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review

Ican Aero 50 wheelset

3
£500.00

VERDICT:

3
10
Attractive price, but the braking, crosswind stability and lateral stiffness leave a lot to be desired
Weight: 
1,412g
Contact: 

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Ican's Aero 50 Carbon wheelset is one of the cheapest budget carbon options. The wheels are light, for the depth, and feel fast, but that's outweighed by their twitchiness in any wind, inconsistent braking, huge lateral flex, and lack of tubeless equipment in the box.

Pros: UK warehouse so no extra taxes

Cons: Braking; stability in the wind; no tubeless valves or tape included; lots of lateral flex

 

Ican Aero 50 wheelset - rim bed.jpg

Ican is based in China, with most of its stock held there, but it has warehouses in the US, Belgium, Germany, Australia and right here in the UK too. As anyone who has ordered wheels from China will tell you, a UK warehouse is a very good thing. It can cut delivery times down and means that you won't be paying extra taxes. With Ican, shipping is also free.

> Buy these online here

In the box, you'll get your new wheels, skewers, carbon brake pads, and standard rim tape. As the wheels are advertised as being tubeless ready, I was a little disappointed not to find the tape and valves included.

Setting up clincher tyres was pretty straightforward, and once I'd got some tubeless tape the 25mm Vittoria Corsa Speed G tyres that I mounted went up with a standard track pump and some vigorous pumping.

On the road

Ican Aero 50 wheelset - rim 1.jpg

Looks are a big part of why I love deep-section wheels. They transform a bike's aesthetics and the deep whooshing sound never gets boring. These aren't the deepest wheels that I've had on my bike, but they fit the 'race look' perfectly with subtle decals.

I've given these wheels as much riding on varied terrain as possible because, even though it's a fast wheelset, most of us will ride on everything but smooth race circuits.

Braking is often the Achilles heel of cheaper carbon rims and I'm afraid to say that's true here, these are poor under braking. There are a couple of grabby spots in both rims which, even under the softest braking, were causing the rear wheel to lock up. Initially, I thought the issue might be my SwissStop pads, but switching them out for the pads provided made no improvement.

Handling is better, with the wheels able to track nicely through smooth corners, though the vertical stiffness rears its head on broken tarmac. Even with the tyres set up tubeless and running less than 70psi, I was feeling every imperfection.

Crosswind stability, despite the promising-looking profile of these rims, is also poor. The wheels are skittish in a breeze, with the front wheel partricularly so. As I mentioned before, I've ridden deeper wheels in the form of Knight's 65mm deep carbon clinchers. They were totally unfazed by the wind, so to have a wheel 15mm shallower be so nervous is very disappointing. I don't think that the lower weight of the Ican wheels is to blame here. I've had even lighter 50mm tubular wheels which were stable in windy conditions. 

What the Ican Aero 50s lack in stability and braking they slightly make up for in speed. On still days, they hold speed well. Getting them up to speed isn't the best though. They feel sluggish and slow when out of the saddle. I think this is may well be down to the lateral flexing the wheel is prone to creating a wheel that feels quite soft when you accelerate from slow speeds.

The R01 hubs are a standard straight-pull design that provides a base for the Sapim CX-Ray spokes; 18 are laced radially on the front wheel, with 24 on the rear – 12 laced two-cross on the non-drive side and 12 radially on the drive side.

Ican Aero 50 wheelset - rear hub.jpg

As already mentioned the vertical stiffness of these wheels is not matched by the lateral stiffness. I was able to get brake rub and, more worryingly, enough rub on my chainstays to cause significant cosmetic damage. The worst damage is to the non-drive side chainstay, suggesting that the radially laced Sapim CX-Ray spokes don't cope well with drivetrain forces in this lacing pattern.

I'm not even a big, powerful rider, so if you can put out over 1,100W (my max power) then you might be too powerful for these wheels. The wheel/tyre combination that I've used here isn't any wider than my usual setup and I've had no previous issues with wheels costing from £200 to over £2,000, from a range of manufacturers including Shimano, Fulcrum, Mavic, Pacenti and Vision.

Contacting Ican about the issues that I've experienced has - as yet - yielded no resolution.

Value

These are possibly the cheapest carbon wheels that we've tested, but that doesn't mean they're great value. Yes, the price is low, but because of the poor braking, lack of lateral stiffness and crosswind issues, I'd say they actually offer poor value for money.

At this price point, aluminium wheels are probably the way to go. There are so many good options from the likes of Shimano, DT Swiss, Mavic, and countless others. The Pacenti wheels that I currently have on test are brilliant, and Stu loved the £350 Forza Rim Brake wheelset.

If you must have carbon then I'd suggest you start saving up. CES Sport does the RC50 for £600, and the Prime RR-50s are £599.99. Hunt's 50 wheelset is pricier at £899, but you get a set of wheels that beats two-grand wheelsets for performance and value. (Stu tested the 3650 Carbon Wide Aero wheels and was very impressed.) Internally and externally they are wider than the Icans, and handle better in crosswinds. They also come with tubeless tape and valves.

