Neuvation Wheels, Top Technology and Very Affordable

We received a question from Phillip, a short time ago, asking us about Neuvation wheels, we had not heard of them, so we thought it was our duty to have a good look at them and let him and the rest of you know our findings. Neuvation make a great range of wheels at prices we can all afford

Here is Philips question: I would like to upgrade the wheels on my bike (a 2004 Fuji BEST) and am considering the Neuvation R28 SL3 model. They are light (1540 grams). I would also order the ceramic bearing kit for them. What are your thoughts on this wheel set? Have you any experience with them? Thanks.

We like new things and even better if they are carbon and at prices that will not break the bank. If the frame is the heart of the bicycle then the wheels are the soul, nothing improves performance better than a good set of wheels.

The problem is that good wheels normally cost a lot of money. Neuvation have developed wheel building in Asia for some of the world’s top brands, Neuvation wheels give you quality at lower prices because company owner, John Nugent, is a one-man company, he does modest marketing, and focus on giving the customer the key aspects of a good wheel without all of the expensive fluff.

The Different Wheel Sets

The M models use all the same basic hub guts and are only Shimano compatible. The R series also all use the same hub “guts” and are available in either Shimano or Campagnolo. All models share the same basic front hub. The carbon wheels use the R series hubs. The R series wheels all share the same rims.

The M series wheels use a steel cassette body that is more durable but heavier than the R series wheels which use an alloy cassette body.

Aerodynamics, Weight and Stiffness

Aerodynamics is very important if you go very fast and relatively unimportant if you don’t. The cut off line is about 20 mph and increase dramatically above 25 mph. So if you are a pro level rider averaging 25 mph it is a huge issue. If you are a club rider going 17 mph it’s not so important.

Wheel weight is very important since it is weight in motion. Rim weight is more important that total overall weight since it’s the furthest from the center and requires more force to get it moving. Once a wheel is at speed the weight is mostly unimportant unless you are going up a hill where it becomes very important. So wheel weight is most important in getting wheels up to speed and in hill climbing.

Stiffness is more important to larger and/or stronger riders who can flex wheels quite a bit. Professional riders normally release their rear brake going up hills because they would touch the brake pads if they didn’t (note they engage them again at the top). Stiffer wheels also bend less for every rider and therefore deliver more power to the road. Stiffer wheels are also heavier.

Why Are They So Good?

Wheel quality is difficult to see. It’s a combination of good hubs, good spokes, a good rim, and a high quality build. The factors that make these parts of a wheel good are mostly invisible. You are going to spend a lot of money on wheels, so you should do the research and find out what the key issues are. Here is the opinion of company owner John Nugent on why these wheels are the best wheels you can get for the money.

“There are three critical aspects to good hubs. Design, machine tolerances, and bearings.”

John has been working with this hub and wheel maker for over 4 years and during the process has introduced him to many other high-end wheel companies. The result is that the hub “guts” on these are the same as found in many other wheels costing over $800 per set. The design of the M28 Aero hub cassette body is an old Sachs design that has been around for over 15 years with excellent results.

R 28 SL3 Silver

The Hubs and Spokes

Machine tolerances : The key to hub durability – outside of the basic design – is the level of tolerances held up in machining. Both companies use high-level tolerances.

Bearings : Neuvation use precision cartridge bearings like many of the high-end wheels. They fill them with an 80% fill of high-quality grease and use slip-fit bearings. These bearings have the advantage of not tightening when the quick release is tightened (a common problem with conventional bearings and angular contact bearings).

Spokes : Spokes are extremely expensive and add a lot to the cost of a wheel. The C 38 wheels use Sapim CX Ray spokes (one of the most expensive spokes in the world – and one of the best). Since the wheels are already totally too expensive, John figured he might as well splurge. All the other wheels use Pillar spokes. Pillar is the best quality spoke maker in Taiwan. They are the supplier to Mavic and buys his wire in Sweden – the same place as the other high-end European spoke makers. The quality is excellent and the price is reasonable.

The Rims

Neuvation have three rim makers. The C 38 rims are made by one of the world’s leading carbon rim makers in the US. It’s the best there is and it is brutally expensive. The C 50 rim is made in China by a carbon rim maker who supplies other top-level wheel builders. The other wheels are made by a Taiwan rim maker who supplies Mavic with rims. His quality is very high and the prices are very reasonable.

The Wheel Building.

