i]

Luke, you're the absolute best mate. Your videos are always a goddamn delight. Keep it up

[@manueldeubler1127]

Farsports make some nice wheels. Got myself a pair of Kaze 35 with DT350 hubs. Roll like a charm and are quite lightweight.

[@andersweinemo]

Great channel Luke! Just a humble suggestion, when tapping out old bearings try to support the hub on the opposite side so you dont put stress trough the whole wheel. You will probably not need to tap as hard as well. Very entertaining and informative stuff you post!

[@DrunkieCat]

Great and detailed review. You deserve more subscribers for the effort you put in each video 😭

[@TraceVelo]

Thank you so much 😃

[@michaelbrown3351]

An absolutely outstanding review , thoughtful , very informative and I believe honest . I would without reservation purchase these wheels and other items Trace Velo has reviewed and has recommended . Above all I love his humour , my only complaint is duration I have to wait between his reviews . Excellent work😀.

[@TraceVelo]

Much appreciated!

[@rickgreham6559]

Just awesome video Luke, this is the only channel that ive been continously watching in order. Awesome job. Like someone else said below, to add to it, do you have a silicone grabber/pot mat or whatever object made of rubber/silicon? That would be much better choice to use when you need to hammer the hub than a shirt because you want to dampen the rough shock and deliver the force as a gentle pushing energy instead. Thanks for the awesome content as always.

[@franzfabiana]

Love your videos, and please continue with the great vids! Yes I agree cycling shouldn't be an expensive sport and really like how you review cheaper Chinese made alternatives.

[@gijsnooteboom2711]

Bought two pair of Farsport wheels in 2021. Excellent experience. best value for your dollars related to weight and stiffness of the wheels. Love the fact that you can choose your preferred hubs. Just need to be a bit patient in waiting for them to arrive. Thanks for the video, just missed the discounts... 🙃

[@XilonzArjan]

Nice! I enjoyed your video, as always. It looks like they're offering duty service as well, wich is really nice!

[@arienzoamadeus6675]

Super Nice video great effort ! Your character makes all the diff :)

[@mikerawlings2780]

Keep the videos coming! You inspired me to take the plunge and build my first china carbon MTB!

[@larisonjohnson]

Luke! Great review! Not in the market for Carbon wheels at the moment, but you have definitely put Farsports on my radar. I’m running Easton EA90 SLX rims. These are super light and I definitely felt the “snappy” improvement when I used them the first time. IMO, lighter wheels are faster to accelerate, but harder to keep accelerated. It’s that old law of inertia. So, over the whole ride, you expend the same power between light and heavy wheels. But there is nothing like accelerating, and I definitely feel that more with lighter wheels. Keep up the great content!

[@aveedub7403]

My only complaint is I'm not getting a freebie set of these wheels! I have "her" indoors to try to sneak anything past that costs big £'s even with the excellent discounts! Finally another excellent production Luke, was waiting seemingly for ages, keep em coming Pal they're class!

[@theguzziman]

Another good video I just put a pair of Farsport wheels in my gravel bike. 1360 grams the pair and they look fantastic. Cost delivered was about £475. Very pleased I am.

[@vipulkapoor8922]

These videos are so well made i am surprised you dont have atleast over half a mil sub. You are an absolute fun guy wish we could ride together but for now, dont change! Also make some vlogs of your solo and group rides if that is feasible for you :D

[@mavericksikat5650]

My man Luke never fails to make a 1000000% quality video. Long time subscriber from Philippines 🇵🇭 keep 'em coming dude!

[@robert-cyclingfan]

Your review was enjoyable to watch. Thank you!

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks :)

[@TheRozzers]

Sitting here at the end of October, waiting for my 15mile commute in 6 degrees of torrential rain and dreaming about that country lane, drenched in golden sunshine.. Great vids, thanks 👍

[@TraceVelo]

Yeah I know what you mean. The summer had just evaporated away!!

