With the upcoming summer race season approaching in Australia, we thought we’d give the Shimano’s new RS80 Wheels a test run. These could be a great weekend and race wheel set at an affordable upgrade price for the average punter (retailing at approx $999AUD).

The Shimano RS80′s are new in the Shimano range and are the next down from the Dura Ace Carbon laminates. They only weigh in at 1521 grams a pair. The RS80s use the same Rim as the Dura Ace Caron Laminates the only difference being the Hubs, which means these wheels would spin up just as fast, yet cost considerably less.

Here’s what the sales blurb says : ” Carbon and alloy laminate clincher rim is both light weight and ridged whilst maintaining high braking performance with standard brake pads. Low rim weight is achieved by reducing the alloy wall thickness to 0.7 mm, then a patent pending phosphoric acid anodizing process is used to bond the carbon fibre to the alloy giving an excellent combination of low weight, strength and rigidity. Added carbon reinforcement is applied around the spoke eyelets for increased durability under high load.”

On the road:

The first thing we found with these wheels is that that we had to adjust the Brakes to accommodate the extra rim width which seems to be a trait of Shimano wheels. Having said that, mounting tyres to these wheels was a breeze which in the past whith Shimano wheels was not the case. After a few races on these wheels we have found that they are really stiff!, and considering their low weight it’s quite amazing. Combine this with light rims these wheels spin up super fast. We found that the wheels were perfect for windy days with the low rim height and to date have performed flawlessly. The freehub is extremely quiet, and smooth. The wheels roll very nicely, accelerate incredibly well and the ride offered is very smooth.

What the bunch thought:

Everyone in the bunch who saw these wheels thought they look pretty cool, they had to look twice to realise that the rims were carbon laminate, yet when seen in the sun light you can see the construction. The general opinion was that these wheels would have looked heaps better with black spokes and a black hub, which we agree with. If you want to pay almost half the price of these again, you can get the Dura Ace ones, they have black spokes.

Conclusion:

If you are in the market for a great set of wheels that could be used for your ‘Saturday’s best’ and Race days, these should get a look in – value for money wise that are quite simply a  bargain. If your budget is not an issue go for the Dura Ace versions and you’ll be getting even better hubs and a nicer overall black look and a slight weight reduction. They are a great set of wheels, probably not as bling as some but defenately perform way above their price point.

Here’s some more specs on the Shimano RS80′s

Rear Wheel

• 16 front stainless steel butted and bladed straight pull spokes
• High lateral rigidity is improved with a wide flange spacing
• Labyrinth double contact sealing – low-friction seals effectively shut out water, mud and dirt without affecting rotational smoothness
• Polished bearing races reduce friction and provide for smooth rotation
• Cold forged and machined aluminium hub shell keep the wheel weight to a minimum
• 700C clincher compatible
• Supplied with Q/R skewer

Front Wheel

• 16 front stainless steel butted and bladed straight pull spokes
• High lateral rigidity is improved with a wide flange spacing
• Labyrinth double contact sealing – low-friction seals effectively shut out water, mud and dirt without affecting rotational smoothness
• Polished bearing races reduce friction and provide for smooth rotation
• Cold forged and machined aluminium hub shell keep the wheel weight to a minimum
• 700C clincher compatible
• Supplied with Q/R skewer
• Average weight: 1521 grams a pair