First Look: Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V disc gravel wheelset
Bontrager go wide with new carbon gravel wheels
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Bontrager has just launched an all-new Aeolus Pro 3V wheelset for road and gravel, you can think of this wider carbon wheelset as a gravel option from the Aeolus Pro range.
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The Aeolus Pro 3V’s are wider with a 25mm inner rim width, rather than 19.5mm inner width seen on the road wheels. They also feature the brands Rapid Drive 108 hubs as per the road wheels. For those not up to date with Bontragers extensive wheel line up, the brand says the Aeolus Pro 3 TLR "is a full carbon, tubeless-ready road wheel that balances durability, weight, and aerodynamics for pro-level performance that doesn’t break the bank".
road.cc have tested the road wheels recently here, giving the £1,200 wheelset 4 stars out of 5, praising "high-end performance at a reasonable price".
As we said, the Aeolus Pro 3V wheels are an addition to the Aeolus Pro family and share much of the same technology. They come at the same price point (see below), use OCLV Carbon construction, and a same D3 shape (Dual Directional Design profile to minimise drag) as the existing Aeolus Pro 3's. The wheels are also covered by the Bontrager Carbon Care Wheel Loyalty Program, a programme where if you damage the wheel in the first year of its life, Bontrager will repair or replace it for free, amongst other benefits.
So what’s new?
Aeolus Pro 3V features a wider internal rim width (25mm) and a Rapid Drive 108 Road hub, making Aeolus Pro 3V perfect, Bontrager says, for the growing group of gravel and adventure bikes. The wider rim means more volume (that's what the 'V' stands for) for a given tire, and better support for larger tires which as we know from the mountain bike world, adds traction, performance, comfort, and ultimately, speed.
With regards to that width Bontrager reckon they are wider than or at least rival competitors, listing in their press release stats for Hunt (23mm inner) and Enve (25mm inner). These are 700c rims only, Enve do have a wider 650B wheel at 27mm internal width.
Bontrager says the Rapid Drive 108 road hubs bring the acceleration and control of a high engagement hub with a high performance feel that delivers on and off the tarmac. The Bontrager hubs have 108 points of engagement, are for use with centre lock discs and with 12 mm thru-axles front and rear, although there is an axle swap kit available for quick release and 15mm.
The Aeolus Pro 3V is essentially the wilder and wider, younger sibling to the Aeolus Pro 3 road wheels – cut from the same stock, but better suited for gravel and the road less travelled. Bontrager reckons the 700C adventure wheels are best paired with tires 32c and larger.
The Aeolus Pro 3V wheels you see here cost £1200 or you can buy the front for £549.99 and the rear for £649.99. Each set is complete with TLR (tubless ready) rim strips, TLR valves, valve core removal tool, and traditional rim strips too. We would like to say we weighed this test sample but unfortunately, a delivery error saw us receive two rear wheels! As soon as the front arrives, we'll update this article with weights.
We will get these on a gravel bike soon and get back to you with a full review over on road.cc soon.
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