[@TheRozzers]

@@TraceVelo literally overnight, although been quite lucky til now I guess. I still enjoy the ride though, even coming home at 4am in the winter lol.. thanks for putting such effort into your channel 👌

[@yumedan]

Hi Trace, love your witty videos. Was wondering if you were planning on making a video about Ali gps sports trackers anytime soon. I've tried to find a review but can't seem to find any... Sure you could make a great money saver video on that topic. Anyway stay at it!

[@patrickparisienne1917]

Great video as always! The yellow fork makes it look like a Jumbo Visma team bike!👌

[@JayHeartwing]

Yay, new Trace Velo content^^

[@WheelersAtLarge]

Absolutely love all the zips in your cycling shorts... Takes me back to the late 70s 👍

[@carefullin]

Every time I watch for your videos, my wife asked what is going on because I laugh so loud, she can hear me upstairs, BTW Hello from Seattle we share the same crappy weather

[@rascal1234]

Thanks for the review. I will certainly keep them in mind.

[@TraceVelo]

No problem 👍

[@DanielOram]

great video, thanks Luke, the bearings and freehub seem similar to Fulcrum's setup.

[@tigerv88]

Another supreme video. On look out for some wheels and these look the ticket! They look stealthy and will need to be good at stealthily avoiding my other half’s attention!

[@rikosmokesFPV]

Hey Luke. Nice and very details reviews. MAKE VIDEOS MORE FREQUENTLY! once every month is not enough! Just in case you run out of ideas, how about some cycling sunglasses? You done bottle cages, pedals, bibshorts, jerseys but not Hat and glasses yet.

[@dirktolboom4060]

Always good to see a new video on this channel! How are your sensah shifters holding up?

[@TraceVelo]

Still going strong BABY!!!

[@dirktolboom4060]

@@TraceVelo ah great, I was looking to get them. Do you happen to know the weight difference of the carbon version vs the normal one?

[@percival3830]

Fab vid, increased my knowledge and made me laugh. Top marks, as ever. I'm still rocking rim brakes on my nearly new carbon endurance bike (£650 on Ebay) and am pleased to note that my new Novatec Jetfly SL tubeless wheelset tip the scales at 1,335g and cost me £374. (Total bike weight now 7.7kg) I've since seen them for £351! So until carbon wheels become lighter and cheaper, or until Northumbrian hills get smaller... Oh yeah, dude, you can get a rubber mallet for £3.99 at your local Screwfix.

[@endofthelinex1]

Absolutely excellent review! Really tempted to buy them lol

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Fabio, glad you liked it :)

[@julosvlassie]

Same spokes as used in the Winspace Hyper wheels. Awesome quality and easy to adjust.

[@phillipdennis6690]

Love the reviews, not to serious but good and informative, myself and my partner both ride road bikes for fun many parts from China ( Aliexpress) so far no real issues. Keep up the good reviews 👍

[@nizmortal]

Stellar work mate, thanks again for such an insightful review! I know I might be going against popular opinion here, but how about trying a chinese carbon track bike build? We get to see a lot of carbon track frames pop up on the bay and elsewhere but there aren't many in depth reviews around them.

[@brygry]

Been eagerly awaiting the next installment, wondering what cheap Chinese accessories you could possibly be putting through the paces next.

[@jacklunn1559]

Anyone else. Get giddy when you see you have a trace velo video waiting to be watched 😂 I genuinely squeeked then did a little foot shuffle... I think I need to get out on the bike more

[@DPANDALEE]

Great upload as usual Luke. You could tempt a Conger Eel with that worm at the end 😂

[@nickdolja9039]

Thanks, great video!!! Would love to see a review of cheap but good AliExpress / eBay bike lights.

[@briansamuel5670]

Thanks to you i was able to spot an Empire groupset on a Rather expensive Scott Foil. I told my Jamaican cycling friends about your channel also👍

[@TraceVelo]

Ha, amazing, out there spotting Sensah groupsets, legend!

