44 | AustrAliAn triAthleteProduct Tested:
teCh talk Xtreme Carbon wheelsR OAd test
straight on. Our test wheels were spot on
90mm deep and 25mm wide, as
advertised, although not as blunt-nosed
as some other offerings out there, and
came fitted with Continental GP4000s.
Before we get to the ride quality of the
Xtreme Carbon wheels, let’s take a closer
look at their development. First of all the
designs and moulds are all Xtreme
Carbon’s own, in-house designs and are
manufactured by Topkey International, in
Taiwan. The rims fall somewhere between
the straight-line aero shape of a ‘V’ rim
and the ‘U’ shape of the more stable rims
seen in a lot of wheels today. The shape is
the result of basing the development on a
rotating aerodynamic object rather than
just a rim shape, thus the resulting hub
shape - more on that later. They use 12K
carbon with a gloss finish on all their rims,
and the braking surface and tyre U section
(clincher and tubular) are constructed
using a 3K weave and high temperature
(240 degrees Celsius) resin on the brakingO
ver the last few years, there
have been many changes in
performance race wheels for
bikes. From deeper, to wider
and serrated, there seems to be no end
to the innovations coming from the big
brands in the market. And while these
grab most of our attention, occasionally a
boutique brand will come out of left field
with something that really catches the eye.
Enter Australian company, Xtreme
Carbon. Not to be confused with the late
90s, early 2000s wheel company,
X-treme (which has long been out of
business) this small family business
entered the wheel market about 18
months ago and immediately caught our
eye. They were different. The wheels
looked different. Sure, the depths were
familiar with 60, 80 and 90mm all
available, but there was more to these
wheels. Fast-forward a few months and
we were lucky enough to receive a pair of
90s to test.The box the wheels came in was a
visual feast, with the giant ‘Scary Dad’
logo (as my daughter calls it) large and
loud across the front. Our test wheel set
was the 90mm front and rear Race Grade
option. Xtreme Carbon also have a 60mm
front and rear Race Grade option and a
120mm rear option in the top-end range
available. For the more budget minded,
60mm and 80mm Enticer Grade front
and rear options are also offered.
On opening up the box you get a real
appreciation for the work that has gone
into producing these wheels. Nothing has
been left to chance. From the 12K weave
of the carbon to the classic decals and
high gloss clear coat, not to mention the
gold nipples and skewers, these wheels
are such a visual delight you would almost
be forgiven for missing the hero of the
wheel - the hub, which pulls the wheel
together. It’s a deep, narrow, alloy aero hub
with a carbon axle that essentially hides
the spokes behind the rim when lookingXtreme Carbon wheels
text by the test laB | photogrAphy by Xtreme CarBon wheels