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review

Pro-Lite Revo A21W Centerlock disc brake wheelset

9
£359.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Great value and performance from these future-proofed 700C all-purpose disc brake wheels
Weight: 
1,650g

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Road disc and gravel wheels are getting better, lighter and cheaper, and right at the forefront of that trend are the Pro-Lite Revo A21s. At 1,650g, with a Centerlock option, thru-axle compatibility and a wide track rim, they're a bargain at £349.99, and pretty future-proof too. (Check out the video here.) 

Pro-Lite builds all its wheels by hand and the Revos arrived nice and true, with even spoke tension. The spokes are bladed and triple butted, and Pro-Lite uses a brass washer at the spoke head to better distribute the forces there. 

> Find your nearest dealer here

The Revos use a 21mm deep rim (hence the name), which is 23.8mm wide externally and 19mm internally. That makes it ideal for 28-32mm tyres, although 25mm rubber and bigger chamber tyres will be fine too.

Pro-Lite Revo A21 Disc Clincher Wheelset - spokes.jpg

It's tubeless-compatible, too. You don't get the rim strips and valves with the wheelset but once you have them it's a simple enough job and I had no trouble fitting the tyres I tried (30mm Schwalbe S-Ones and 35mm G-Ones). Mostly I used the wheels tubeless. Road tubeless has been waiting in the wings for a while but the new tyres and sealants that are popping up in 2016 are likely to give it a boost, so it's great that the Revos are ready.

They're ready for thru-axles too. The wheels come bundled with decent external-cam quick releases, but also a kit to swap to thru-axles front and rear. For the 15mm front caps it's just a case of popping off the end caps and replacing them; at the back you need to replace the whole axle, but it's a simple enough job. Our wheels didn't come with the newer 12mm front axle end caps but they will be available too. That's you fairly well future-proofed if you're thinking of buying another frame.

Pro-Lite Revo A21 Disc Clincher Wheelset - hub.jpg

The wheels we tested also came with Shimano's Centerlock disc mount. The Revos are available in 6-bolt configuration, but Centerlock is set to take over in my opinion, because it's just better.

I fitted the Pro-Lites to my Kinesis Tripster ATR, in place of a set of Zipp 30 Course wheels. They're very similar in many regards: the weights are within 20g of each other, and the rims have a similar profile (although the Zipps are 2mm wider internally). Both are solidly built and have plenty of lateral stiffness.

Pro-Lite Revo A21 Disc Clincher Wheelset - rim bed.jpg

I was pretty impressed with the Zipps, the only really stumbling block was the £800 price. These Revos don't look quite as classy but to all intents and purposes you're getting comparable performance, and they're just £350.

I've used them for faster road riding with 30mm tyres, and lane bashing and a bit of off-road on 35mm rubber, and they've been excellent. They're a really good all-round option, solid enough to cope with some abuse without being over-heavy – 1,600g is probably the sweet spot for an all-purpose alloy road disc wheel in that regard, so they're right in the zone.

> Thinking about going tubeless? Here's everything you need to know

They've worn well. The hubs use sealed EZO bearings (two at the front, four at the rear) that have stayed smooth, and the freehub has survived some dousings with no issues. This is alloy, and there's no anti-bite strip so there's a bit of notching on the splines now, but it's no worse than others I've used. Make sure you do your cassette up nice and tight.

Pro-Lite Revo A21 Disc Clincher Wheelset - rear hub.jpg

I have very little negative to say about these Pro-Lites, really. If you're looking for a future-proof set of wheels for a new road disc/gravel/cross build then these are an excellent choice, and they're also a highly recommended upgrade if your bike came with heavy stock wheels, or you're looking to convert to tubeless. The shouty graphics might put a few people off but the performance certainly won't.

