Dura Ace 7850 Carbon Road Tubelss Review
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Products with massive amounts of new technology and exotic materials tend to be fairly flashy. They announce their arrival in the pack with graphics and logos. They have bizarre marketing phrases slapped all over them. I have to admit, we tend to love it. It’s fun to turn up on a group ride and see the glances and double takes, then start fielding the questions about our latest test rigs. But recently we found ourselves riding one of the most cutting edge products we’ve ever tested, and for the most part, it goes totally unnoticed in the peloton; the product, Shimano’s new 2010 Dura Ace 7850 Carbon Tubeless Wheel set. Shimano has lavished technology on these wheels, the materials, the process, the tubeless design, all in what is a very traditional package. In fact from a distance, the only thing really setting these wheels off is the red spoke nipples.

The Details

Weight for this set of Dura Ace 7850 Carbon Tubeless is a respectable 1460 Grams, with a 24mm rim profile front and back. A light straight pull spoke count of 16 stainless up front and 20 stainless in the back hint at high spoke tensions and a robust rim. The hubs are alloy, while the rear enjoys a titanium free hub body machined for quick engagement. Within the hubs Shimano uses angular contact bearings, not sealed cartridges like most hubs. If done right angular contact bearings will give better performance over a longer life, and Shimano does them right, using a laser matching process to ensure a flawless match between cups cones and bearings. The axels are an oversized 15mm. What appears to be a black finish on a traditional aluminum rim is actually a carbon overlay. The alloy rim is only half a millimeter thick in some areas, and the carbon is hand cut and bonded to that ultra thin rim to add strength and compliance while adding only a minimum of weight. We haven’t found a lighter alloy clincher rim with a spoke count this low. 4 hand layed pieces of carbon even reinforce the spoke holes. The rear rim is asymmetrical to improve performance under power. The alloy base for this carbon overlay allows the convenience and performance of an aluminum breaking surface and a seamless tire bed for an airtight chamber. Retail for the 7850 Carbon Tubeless is $1399.