Conclusion

The Icans are cheap, but it shows in the braking, lateral stiffness and any crosswind. If you go for a shallower, disc brake option then they might be okay, but I'd suggest you save up for the Hunt wheels, then you'll have exceptional performance to match the looks.

Verdict

Attractive price, but the braking, crosswind stability and lateral stiffness leave a lot to be desired

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Ican Aero 50 wheelset 

Size tested: 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?

Ican says: "The Aero 50 is a 50mm deep wheelset that is a member of the Aero Series. The Aero Series is a super-light successor of the Fast and Light Series. The Aero has all the impressive features found in the Fast and Light Series but in lighter forms.

"The Aero 50 features a 25mm wide rims with a tubeless-ready clincher rim profile. Tubeless tires offer better rolling resistance and protection from punctures. The broad design of the wheelset provides stability and safety to the rider at high speeds.

"The Aero 50 is molded from a combination of Toray T700 and T800 carbon fiber cloths. This marriage of carbon fiber results in a wheelset that is lighter than its equivalent in the Fast and Light Series. The change has produced a weight reduction of 61.1g on the front wheel and 60.5g on the rear wheel.

"The Aero 50 features a lighter R01 hubset with fewer spokes than its equivalent in the Fast and Light Series. The reduction was an effort by ICAN engineers to reduce the overall weight of the wheelset while maintaining strength. The Aero 50 can support a rider weight limit of 232lbs or 105Kg. The wheelset comes fitted with the super-light and aerodynamically sound CX-Ray spokes. The hub on the rear wheel is a 10/11 speed Shimano Cassette.

"The Aero 50 break track comes with improved heat resistance. This break track can tolerate up to 300o of heat- this is 60o higher than its equivalent in the Fast and Light Series.

"Each purchase of the Aero 50 comes with a set of skewers, carbon brake pads, and a rim tape."

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

From Ican:

Type

- Carbon Racing Bike Wheelset

Rims

- Superlight AERO 50

Material

- 100% Carbon Fiber Toray T700 & T800

Size

- 700C

Rim

Finish: UD Matt

Drills: 18/24 Holes

Width:

- External: 25mm

- Internal: 18.35mm

Depth

- 50mm

Profile

- Clincher Tubeless Ready

Hub

- R01 Hubs

Spoke

- Sapim CX-Ray Spokes

Spoke Count

Front: 18 Rear: 24

Spoke Tension

Front:

- 110kgf

Rear:

- Drive side: 136kgf

- Non-drive side: 59kgf

Spoke Pattern

Front

- Radial

Rear

- Radial drive side

- 2-cross non drive side

Nipple

- Alloy

Color

- Black

Cassette Compatibility

- Shimano 10/11speeds

Wheelset Weight

- Total: 1357+-20g

- Front: 592+-10g Rear: 765+-10g

Brake Surface

- 3K Twill

Recommended Tyre Size

- 700 x 25-40mm

Rider Weight Limit

- 105kg

Guarantee

- 2 years

Free

- 1 set of skewer

- Carbon brakes pads

- Rim tape

Rate the wheel for quality of construction:
 
2/10

Why the rear wheel is laced with the radial spokes on the drive side I have no idea. This is a high-stress area and probably explains the lateral flex that I found. They've also used Sapim CX Ray spokes. This could also have played a part, especially when used in this lacing pattern with the low hub flanges. It's just a mess of a build.

Rate the wheel for performance:
 
3/10
Rate the wheel for durability:
 
5/10
Rate the wheel for weight
 
8/10

Actually pretty good for a deeper wheel.

Rate the wheel for value:
 
3/10

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

They're not perfectly true out of the box but they stayed straight enough through the test period.

How easy did you find it to fit tyres?

Both clinchers and tubeless tyres went up easily.

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

Basic rim tape, but not tubeless, so I had to buy that to test these properly.

The skewers were too long for my bike – not an issue I have often.

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

On a still day, on an open road with a good surface and no corners, these are ok. The rest of the time, they're not that nice to ride.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the wheel

They're fast wheels, I'll give them that.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the wheel

The braking is poor, but at least that's only needed for junctions and corners. Crosswind stability issues are a constant problem.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Cheapest we've seen. Though you can still spend less buying directly from China, I don't recommend it.

Hunt 50 Carbon is £899 - Where I'd spend my money. A fabulous wheelset.

CES Sport RC50 is £600 - Stu was pretty impressed, especially with the braking surface.

Did you enjoy using the wheel? No

Would you consider buying the wheel? No

Would you recommend the wheel to a friend? No

Use this box to explain your overall score

The braking, crosswind stability and lateral stiffness can't be solved with a low price.