Verdict

Great value and performance from these future-proofed 700C all-purpose disc brake wheels

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Pro-Lite Revo A21 Disc Clincher Wheelset

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the wheel is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Pro-Lite says: "Coming in either 6 bolt ISO or Center lock disc settings, or run an adapter on the center lock hub to give you the best of both worlds. Running super smooth Japanese EZO bearings and a tubeless ready rim. With interchangeable axles (135mm and 142mm), these wheels will keep up with current specs now and to come"

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the wheel?

ETRTO: 19-622

Rim Type: 21mm Sleeved 6061 Clincher

Rim Finish: Anodized Black Spokes 28 32

Spokes: Triple Butted 2.2mm Aero Sandvik Stainless Steel

Lacing: 3-Cross

Freehub Material: Alloy

Rate the wheel for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Handbuilt to a high standard from good components.

Rate the wheel for performance:
 
9/10

Really nice wheels to use, easy to run tubeless, stayed true throughout testing.

Rate the wheel for durability:
 
8/10

Wearing well. Some notching in the freehub.

Rate the wheel for weight
 
9/10

For the money, really good.

Rate the wheel for value:
 
10/10

Can't fault the value here.

Did the wheels stay true? Any issues with spoke tension?

Tension was even, wheels stayed true.

How easy did you find it to fit tyres?

Pretty easy, including tubeless.

How did the wheel extras (eg skewers and rim tape) perform?

Skewers are good, swapping axle caps is easy.

Tell us how the wheel performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the wheel

Well built, good profile, light for the money.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the wheel

Nothing.

Did you enjoy using the wheel? Yes

Would you consider buying the wheel? Yes

Would you recommend the wheel to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

These wheels put in an excellent performance.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 189cm  Weight: 92kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Kinesis Aithein

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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18 comments

Avatar
Plymothian2 | 5 years ago
0 likes

Zero stars from me, I'm afraid! 

I can only advise readers of this review to avoid these wheels unless you want to discover how weak and fragile these wheels actually are, and how Pro-Lite's 2y warranty is worthless in practice.

After 16 months of road usage, commuting to work, the rims have developed potentially dangerous cracks around the spoke holes. Thankfully I noticed in time, when a wobble appeared (without rim braking, you wouldn't necessarily spot this straight away on disc rims). Pro-Lite's response have been to rebuff any warrant claim. They didn't even ask to inspect the wheels.

This review may seem at odds with the reviewer, but unlike Dave Atkinson, I unfortunately can report back having used these for a longer duration. I am also a rider with over 20 years experience, although I am at touch lighter at 90Kg. My only advice is save your money for hand-built wheels. My own reason for not going for hand-builts was my desparation to get on the road, and the fact these wheels were cheap - therein lies the problem. My local wheel builder, and another reasonably well-known builder in East Sussex have both expressed surprise at Pro-Lite's response, and concluded the rims, at least, to be substandard. With hindsight, it's obvious that Pro-Lite have sacrificed durability and strength for weight. The clue is in the perilously thin spoke bed built up with 32 spokes to compensate for the resulting rim flex, and the fact that 6061 has been used where other stronger, but more expensive versions of the alloy would have been better.

 

Avatar
m1g | 6 years ago
0 likes

Can I use these on the GT Grade AL tiagra, that has the 6 bolt disc brakes and standard quick release axels? (Or; what do I need to make it work...? Can I use a centre disc as is on the bike, as long as there is a rotor on the wheel?)

Avatar
RoboRider21 | 8 years ago
0 likes

Great wheels these, very happy with mine.

 

Just seen that this centrelock version are available here for a good price too.

 

http://www.absolute-cycles.com/index.php/pro-lite-revo-a21-disc-brake-ro...

 

 

Avatar
bendertherobot | 8 years ago
0 likes
Avatar
RoboRider21 | 8 years ago
0 likes

Great read and value for money.

I just contacted the UK Distributor Nrg4 Cycling through there website here 

http://www.nrg4cycling.co.uk/index.php?route=information/contact

 

Very nice chap came back to me promptly and explained that they have exclusivity on the centrelock version and Wiggle have the heavier 6 bolt version.

 

They have pointed me in the direction of my nearest dealer and I have them arriving hopefully before the weekend.

