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review

Shimano RX31 wheels

8
£299.98

VERDICT:

8
10
Solid, dependable wheels for on and off road duties, now available with thru axle
Weight: 
1,960g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Shimano's RX31 wheelset is perfect for those bikes that see a hard life whether that be slogging along on the commute in all weathers, a bit of light touring or even some gravel or cyclocross abuse. It's great to see this latest version come with hubs for 12mm thru axles too.

With a road bike thru axle standard seemingly starting to settle down on 12mm front and rear Shimano have obviously felt it's the right time to release their wheel range to accept the large diameter axle.

Thru axles replace the quick release that's been used on road bikes for decades with a hollow tube, 12mm in diameter in this case, which passes through a hole in the fork leg (in place of the dropouts) then through the hub before screwing directly into the other fork leg.

Shimano RX31 wheelset - rear hub.jpg

The larger axle and secure fixing stiffens the whole fork and wheel assembly against steering flex, and makes it impossible for the wheel to be ejected by braking forces, which can happen with standard vertical dropouts. Wheel alignment is also much more precise avoiding rotor rub every time.

The build here is pretty much the same as the quick release model we originally reviewed back in September 2014. There's a 24mm disc-specific rim attached to a Center Lock disc hub with 24 straight-bladed spokes in a two-cross pattern. The bearings are well-sealed angular contact loose balls like all Shimano wheels, although you don't get the tool-free adjustment of the pricier options.

Shimano RX31 wheelset - front hub 2.jpg

Those original wheels have been in constant use since that date under plenty of riders doing different things. Dave's original 9/10 for durability certainly hasn't needed to be put under any scrutiny and things aren't any different with this thru axle version. They've seen a fair old bit of abuse with gravel tracks and muddy singletrack giving the bearing seals plenty of work to do keeping out water, dust and grit. The bearings are still running smooth and quiet.

The same goes for the rest of the wheels' build quality. Tension has remained high and even across those bladed spokes plus trueness seems the same although that isn't a major issue when running discs.

Shimano RX31 wheelset - rim detail 2.jpg

The rims are 17mm wide internally (24mm external) which means that Shimano recommend a tyre width of 25 to 28mm for a smooth transition between wheel and tyre. Tyres were easy to fit; I tried a few pairs, from Schwalbe Ones to Continentals and 35mm Schwalbe cyclocross tyres.

From a durability point of view it's good to see a steel freehub body. Aluminium ones may be lighter but tend to get gnarled up by the sprockets.

Shimano RX31 wheelset - spoke nipples.jpg

The only real downside to these wheels is the weight: 1960g with the rim tape in place. That's quite a heft to get spinning from a standing start over and over again and certainly rules these wheels out for racing of any kind.

In terms of value the RX31s offer a decent investment considering they are pretty much bombproof and Shimano wheels are often discounted in the shops. Anything you can save on the £299 price tag will be a bonus.

Shimano RX31 wheelset - rim bed.jpg

We've seen lighter disc brake wheels here at road.cc like the Kinesis Racelight Discs but they are an extra £100 which further confirms the value for money of the RX31s.

Verdict

Solid, dependable wheels for on and off road duties, now available with thru axle

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Shimano RX31 wheelset

Size tested: 24 x 700C

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?

"Since Bikes have changed over the years products got better and lighter, for this also goes for the wheels. Braking on the rim surface of light weight wheels becomes more critical in wet conditions. Disc brakes offer the rider constantly same power and controlability and prevent the rim to wear out.

Together with the hydraulic disc brakes Shimano introduced a compatible wheel set at Ultegra level, the WH-RX31. This is an 11-speed center lock compatible wheel set for road and cyclocross bikes. The wider rim (17C) is best matching newer wider tires."

I think the RX31s are a solid wheels ideal for the majority of riding on and off road. Being available in thru axle setup now completes the range.

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

24 mm high profile aluminium rim for improved aero dynamics

Easy to use Centre-Lock rotor mount for use with disc brakes

24 stainless steel butted and bladed straight pull spokes with a 2-cross lacing pattern improve lateral and torsional (power transmission) rigidity

Elbow-less spokes with alloy nipples make for a strong yet compliant wheel

The hub uses angular contact bearings designed to cradle the balls giving both radial and lateral support for superior strength and durability in real world riding conditions. They also offer precision bearing adjustment and easy maintenance

Labyrinth and contact sealing - low-friction seals effectively shut out water, mud and dirt without affecting rotational smoothness

700C Clincher rim only

Recommended tyre width 25-38C

Front hub - 100 x 12mm

Rear hub - 142 x 12mm

Rate the wheel for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the wheel for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the wheel for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the wheel for weight
 
6/10
Rate the wheel for value:
 
7/10

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

Yes, absolutely no issues whatsoever with a lot of the testing being on tough gravel roads.

How easy did you find it to fit tyres?

Relatively easy, I could get various tyres on (28mm road & 35mm CX) without the need for tyre levers.

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

No problems

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

As a hardwearing 'do it all' wheelset the RX31s are hard to knock.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the wheel

How strong they are

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the wheel

They are heavy.

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

The competition has grown since we first tested the quick release version of this wheelset but the RX31s still hold their own in terms of performance and durability. They are quite pricey for their weight at full rrp but as with most things Shimano you'll rarely ever pay that.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 38  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: Kinesis Aithien

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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4 comments

Avatar
Langsam | 7 years ago
0 likes

It'll only make a (negligable) difference when accelerating hard from a standing start. At least, that's what the physics tell us. 

Plus, all these reviews that say 'the wheels were hard to spin up' should also then say 'but the extra rotational weight meant they coasted down better than superlight wheels', because that's the other side of the rotational weight argument. Do they ever say that? Do they hell. You cannot perceive differences in acceleration or deceleration. 

 

Apologies for the myriad spelling mistakes.

Avatar
Danzxer | 7 years ago
0 likes

I have a set the rear wheel is very heavy, with tire 28 mm, tube and rotor it's still heavier than a Pancenti SL25 with 32 spokes, tire sealant, tire 35mm, rotor and cassette 11 speed and it's still not even close.

Avatar
Langsam | 7 years ago
0 likes

Bike + rider weight of maybe 80 + 9kg, add on a KG for water bottles and clothes, are you really going to notice that +/- 400g difference compared to a superlight disc wheelset? That's 0.5% difference in total system weight.

 

Or are you just talking out of you 'arris?

Avatar
macrophotofly replied to Langsam | 7 years ago
0 likes
Langsam wrote:

... are you really going to notice that +/- 400g difference compared to a superlight disc wheelset? That's 0.5% difference in total system weight.

I would agree with you on any other part of the bike (and I do laugh at some of the ridiculous weight saving that occurs to get a few grams off when two full bottles of water are then attached to that said bike), but the rotational forces do mean that weight lost at the rim makes a signifigant difference. So I would put my money on a pair of wheels that saves 400g (and sub1500g is still obtainable in a disc wheelset for less than 500 quid from Hunt). Obviously you don't know where the weight has been lost (rim vs hub) and with a steel cassette holder these wheels are only adding some at the hub, but lighter spokes and rim do make a considerable difference

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