Overall rating: 3/10

About the tester

Age: 24  Height: 177cm  Weight: 62kg

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Di2  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, I specialise in the Cafe Ride!

Add new comment

53 comments

Avatar
williswang | 1 year ago
0 likes

road.cc is a respectable bike magazine, which has a huge influence in the bike industry.
and In the past two years, ICAN Cycling has made great improvements in quality control.

And maybe it is a accident for the wheels.
100% good wheels do not exist, which involves the issue of product qualification rate. That is the reason why exsit the repair shop and warranty.

At present, ICAN Cycling's wheels have made great progress, and I see a lot of good reviews

But I still think ican cycling is a good company to manufacture carbon road wheels, which let me know more about ican cycling.

Maybe road.cc should retest their wheels, after all, two years have passed, you can check the quality of their wheels again.
We cannot destroy a company or deny a company because of a mistake in a wheel group
Sometimes, it is normal for a company's product to have a problem, otherwise there is no any meaningful for the warranty policy. I believe they can return and repair the problem wheel, which is important. We should give evaluation objectively, without any prejudice.
 

Avatar
Drawide | 3 years ago
1 like

Hello people,

I'm also an ICAN Owner, unfortunately.

I have bought a set of FL50 attracted by the price which eventually once purchased from the german warehouse wasn't so cheap (750 euro) for this price rather look at other entry-level renewed brands.

The wheels as mentioned in the reviews have a lot of lateral flex and when sprinting out of the saddle the back wheels rub against frame and brake pads. The effect is noticeable already at 500 watts output. 

The brake rims are inconsistent and grubby in several points. I reached out ICAN and THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS INCREDIBLY BAD!

The first email I sent (1 month after purchase) was just missed by them and I gave up thinking this was the type of service offered. I tried again because the wheels started performing worse and worse (the front Novatec hub got lose and can clearly play the wheel left to right just shaking it). Eventually, I could establish contact with them.

They asked me to send some videos of the problematic areas and offered me to ship from china "new stiffer rims" without returning mine. I was supposed to go to a shop and ask to lace the wheels on the new rims. This operation will cost me 80 euro per wheel plus additional cost to take apart my wheels.

Since I denied this option I have sent dozens of email to ICAN trying to get the wheelset replaced or returning the product and get a refund (favourite option) but all of these has been ignored by them. Interestingly when I proposed to BUY a new wheelset on a discounted price as compensation I got a reply right away. The discount they offered was the full retail price for the American market which is a little cheaper. LOL

This company is not reliable.

For all the people stating their wheels are perfect probably they are on their first pair of carbon wheels and don't have a proper comparison in performance with a good quality product. If these wheels are pushed to performance like expecting from racing products all their limits will be revealed.

Avatar
rap9239 | 4 years ago
1 like

Thanks for an outstanding and informative review.  I was just about to purchase this wheelset but after reading this review, I quickly changed my mind.  The one thing that really calls these wheels into question is the rear wheel lacing pattern of radial on the drive side.  There are wheels that are built this way, most notably the Mavic Ksyrium SL, an extremely reliable and robust wheelset that exhibits absolutely zero lateral flex.  The difference is that Mavic specificially engineered the FTS L hub for this purpose. And their oversized, zicral spokes are also an important component to make that wheel build work.

The CX Sapim spokes are clearly not designed to withstand the drive side radial lacing and this hub is probaly not designed with that lacing pattern in mind either.

One would think that with the proven aerodynamics of  U shaped rim profile, these wheels would not be overly senstive to sidewinds, relative to other aero wheels.  But in reading many reviews, it is clear that there are some wheels, aero or not, that seem to be more sensitive to side winds than others.  I'm not sure why this is, it seems counterintuitive, but it evidently is.  That is why it is so great to have a resource like road.cc to aid in making wise product choices.  Sometimes products don't work in ther real world the way they look on paper.

thanks again for your helpful review.

 

Avatar
christo747 | 4 years ago
0 likes

I have one different question. Is it possible to remove the decals or are they painted on?

Avatar
Smac9 | 4 years ago
0 likes

Hi

I felt compelled to comment here as an owner of ICAN Aero 40 disc wheels , different wheels but from the same range as those tested . 

I admit I have only had them a few months with a few hundred miles in them but must say I think they’re great and have not had an noticeable lateral flex nor any side wind issues.  They have been out in gusty days and didn’t feel any different to the shallow profile wheels they replaced - almost surprisingly.

As for flex they feel stiffer than the 3 other sets of road wheels I’ve  owned over time so no issue there in my mind.

They are light and very responsive compared to the much heavier lower end Mavics they replaced and felt much faster . I don’t have experience with wheels costing £1-£2k and perhaps never will. I don’t mind occasionally spending a few grand on a bike but frankly don’t feel the need to spend so much on wheels and these decently priced wheels appear to fit the bill well. I suspect many on the market are overpriced for what they are . 