Avatar
hotweathercyclist | 8 years ago
0 likes

Joytech hubs on A-rims with Pillar spokes, hand built with alloy nipples that will break. 

I would just stear clear of these, better of with some Kinessis

Avatar
bendertherobot replied to hotweathercyclist | 8 years ago
4 likes
hotweathercyclist wrote:

Joytech hubs on A-rims with Pillar spokes, hand built with alloy nipples that will break. 

I would just stear clear of these, better of with some Kinessis

Joytech as in Novatec? The guys who've built the hubs for wheels I've used for over 10,000 miles? That joytech? The ones that are rated by even the good wheel builders?

Pillar spokes? The ones made by Sanvik for them? Similar ones being used by Hunt for their wheels? 

What will break? the hubs, rims or alloy nipples? 

Why are they better than the Kinesis with their Chosen hubs (probably) that are for all intents and purposes the same as a Novatec one? The ones with pillar spokes and alloy nipples? 

Avatar
wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
0 likes

where can I get the centerlock version, I can only find them on wiggle and then only 6 bolt option

Avatar
bendertherobot replied to wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
0 likes
wycombewheeler wrote:

where can I get the centerlock version, I can only find them on wiggle and then only 6 bolt option

Drop these guys a message

http://www.nrg4cycling.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&search=revo...

Or just get a) new rotors or b) a 6 bolt to centrelock adapter

Avatar
RoboRider21 replied to wycombewheeler | 8 years ago
0 likes
wycombewheeler wrote:

where can I get the centerlock version, I can only find them on wiggle and then only 6 bolt option

 

UK Distributor can help

http://www.nrg4cycling.co.uk/index.php?route=information/contact

Avatar
The _Kaner | 8 years ago
0 likes

6 bolt version on Ribble for €206. These are not the A21W version though!

25mm deep and only 14mm wide, with standard 9mm QRs only.

Avatar
bendertherobot replied to The _Kaner | 8 years ago
0 likes
The _Kaner wrote:

6 bolt version on Ribble for €206. These are not the A21W version though!

25mm deep and only 14mm wide, with standard 9mm QRs only.

And much much heavier. 

Avatar
bendertherobot | 8 years ago
0 likes

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/pro-lite-revo-a21-alloy-road-disc-brake-wheelset/

 

First review there has somewhere to price match. no idea if same wheels mind. 

Avatar
bendertherobot | 8 years ago
0 likes

I got Wiggle to price match another place. But that other place don't have them now. Shame.

Anyway, I wouldn't hesitate on these. They are excellent, as long as you like the look. Should last ages. Good spoke count IMO as well, no need for 20/24 for the use they are likely to be put to.

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themartincox replied to bendertherobot | 8 years ago
0 likes

bendertherobot wrote:

I got Wiggle to price match another place. But that other place don't have them now. Shame.

 

why didn't you just buy them from the other place?

Avatar
bendertherobot replied to themartincox | 8 years ago
1 like
themartincox wrote:
bendertherobot wrote:

I got Wiggle to price match another place. But that other place don't have them now. Shame.

 

why didn't you just buy them from the other place?

 

Prefer Wiggle's return policy, back up and their use of Collect+

Ditto this week when they price matched some Schwalbe G-One's from Bike24.

Avatar
bendertherobot | 8 years ago
1 like

I bought two pairs of these a few weeks back. There's a review out there on the web somewhere.

Very good quality. I have them on my CX and Commuter. I'll probably go tubeless on the CX as I have some Schwalbe G-One incoming.

Best thing was I managed to get each pair for £160. 

Avatar
Butty replied to bendertherobot | 8 years ago
0 likes
bendertherobot wrote:

I bought two pairs of these a few weeks back. There's a review out there on the web somewhere.

Very good quality. I have them on my CX and Commuter. I'll probably go tubeless on the CX as I have some Schwalbe G-One incoming.

Best thing was I managed to get each pair for £160. 

Don't be a tease. Where did you get them from?

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