One of the key parts of a wheel and the easiest to skimp on. Neuvation wheels are all 100% hand-built made by highly-skilled wheel builders. The key in a wheel is to take the spokes up to tension equally. This requires the builder to gauge the tension during the entire process. Of course, the spokes are pre-stressed so that the wheel doesn’t go out of true when you first ride it. It is not uncommon for people to tell John that they’ve gotten almost 5,000 miles on a set before they had to true them.

Ask any high-quality wheel builder how to make a straight wheel and he will tell you to start with a straight rim. Almost no wheel companies test rims before they build wheels, so you take your chances. The Neuvation factory has a special rim testing fixture so that the bad rims go back to the rim maker (probably to go to another customer). They apply the decals after the wheel is built so they don’t get scratched while building. And, of course, they use Loc Tight on the spoke nipples so they stay tight. If you were to visit the factory you would see many sets of wheels selling at twice the price of Neuvation wheels using many of the same parts as Neuvation wheels.

Neuvation wheels offer the best value because John doesn’t do a lot of marketing, sponsor professional teams, use expensive ways to make wheels (that don’t result in any benefits), and because it is a one-man operation giving you the ultimate value for the price and weight.

That’s the tech and sales pitch out of the way, what do we think about the wheels?

The Wheel Sets

Basically there are seven different wheel sets, five are clincher and two for tubulars, the two for tubulars (C38 & C50) have a full carbon rim, the others are al alloy or in the case of the C38 C it’s a carbon/Alloy combination. So let’s look at each set.

The M 28 Wheel Set

The M 28′s are for Shimano 8, 9, or 10 speed cassettes and have a deep “V” section clincher rim (27 mm) built with stainless 2mm spokes with brass nipples, radial front and crossed rear. The hubs have 4 cartridge bearings and the set weighs in at 1720 grams without Q/R, the logos look great and the breaking surface is straight and smooth. The best news is the price; check the web site for a bargain.

M 28

The M 28 Aero 2 Wheel Set

The Aero 2′s use the same rim as the normal M 28, but they have aero 4.3 mm spokes with brass nipples. The hubs are made for Shimano 8, 9 or 10 speeds and have 4 cartridge bearings with a cut out flange. They weigh the same as the M28, but are more aerodynamic.

M 28 Aero 2

The R 28 Aero 3 Wheel Set

The same “V” section 19 mm rim and 4.2 mm aero spokes, but alloy nipples are used except on the rear gear side. The hubs are of a cut out design that can take a Shimano or Campagnolo cassette and have 6 cartridge bearings; they weigh in at only 1600 grams without Q/R and the come in black or Silver.

R 28 Aero 3

The R 28 SL3 Wheel Set.

The same hub and rim set-up as the R 28 Aero 3′s, but with lighter DT Competition 2.0-1.8 spokes and alloy and brass nipples and available in silver or black. Here is the good news; they are only 1540 grams (without Q/R) and only $300 in the Super Sale. These are the wheels that Philip originally asked about and we think he should buy them at that price, they can’t be beaten on weight or price and perform wonderfully on the flat, but come into their own on any climb.

R 28 SL3 Black

The C 38 Wheel Set

These are the wheels that every one in the BCR office were wetting themselves over, they only weigh 1170 grams (without Q/R), 38 mm carbon rims and hubs that take Shimano and Campagnolo with flange cut outs and 6 cartridge bearings. Sapim CX Ray spokes with Alloy and Brass nipples. The all carbon rims are for tubular tires and only weigh 290 grams. These are real beauties, but to buy similar from one of the named brands would cost you so much more, if anyone wants to buy me a Christmas present, then don’t bother to wrap them!

C 38

The C 38 C Wheel Set

These are the clincher version of the C 38. They have alloy braking and tire mounting section, so this adds to the weight bringing them up to 1625 grams (without Q/R); everything else is the same as the C 38′s including the price, nice but not as light.

C 38 C

The C 50 Wheel Set

The C 50′s have an enormously deep 50 mm all carbon tubular tire rim which weighs more than the C 38, built on the same cut out hub that can take Shimano and Campagnolo cassettes. DT Competition spokes with alloy and brass nipples. They are a little cheaper but they are heavier. Close call to which we prefer, but the C 38 wins.

C 50

What Do We Think?

Unbelievable, is what we think! The price, the weights, the workmanship and the performance from Neuvation Wheels is unbeatable; we only have one problem you can’t buy them outside of North America. John Nugent knows what he is doing when it comes to top class wheels and we take our hat of to him, nice work John, keep it up!

Check out the Neuvation Wheels web-site at http://www.neuvationcycling.com

Marks out of 10 = 9. It will be 10/10 when we can buy them in Europe!