Would be interested to here other ICAN owners views . I did a lot of research and soul searching before purchasing and only ever saw positive feedback and I am pleased with themso far. 

Avatar
Pianopiano | 4 years ago
0 likes

Hi to everybody, I'm new, from Italy, sorry for my english.

Dear Liam,

I agree that a brand new product has to work perfectly. and you don't have to check and tune it, but....

The extreme lateral flexibility could be caused by bad spoke tension.

Now, if so (it is not sure, but it is possible and likely), you have done a test , many miles, and a review, on a faulty item, and that it is not fair.

I give you an example, you test a new Ferrari or a Rolls Royce, and  for any reason it has a broken or defective cheap piece in the engine or in the electronic (let's say a simple spurk plug), and the car goes slowly or doesn't switch on.

Would you say that car is shit (because of one spurk plug of 15 pounds)? would you give 1.5 stars?

You get it repaired, then it works perfectly, than you test and from the total score you cut something for the initial trouble.

Yes the quality control made by the manufacturer is important but there is always a minimum percentage of faulty items (very low for high quality brands and some higher for others).

We don't know yet if this is the case of your ican aero 40, if the spokes were perfectly tight, but it would be interresting to know for everybody, and understand why that low lateral stiffness.

I kindly ask you, if possible to check spoke tension eand let us know.

Of course if it is wrong and after tuning it another test and try the wheelset, to know if the trouble is sorted out and how they are when all right.

Thanks, bye

Avatar
Liam Cahill replied to Pianopiano | 4 years ago
3 likes
Pianopiano wrote:

Hi to everybody, I'm new, from Italy, sorry for my english.

Dear Liam,

I agree that a brand new product has to work perfectly. and you don't have to check and tune it, but....

The extreme lateral flexibility could be caused by bad spoke tension.

Now, if so (it is not sure, but it is possible and likely), you have done a test , many miles, and a review, on a faulty item, and that it is not fair.

I give you an example, you test a new Ferrari or a Rolls Royce, and  for any reason it has a broken or defective cheap piece in the engine or in the electronic (let's say a simple spurk plug), and the car goes slowly or doesn't switch on.

Would you say that car is shit (because of one spurk plug of 15 pounds)? would you give 1.5 stars?

You get it repaired, then it works perfectly, than you test and from the total score you cut something for the initial trouble.

Yes the quality control made by the manufacturer is important but there is always a minimum percentage of faulty items (very low for high quality brands and some higher for others).

We don't know yet if this is the case of your ican aero 40, if the spokes were perfectly tight, but it would be interresting to know for everybody, and understand why that low lateral stiffness.

I kindly ask you, if possible to check spoke tension eand let us know.

Of course if it is wrong and after tuning it another test and try the wheelset, to know if the trouble is sorted out and how they are when all right.

Thanks, bye

Hi Pianopiano, seems rather silly to compare buying a cheaper set of wheels from the internet to buying one of the most expensive cars available.
Firstly, the car is bought from a dealership and therefore, you can return the car easily for servicing. These wheels are bought online with no local dealers. Walking into a local bike shop and asking them to fix parts that you've bought to deliberately undercut their in-store prices is not something that'll make you popular. Had I paid out £200,000 on this theoretical supercar and found there to be parts that were not premium-standard, I'd be really pissed off.
I replaced the skewers to Shimano Ultegra. This did not help.
Secondly, we test loads of wheels. Never would we expect to test the spoke tension. In today's world, this should just be sorted out of the box.
Finally, when contacted about the problems, Ican would not agree to pay for the return of the wheelset. If I was a paying customer, paying for Ican to repair a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place then I'm not going to be too happy about either, am I?
They also suggested that they send new nipples and that I get a wheelbuilder to rebuild the wheels. Again, they expected me to cover this cost. Yet more money to fix Ican's problems.

Avatar
Pianopiano replied to Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
0 likes
Liam Cahill wrote:
Pianopiano wrote:

Hi to everybody, I'm new, from Italy, sorry for my english.

Dear Liam,

I agree that a brand new product has to work perfectly. and you don't have to check and tune it, but....

The extreme lateral flexibility could be caused by bad spoke tension.

Now, if so (it is not sure, but it is possible and likely), you have done a test , many miles, and a review, on a faulty item, and that it is not fair.

I give you an example, you test a new Ferrari or a Rolls Royce, and  for any reason it has a broken or defective cheap piece in the engine or in the electronic (let's say a simple spurk plug), and the car goes slowly or doesn't switch on.

Would you say that car is shit (because of one spurk plug of 15 pounds)? would you give 1.5 stars?

You get it repaired, then it works perfectly, than you test and from the total score you cut something for the initial trouble.

Yes the quality control made by the manufacturer is important but there is always a minimum percentage of faulty items (very low for high quality brands and some higher for others).

We don't know yet if this is the case of your ican aero 40, if the spokes were perfectly tight, but it would be interresting to know for everybody, and understand why that low lateral stiffness.

