Eleven Sprocket ESP58C race wheels review

Roll fantastically well, but can be vague under braking

Our rating

3.5

Published: May 15, 2015 at 10:47 am

Eleven Sprocket ESP58C race wheels review

Eleven Sprocket ESP58C race wheels review

Yorkshire company Eleven Sprocket’s ESP58C wheels arrive with 21mm-wide rim beds and virtually flat sides.

>>> Best race wheels of 2015

But the full-carbon, 1.8kg clinchers (with QRs but no cassette) are up against similarly priced rivals sporting wider rim beds and rounder, bulging sides.

Make no mistake, the Eleven Sprocket wheels’ 58mm profile has the advantage over shallower rims but it’s on the back foot when faced with equally deep wheels with a more cutting-edge shape.

What the Eleven Sprocket wheels also arrive with, however, is ceramic bearings as standard. Whether this merely provides a placebo effect is questionable, but nevertheless they do seem to roll fantastically well.

They squirm a bit in crosswinds and can be vague under braking, even with the specified N7 brake pads, but they’re impressive enough and, with the ceramic bearings, feel like they could keep going forever. But while these may go better than a lot of wheels, they lack the stopping power to match.

Verdict: Fine but while their going is great, their stopping takes some getting used to, 74%

Contact : www.elevensprocket.com