[@briansamuel5670]

@@TraceVelo the is the same Damogang

[@briansamuel5670]

@@TraceVelo your reviews help!

[@davecuenca9961]

Love your content man! All the way fromthe Philippines

[@LJdynamo2024]

This channel deserves more and more views

[@jaz97]

"Charlie slow down!!" Charlie: "Nope you got me up on my day off!!" 😆

[@mattdrown2026]

Another entertaining and informative video, cheers. Although it's weird how your space bar repeatedly got stuck when trying to type "a lot"! ;)

[@justinf1343]

I’ve had a set of Farsport rims on my winter hack bike for 5 years. Bombproof and not a single nipple or spoke breakage.

[@MagicFrisby]

Great video. In the comparison I appreciate the comparison to name brands. I would also like to compare these to other models from Farsports like the Kaze models (similar to your old set but now the disk version). Also compare them to other Chinese popular like LUNwheels and to your other wheels. I also appreciate a lot the maintenance and repairs details you give, as I plan to be a long terms purchase and your reviews offer this information. You mentioned that you found these wheels stiffer and a bit less comfortable. The fact you are using 25mm wide instead of the larger tires you had before might be an explanation. Cheers

[@paulwatson-work3544]

Great video as usual. Love to see you building gravel bike or MTB :-)

[@jaspersadsad9530]

As usual very good quality content! Thumbs up for me!

[@TraceVelo]

Much appreciated Jasper!!!!

[@jaspersadsad9530]

@@TraceVelo will look forward to the future vids!!

[@ulyssemeersseman4161]

Hey Luke, absolutely great review like always ! I got myself a pair of Ventoux S4 Disc Brake and wanted to set it up tubeless. I was wondering which tubeless tape you used (which width) and which tubeless valves you used as well as these were not included :)

[@Charles_Bro-son]

Those Lightweight Meilensteins are totally nuts! xD

[@richardd1350]

😂 glad I'm not the only one who uses Kelly's for storing bike bits and lunchboxes

[@Kolomy24]

Maybe the next stop would be a sort of fancier cranks and chain rings for bling, I am sure that Chinese folks got you covered :) Love your channel

[@nathanielmay2793]

Another great video!! Is there a video coming based around the cable/hydraulic brake calipers??????

[@tb4326]

Yes I’d buy them as they are “TASTY!”

[@joelzylstra2971]

Good on your brother for giving you a little push for waking him up! 😂 I’m sure my brother would do the same.

[@elvisderblasehase9522]

These spokes seem to be the same ones which are installed in winspace hyper wheels. The are also "ST-01"-marked. ✌

[@raulbarsan8582]

You know what i like about your videos? The videos

[@vietnguyen4312]

Thanks Mr Trace, Lol. FYI these exact carbon spokes are also used by Cadex, Hunt & a few other brands. As you specified, only a custom made hub will accommodate these spokes. These wheels are very stiff & combined with a lighter weight, make them feel snappy (I love my carbon spoke set). Possibly the reason why they are better at handling cross winds is the lower spoke count. Personally I love the road feel compared to steel spokes. Enjoy.

[@MIDB2323]

Amazing content - please keep it on :)

[@STLcardinalsruleSTL]

Great review! Very curious to hear how these hold up as you put more miles on them.

[@inspiredtotired8369]

Ahh Mr Velo, we've been expecting you 😃

[@briansamuel5670]

Hey trace, this is damogan g. Been watching all yout vídeos. Love this one. What happened to the goody intros, loved em😅

[@juliosdicaprio]

Hi Luke! Great episode, again. Your videos are the only bike related videos my girlfriend likes to watch with me. currently I am building my own carbon fiber frame from scratch and like to put some nice carbon rims on it. I am kinda leaning towards an alli express seller named "OG-EVKIN" I got some really nice handlebars from them. But I was wondering if you had any experience with them also. They look pretty legit and make a lot of good looking carbon products. Oke cheers!