I kindly ask you, if possible to check spoke tension eand let us know.

Of course if it is wrong and after tuning it another test and try the wheelset, to know if the trouble is sorted out and how they are when all right.

Thanks, bye

Hi Pianopiano, seems rather silly to compare buying a cheaper set of wheels from the internet to buying one of the most expensive cars available.
Firstly, the car is bought from a dealership and therefore, you can return the car easily for servicing. These wheels are bought online with no local dealers. Walking into a local bike shop and asking them to fix parts that you've bought to deliberately undercut their in-store prices is not something that'll make you popular. Had I paid out £200,000 on this theoretical supercar and found there to be parts that were not premium-standard, I'd be really pissed off.
I replaced the skewers to Shimano Ultegra. This did not help.
Secondly, we test loads of wheels. Never would we expect to test the spoke tension. In today's world, this should just be sorted out of the box.
Finally, when contacted about the problems, Ican would not agree to pay for the return of the wheelset. If I was a paying customer, paying for Ican to repair a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place then I'm not going to be too happy about either, am I?
They also suggested that they send new nipples and that I get a wheelbuilder to rebuild the wheels. Again, they expected me to cover this cost. Yet more money to fix Ican's problems.

In any case, you don't know, and we don't know, if the wheelset had the right spoke tension.
So the testis pretty unreliable, if the tension was good, your review is fine, if the spoke tension was low, your review is completely based on wrong basis and it has absolutely no value, is incorrect, is without any consistency, very poor.
We don't know this, so the the review is no worth to be considered.
You say that my example of Ferrari is not good, so I change it and say, what if you buy a Bentley and it has a lose bolt somewhere like a wheel or on the engine or on the body, so the ride it is not good, you will say that Bentley is completely a shit.
Bye

Avatar
stevesbike | 4 years ago
0 likes

well Grahamd and mybike, you're not reviewers. It's normal practice for a reviewer to check initial spoke tension since consumers want to know whether a wheel is delivered tensioned to spec and it's also pertinent to know  whether the poor performance of this wheel is due to poor tension, which is easily fixed, or some other flaw. It's hard to imagine a review staff that doesn't own a tension meter.

FWIW, a wheel can be made to spec in terms of spoke tension and go out of tension initially due to several factors that detension spokes. Simply inflating tires can cause detensioning, rider weight can cause detensioning, which is then exacerbated by road roughness. Often, this is corrected by a quick truing/tightening at a shop. It's not that different from the days when cables had some initial stretch and a new bike often required some adjustment. I've had Enve wheels, Reynold Wheels, and Zipp wheels all need some retensioning after a short period.

Comments about refusing to have a wheel trued are a little odd - it's part of the regular service life of a set of wheels. It's like refusing to relube a chain.

 

 

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to stevesbike | 4 years ago
5 likes
stevesbike wrote:

well Grahamd and mybike, you're not reviewers. It's normal practice for a reviewer to check initial spoke tension since consumers want to know whether a wheel is delivered tensioned to spec and it's also pertinent to know  whether the poor performance of this wheel is due to poor tension, which is easily fixed, or some other flaw. It's hard to imagine a review staff that doesn't own a tension meter.

FWIW, a wheel can be made to spec in terms of spoke tension and go out of tension initially due to several factors that detension spokes. Simply inflating tires can cause detensioning, rider weight can cause detensioning, which is then exacerbated by road roughness. Often, this is corrected by a quick truing/tightening at a shop. It's not that different from the days when cables had some initial stretch and a new bike often required some adjustment. I've had Enve wheels, Reynold Wheels, and Zipp wheels all need some retensioning after a short period.

Comments about refusing to have a wheel trued are a little odd - it's part of the regular service life of a set of wheels. It's like refusing to relube a chain.

Might as well cut out the middle man and just deliver a hub, a rim and a pile of spokes. Let the reviewer/customer just build the wheel as well.

If I bought a wheel that went out of true just by inflating the tyre, then I'd be sending it straight back to the manufacturer. Not fit for purpose is the phrase I'd use for a wheel that you can't use as soon as you've bought it.

Avatar
Xenophon2 replied to stevesbike | 4 years ago
7 likes
stevesbike wrote:

well Grahamd and mybike, you're not reviewers. It's normal practice for a reviewer to check initial spoke tension since consumers want to know whether a wheel is delivered tensioned to spec and it's also pertinent to know  whether the poor performance of this wheel is due to poor tension, which is easily fixed, or some other flaw. It's hard to imagine a review staff that doesn't own a tension meter.

FWIW, a wheel can be made to spec in terms of spoke tension and go out of tension initially due to several factors that detension spokes. Simply inflating tires can cause detensioning, rider weight can cause detensioning, which is then exacerbated by road roughness. Often, this is corrected by a quick truing/tightening at a shop. It's not that different from the days when cables had some initial stretch and a new bike often required some adjustment. I've had Enve wheels, Reynold Wheels, and Zipp wheels all need some retensioning after a short period.

Comments about refusing to have a wheel trued are a little odd - it's part of the regular service life of a set of wheels. It's like refusing to relube a chain.

 

Over the years I've had a couple of wheelsets that required retensioning for functional reasons after the first couple 100 km on them.  Coincidence or not but all were alloy rims, not carbon.  That I can accept.  Paying good money for a wheel that's off-spec right out of the box is a different matter.  That makes my inner Mephistopheles whisper things like 'If they couldn't get this right, who knows what else is wrong' in my ear.  Also, I don't like buying cheap on the net only to then waltz into an LBS with a request to fix what should have been right in the first place.  Might as well buy local, pay the premium and expect them to sort everyting out then.   I don't blame reviewers for not measuring spoke tension, just like I don't expect them to have  an ultrasound/x-ray lab in their kitchen to check if the carbon layup is nice and uniform.

Avatar
McVittees | 4 years ago
4 likes

I have to say, as an Ican wheelset owner, if a reviewer from a reputable and popular website (i.e. a key social media influencer) can't get a reply about a product one has wonder what hope an average consumer has.  Granted I've had no major problems*, ok let me rephrase that, granted I've not tried to contact ICAN about a problem with the wheels, but it really doesn't fill one with confidence.

*In total disclosure, my wheels have had a manufacturing defect from purchase.  The braking track has two two small 5mm ovals where it looks like a layer of carbon is missing (?)  Over the last three years these defects haven't got bigger or deeper but if I'd bought them from Wiggle they would've gone straight back.

Avatar
Mybike | 4 years ago
8 likes

May I ask why you didn't do the obvious thing - have a qualified mechanic check the spoke tension? That is likely what's causing the rear wheel rub and is a pretty simple/inexpensive fix. Would cost about $20 in the US to fix. Yes, wheels should arrive properly tensioned

  Because when you spend 500 pounds on something it should not cost a extra 20$ to make it work right.   

Avatar
Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
8 likes

Hi Stevesbike, I'll just clear up my 'factual inaccuracies' for you.

Weight - That's what we weighed them as out of the box.

Rim width - I'm quoting the Ican website. That's their measurement externally at the brake track.

"I don't know how much experience the reviewer has with light wheels, but it's likely he's confused the two". I said in the review that I've had lighter, deeper tubular wheels and had no problem with them.

"Mavic has many raidal drive-side wheels in their range". They do indeed. That doesn't mean to say that all wheels that are radially-laced on the drive side are the same. An expert like you will know that.

If you read the review, you'll see that I did contact the manufacturer about the issues. I've also contacted the likes of Fulcrum, Knight, Pacenti, Giant, and more with questions about their products. All, either through their UK distributor or the brand themselves, have always been happy to answer my questions. Though I've not yet had a wheelset as bad as this.

To have had three months of sporadic emails back and forth with no solution provided by Ican, I'd be really pissed off if I'd paid for these wheels. The customer service is rather lacking.

"These wheels are UCI certified". It is so insanely easy to get the UCI certification sticker on your products.

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stevesbike replied to Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
0 likes
Liam Cahill wrote:

Hi Stevesbike, I'll just clear up my 'factual inaccuracies' for you.

Weight - That's what we weighed them as out of the box.

Rim width - I'm quoting the Ican website. That's their measurement externally at the brake track.

"I don't know how much experience the reviewer has with light wheels, but it's likely he's confused the two". I said in the review that I've had lighter, deeper tubular wheels and had no problem with them.

"Mavic has many raidal drive-side wheels in their range". They do indeed. That doesn't mean to say that all wheels that are radially-laced on the drive side are the same. An expert like you will know that.

If you read the review, you'll see that I did contact the manufacturer about the issues. I've also contacted the likes of Fulcrum, Knight, Pacenti, Giant, and more with questions about their products. All, either through their UK distributor or the brand themselves, have always been happy to answer my questions. Though I've not yet had a wheelset as bad as this.

To have had three months of sporadic emails back and forth with no solution provided by Ican, I'd be really pissed off if I'd paid for these wheels. The customer service is rather lacking.

"These wheels are UCI certified". It is so insanely easy to get the UCI certification sticker on your products.

May I ask why you didn't do the obvious thing - have a qualified mechanic check the spoke tension? That is likely what's causing the rear wheel rub and is a pretty simple/inexpensive fix. Would cost about $20 in the US to fix. Yes, wheels should arrive properly tensioned (Jim Langley's extensive youtube reviews found his to be to spec, as were mine) but it's certainly not unheard of for wheels to arrive under-tensioned.

If the wheels were 55 grams over advertised weight (without skewers or rim tape), a consumer should send them back. Buying wheels like this through either ebay or amazon (manufacturer sells them on those sites) provides good consumer protection. Seller would have to pay return shipping as wheels were not as described (manufacturer states weight +/- 20 grams for set).

Reviewers should do more than quote the manufacturer - you should at least use a caliper to measure actual wheel depth/width (also manufacturer provides an image of wheel profile with actual width provided). This is an important dimension for consumers, as wheel may not fit in some frames with a 28mm width vs 25.

Agreed UCI testing is not the most stringent, but at least it requires a manufacturer invest in testing equipment etc.

 

 

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Grahamd replied to stevesbike | 4 years ago
8 likes
stevesbike wrote:

 

May I ask why you didn't do the obvious thing - have a qualified mechanic check the spoke tension? That is likely what's causing the rear wheel rub and is a pretty simple/inexpensive fix. Would cost about $20 in the US to fix. Yes, wheels should arrive properly tensioned (Jim Langley's extensive youtube reviews found his to be to spec, as were mine) but it's certainly not unheard of for wheels to arrive under-tensioned.

 

[/quote]

FWIW, I am glad the reviewer did not do your obvious thing. When I buy wheels I expect them to perform as expected without needing any attention. If they are imperfect they can go straight back for a refund and I'll find a better manufacturer. There is no excuse for poor quality, am glad to have an honest review, it makes the high star reviews for other manufacturers better appreciated.

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Pianopiano replied to Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
0 likes
Liam Cahill wrote:

Dear Liam,

 I just want to add to what I already wrote yesterday, that some users had bad experience also with the skewers, poor quality,  which caused lateral flexibility of the wheels.

You should check what did cause your bad ride experience with this wheelset.

Waiting for a kind reply.

bye

 

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stevesbike | 4 years ago
0 likes

Ktache, I have no affiliation with the manufacturer - in testing this wheelset myself, I simply googled it to see if there are reviews online or forum discussions and this site comes up among the top results so I had a look. As I found this review to be extremely harsh - as you say - I was surprised that it contained both a number of factual inaccuracies and didn't appear to even attempt to contact the manufacturer about the issues encountered. I suspect if these were Zipp or Enve wheels (or ones that adverstised with them) they would have contacted the company about these issues - which appear to be experienced only in this review as there are numerous positive reviews about this manufacturer around. It's also a bit ironic that this review warns against buying Chinese wheelsets and then suggests alternatives that are no doubt simply sourced from China and rebadged...

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Xenophon2 replied to stevesbike | 4 years ago
2 likes
stevesbike wrote:

Ktache, I have no affiliation with the manufacturer - in testing this wheelset myself, I simply googled it to see if there are reviews online or forum discussions and this site comes up among the top results so I had a look. As I found this review to be extremely harsh - as you say - I was surprised that it contained both a number of factual inaccuracies and didn't appear to even attempt to contact the manufacturer about the issues encountered. I suspect if these were Zipp or Enve wheels (or ones that adverstised with them) they would have contacted the company about these issues - which appear to be experienced only in this review as there are numerous positive reviews about this manufacturer around. It's also a bit ironic that this review warns against buying Chinese wheelsets and then suggests alternatives that are no doubt simply sourced from China and rebadged...

 

From the article it seems that the reviewer did contact them, only no reply so far.  And I hardly think he dremeled a groove in one of his chainstays just to diss the wheelset.  But you're certainly right in stating that many 'EU' carbon wheelsets are sourced in China/Taiwan and except for adding a decal, nothing that's done fundamentally improves the product (except for the warranty, in theory at least).

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ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

1 and a half star review.  In the world of the internet, with anyone around the planet able to read it, that's harsh.  Any sensible company might take it on board, maybe make a few changes and publicise these measures.  But no, some might get a few "friends" to sign up and leave a glowing review (single posters being most suspicion inducing).  Or critisise the reviewing procedures.  

Maybe a company should check the product they send for review.  Sending faulty product will disappoint real customers more and really affect their buying choices in future, and their comments to other reviews too.

As I mentioned before RaceView Cycles in Co. Antrim, anyone?

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mtbtomo | 4 years ago
3 likes

This whole thread is verging on a bit strange. If the reviewer found the wheels to be 1412g then I don't know how another person can comment on that unless they have weighed the same set of wheels themselves. Could easily be 50g difference either way on manufacturing tolerance.

If the reviewer found them twitchy and affected by wind then maybe that was their perception on that particular day. I wouldn't buy a product based on one review, I'd add it in with all the other reviews and information I could find.

I've had an ican seatpost and a friend has an ican aero frame which he also does well on. I'd trust them as a brand but if I wasn't happy with a product when it arrived mail order, I'd contact the seller and/or sort the problem myself if I felt I had the expertise.

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stevesbike | 4 years ago
0 likes

This is a very odd - and amateurish - review. I'm in the process of reviewing these wheels, and found a number of factual erros in this review. For one, the weight is not 1412 grams - it is 1357. The set I'm testing came in 2 grams under the listed weight. Jim Langley, a professional wheelbuilder who has a series of extensive youtube videos reviewing the aero 40, also found his wheels came in at advertised weight. Why is that significant? For one, these wheels are potential game-changers, not only in terms of their pricepoint, but in blurring the line between climbing wheels and aero. They are lighter than shallow wheels like zipp 202, reynolds attack, enve 2.2 (in all but their most exotic in-house carbon hub). In my testing, you can feel this right away. The acceleration is excellent, climbing, especially on 3-6 percent grades at speed is fantastic. They are fast going uphill as well as on the flats.

A thorough test should include checkng spoke tension, roundness, etc. (see Jim Langley's youtube videoe). My wheels came in at spec, did not have spoke twist issues like Langley, and the result is a laterally stiff wheel. If I were reviewing a wheel that had the problems reported here, I would immediately check spoke tension because something doesn't seem right about the flex reported here.

The other factual error is rim width. These are not 25mm wide. They are 28. Who cares? The shape is the contemporary U shape that flares midsection and then decreases at the brake track. This both allows easier insertion of the wheel through brake calipers and also matches rim to 25mm tires for aerodynamics. I compared the geometry of the rim profile (its curvature) to numerous other similar depth wheels and found a very close match. The shape of rims today is mostly the same, and I suspect manufacturers like this 'borrow' profiles from the big names. I highly doubt the profile causes unusual instability. It is more likely the light weight, which makes the front end of bikes feel a bit twitchier. I don't know how much experience the reviewer has with light wheels, but it's likely he's confused the two. 

The reviewer also seems not to understand the principle of spoke configuration and wheel-building. Mavic has many raidal drive-side wheels in their range.

Finally, I think before essentially trashing wheels in a review like this, a reviewer should give a manufacturer the opportunity to respond and perhaps even supply another set to see if there was some one-off problem with the wheels. 

It does seem like the reviewer was looking for problems. It's a bit silly to complain about the lack of tubeless valves and rim tape at this pricepoint. 

Finally, the reviewer gives the impression that the manufacturer is selling cheap generic rims. That's not the case. ICAN has been producing carbon wheels for as long as the major players, these wheels are UCI certified, and have an industry standard warranty. Would I race them in the alps? Probably not, but for everyday wheels for most riders these are a good value and their weight makes them especially appealing for people deciding between weight and aero - you can have both with these.

 

 

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rjfrussell replied to stevesbike | 4 years ago
3 likes
stevesbike wrote:

This is a very odd - and amateurish - review. I'm in the process of reviewing these wheels ...

 

 

Stevesbike- any chance of posting a link to your review, so we can see your opion?

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stevesbike replied to rjfrussell | 4 years ago
1 like
rjfrussell wrote:
stevesbike wrote:

This is a very odd - and amateurish - review. I'm in the process of reviewing these wheels ...

 

 

Stevesbike- any chance of posting a link to your review, so we can see your opion?

 

It's not posted yet - still waiting to get some more time on them for long-term durability. But over the weekend I used them in a 130 km race with 3k meters of climbing. The start was neutralized and involved a steep descent. Tires were popping off carbon rims all over - even passed a guy who had stopped at the side and was spraying a zipp rim with his water bottle (some of this may be due to people dragging their brakes). The ican wheels had no problems and performed great during the event. So far I've put about 2,000 kms on them and have to say they are one of the nicest wheels I've tried. Paired with Reynolds brake pads. No issue with flex like this review - spoke tension to spec and wheels remain true. Paired with Hutchinson Fusion tubeless ready Performance tires, the thing I really notice most about these wheels is the weight. 1360 grams for a 28 wide 50 deep wheelset is just crazy light. The responsiveness is super impressive. After the review, these are going to become my everyday wheelset. 

Here's a pic - my Scott Addict Sl with 50mm deep wheels is 6.1 kg 

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Exup | 4 years ago
1 like

I have ICAN FL50s, which replaced Zondas and find them quite good.

Yes, they do catch the wind a bit more and braking is worse, but that was expected from 50mm carbon rims!

 

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ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

Ta Dom.

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Dom_1000 | 4 years ago
4 likes

Here is my rose xlite team with ican aero 40 wheels. Running tubeless. Weight with pump, saddle bag and cages 7.2kg

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hawkinspeter replied to Dom_1000 | 4 years ago
6 likes
Dom_1000 wrote:

Here is my rose xlite team with ican aero 40 wheels. Running tubeless. Weight with pump, saddle bag and cages 7.2kg

Nice!

Have you tried making it more black?

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Dom_1000 replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
3 likes

I find black more slimming.

Nice!

Have you tried making it more black?

[/quote]

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ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes

More impressive would be a picture of your bike with the wheels on out in the real world.

Sorry to be a bit suspicious, our little community has seen a few too many single posters extolling the incredible benifits of products and services that others have given less than positive views on.

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