Shimano revamp top-line Dura Ace wheels and pedals

Shimano have updated their top-level Dura-Ace wheels, now offering a 35mm-deep rim to go alongside their 24 and 50mm options.

All the wheelsets feature the new Dura-Ace 7900 hubs with Shimano’s cup-and-cone bearing technology as well as a new adjustment system that allows you to fine-tune things without a cone spanner. Each wheel is available in both a clincher and a tubular version.

The rims on the 35mm tubular wheels are full carbon while they’re carbon/aluminium on the clinchers. All the wheels in the range come with anodized aluminium hubs and butted, bladed stainless steel spokes – 16 at the front, 20 at the rear. Shimano reckon that the new 35mm rims combine high rigidity with low weight (1,339g for the tub version, 1,627g for the clincher) and excellent aerodynamics, although we’ve not got our hands on them yet. They should be available from about October, just before the 24mm models while the 50mm-depth versions should be on the market in April next year, just in time for the race season.

The Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals get a makeover for 2011 too. Rather than the existing aluminium pedal body, next year’s model uses carbon composite for a small weight saving. Shimano claim a weight of 248g per pair compared to a claimed 278g (plus 70g for the cleats) for the existing incarnation. All the other features remain the same. The new Dura-Ace pedals should be available from September.