[@alsalus8849]

Although you like it, no criticism from here. Luke you are awesome.

[@TheAnimejosh]

duuuudeee your videos are so great! I don't know if it's because of your time budget or whatever, but i definitely recommend shorter videos. Whilst many of us watch your entire videos, many new viewers are probably put off by the length. You definitely deserve more viewers. cheers mate, you're an absolute legend!

[@TraceVelo]

Yeah you're definitely right. After spending AGES on the edit for this one, I realised that I need to make shorter videos. But thanks so much dude, really appreciate the comment!!!

[@TheAnimejosh]

you're welcome dude!

[@christophervergara2962]

Hello! Great content. As always! Would you do a review on diferent seat post? I think its a very underestimated part of the bike... and also, very afordable to be reviewed (considering aliexpress parts though... hahaha) Greetings from Chile, Southamerica.

[@fcnyc]

Love your videos, Luke. Those wheels are hot but they don’t seem to be competitively priced compared to Yoleo Pro or Winspace hyper wheels.

[@neilgorman9325]

Another great production! Where’s that video on the integrated bars!! Ahaha.

[@Doniyorbek_Turgunov]

Far rims cost $1.5k. )) When Luke was fired from aliexpress?!

[@TraceVelo]

LOL! Yeah there are pretty premium, but then again when stacked up against the big brands, they are prety astounding value. But dont worry, we'll be back to ROCK BOTTOM prices soon :P

[@alkoma4586]

@@TraceVelo these are rock bottom prices for carbon spoked rims

[@galenkehler]

A set of 80-90mm deep wheels with these carbon spokes could be the real answer to a nice stiff setup

[@racerx8410712]

You should be on GCN.

[@tedloran6070]

I've always enjoyed your videos, and this was no exception. However I think you strayed from what makes you unique with this review. The price of this wheelset exceeds the entire cost of your first Chinese bike build. I LOVE reviews of the AliExpress cheep parts and hope to see more.

[@alkoma4586]

Hard disagree. These rims are literally 5 times cheaper than the next carbon spoked wheel.

[@stefanrobertz23]

Yesterday I searched your channel for videos I haven't seen yet, today you deliver.....Coincidence??

[@lamvuhoang1998]

So what happened to your rim brake bike? Been wondering that for ages 🤔 And I'm still waiting for a cassette review that you promised!

[@micycledalgleish2005]

I am having trouble with my tubeless setup. The valve hole is not drilled in the center of the rim and I think this is causing the issue. They mounted first time, awesome but on my second ride the rear lost air and I have not been able to get it tubeless again. So , the third ride my front went the same way and I can't get it to hold air anymore. The air comes rushing out the two little drain holes. I'm getting exhausted trying different ways, different values, retaping the rim, etc. Any issues, are your valve holes centered?

[@simonalexandercritchley439]

Great review Luke. How do the new Farsports wheels compare to Winspace Hyperwheels that Hambini and others have tested?

[@bennewton]

Trace your a legend

[@MrPilberg]

What an awesome discount! Gutted I don’t have discs… Guess I’ll have to buy that trifox frame first…. Don’t tell my wife 🤫

[@jaimegu]

Luke, I'm on the market for my first carbon bike and value is important for me. Hence I want to get tested Chinese frame and wheels. I'd like to get something that can accept a tad bigger tyres (30-32mm) but not necessarily gravel as it would be the occasional ride in October/November. I was looking at Trifox but their widest frame only goes to 700x28 (all other frames are 700x25). Do you know another brand in that price range and reputation? (Yoeleo R12 DB fits the specs, but it's 2x the price). Also for the wheels, I'm tilting towards Farsports classic or kaze around 50mm deep with Bitex 312. Do you have any suggestions?