Superteam has recently launched a lightened H2 version of its Ultra wheelset. Given the tempting price, we took the opportunity to ask the brand some questions about the savings offered by Chinese wheel brands.
Before we do, it’s worth taking a closer look at the Superteam Ultra H2 wheelset, the successor to the wheels that we were so confident in that we took them mountain biking not so long ago.
The wheelset features 50mm deep carbon hooked rims with a 30mm external width. The claimed weight is a mere 1,280g thanks, in part, to their carbon fibre spokes.
A unique rim design is said to reduce drag by 15% at 40kph when compared to a traditionally shaped rim of the same depth and width.
These are stats that, on paper, can take it to established Western brands. However, with a price tag of £811.35, is there something we’re missing?
To find out more about how Chinese brands can offer carbon wheels at such competitive prices, we spoke to Chris from Superteam…
road.cc: We keep referring to Superteam wheels as “Chinese wheels” but of course the majority of carbon fibre wheels are produced in Asia and China. What’s the difference between your wheels and the wheels from Western brands?
Chris from Superteam: Like you say, most carbon road and gravel bike wheels are produced here in China, sometimes even in the same factories as our “Chinese wheels”. They’re produced in exactly the same way, we take sheets of carbon fibre and lay them into moulds with epoxy. I think the key distinction is that we own the factory that our wheels are made in and then sell our wheels directly to the rider. In contrast, your Western brands will likely outsource the manufacture and then likely use a distributor to sell the wheels.
road.cc: The new Superteam Ultra wheels weigh just 1,280g despite being 50mm deep and yet they cost less than £1000. Many wheels with similar specs can often cost twice as much, how are the Ultra wheels so cheap?
Chris: I think that comes down to a few things. Firstly we like to think of the Ultra wheels as not cheap, but rather good value for money. They just don’t have the same markup as some other wheels.
Secondly, because we own the factory and ship direct to the rider there is no middle man. Middle men are sometimes useful to sell wheels but they’re also expensive, the factory has to make money, the distributor has to make money and the brand has to make a profit. All of this cost gets put on the RRP of a wheelset, which we just don’t have to do.
On a related note is storage costs, we don’t have expensive warehouses all over the world, because we can control how many wheels we hand-make in China we can save a lot on storage and pass this benefit on to the consumer. Economies of scale.
road.cc: How can wheels keep getting lighter? Does this weight saving affect rigidity compared to before and what are the main changes in riding?
Chris: The significant weight reduction of the new generation Superteam Ultra is mainly due to the improvement of flanges, spokes and rims. This is a direct result of our investment in scientific research, especially the use of high-quality carbon cloth and innovative weaving and stacking technology.
For confidentiality reasons, we cannot disclose these details because it requires considerable costs. However, the benefits of doing so are obvious: weight reduction without affecting the rigidity of the wheel. We hollowed out the rim and upgraded the spokes from the original 5.2mm carbon spokes to lighter 3.2mm spokes.
road.cc: We know that carbon spoke wheels need to strike a balance between lightness and rigidity. What can you do to ensure a wheel is both light and durable?
Chris: Special processes can be used to improve the strength and rigidity of the wheel set. For example: carbon fibre weaving, resin formulation, hole-free rims, vacuum curing, etc.
road.cc: Western brands are often keen to promote their R&D and wind tunnel testing as reasons for the premium price. How do you test your wheels?
Chris: The parent company of Superteam has obtained many national invention patents and has passed the UCI International Cycling Federation certification, SGS certification, and EN certification. We too use the wind tunnel to help us design and validate our wheels as well as CFD. Feedback of Superteam products in competitions is also the technical source of our product development.
road.cc: Superteam creates wheels for other brands, but what are the differences in manufacturing?
Chris: We’ve produced carbon wheels for some of the biggest names in cycling for years, and we’ve used this expertise to help us design and manufacture the new Ultra wheelset. Each wheel is handmade by artisans, every product has undergone strict quality inspection before leaving the factory. Superteam makes sure that rigorous product verification, extensive testing and strict quality control is used during every stage of product development and production.
road.cc: One of the attractions of Western wheels is that we see some of our favourite pro riders using them. Is this something that interests Superteam?
Chris: Superteam has sponsored many teams and individual riders in China (such as GUSTO SUPERTEAM), all of which have achieved good results, and we are also looking for more international team cooperation. We hope to prove through competitions that the performance of Superteam wheels is no less than that of higher-priced international brands, and that we are capable of helping riders win better results.
road.cc: A potential worry about buying Chinese carbon wheels is if there is a problem, will the rider be heard, and will Superteam improve its products based on user feedback?
Chris: Superteam’s Ultra generation encountered a thorny problem when it was first released. We shipped a pair of wheels to a Youtuber for evaluation, and quality problems occurred. We also re-sent a pair of products to him after the incident, and respected him to truthfully describe the issue in the video. As a growing brand, Superteam has always listened to user feedback and continuously optimised products and services. We have never avoided or concealed any problems that have arisen, but have listened to suggestions humbly and hope to hear more user feedback.
road.cc: What is Superteam all about?
Chris: In the process of continuous development, Superteam has never forgotten its mission: to bring a better riding experience to cyclists and better and more cost-effective bicycle products to consumers. Therefore, we are also constantly innovating our products to win the recognition of consumers with higher product quality and lower product prices.
We have never stopped exploring for higher performance, never stopped working hard for better service, and never stopped pursuing better riding quality.
So, if you’re willing to wait just a few weeks for your new wheels, then you can seemingly save yourself a lot of money without sacrificing quality.
If you want to learn more about the new Superteam Ultra wheels, head to the link below and you can save 5% on full price wheel sets with our exclusive code RC05:
