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review
£229.95
VERDICT:
Smooth rolling, knock-taking set of entry-level racing wheels that perform better than their weight would suggest
Weight:
1,820g
Contact:
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.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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Vision's Team 35s are competent and durable entry-level race wheels, with the added bonus of being very comfortable for a set of semi-deep-section alloy clinchers. The black anodised finish gives them a cool stealth look too.
The Team 35s are a revamped version of Vision's long-standing T35 model, and with a recommended retail price of £229.95 they sit right at that level of a first serious performance upgrade for a lot of bikes.
> Find your nearest dealer here
At first glance they seem a bit porky at 1,820g, especially considering the quoted weight is some 100g less than that, but the good thing is they never feel sluggish out on the road. You notice it a little if things get really steep or you ask for some rapid acceleration from a standing start, so if you're searching for a climber's set of wheels, look elsewhere.
Otherwise, the Team 35s are hard to knock. Considering the depth of the alloy rim, you'd expect them to feel harsh, but they don't – something that can affect others, such as Miche's Alturs and Campagnolo Scirocco 35s, which feel much more buzzy over rough terrain with the same tyres and pressure.
The Visions have a wider rim than was the norm on road wheels a few years ago, with an internal measurement of 18.9mm and 23.7mm externally. This gives the 23mm wide Pro-Lite tyres I was using a more rounded profile, measuring in at 25.3mm from sidewall to sidewall, which gives a minutely larger footprint for a bit more grip and added comfort.
Getting tyres to fit onto that wider rim brings up no issues whatsoever, popping on with just finger pressure.
> Why you should switch to wider tyres
The rim itself has a CNC (computer numerical control) machined braking surface which, once the anodising has been scratched off by the pads – a hilly 40-mile ride should do it – offers smooth and controllable braking.
The hubs are also precision machined and are fitted with sealed cartridge bearings. The test period saw a fair few wet miles, but giving them a bit of a strip down I couldn't see any water ingress or grit, so it's fair to say they should make pretty good winter training wheels too.
The freehub on the rear uses a steel body, which is nice to see as softer alloy ones tend to get 'eaten' by the forces put through the cassette. There are a few notches on the body after 400 miles, but the sprockets slide on and off without issue.
While we're on the subject of the freehub body, it's worth mentioning that there is only a Shimano/SRAM compatible version. The wheels also come supplied with a spacer ring in case you aren't using 11-speed.
As for spoke patterns, we're looking at radial lacing at the front (16 aero spokes), and a 2:1 pattern at the rear (21 aero spokes), with each wheel being handbuilt rather than by machine. The tensions felt equal all round, and there was none of that pinging you get as the spokes settle.
To aid durability, the spoke drillings on the rear rim are asymmetric – off centre slightly for the drive side to ease the massive amount of dishing required for an 11-speed wheel.
It all adds up to a very strong set of wheels, which stayed perfectly true throughout the test period.
> Check out our buyers guide to road bike wheels
In terms of value for money, the Visions aren't bad. They're £70 cheaper than the previously mentioned Miche Alturs, a wheelset I regard quite highly, with only a 40g weight penalty. The Team 35s are well built, durable and, as I said earlier, surprisingly comfortable for such a deep rim, all of which comes together to help justify that price tag.
Overall, they're a great set of wheels for general fitness riding and training, and not too shabby weight-wise for racing, especially if the course is vertically challenged. Durability is great, and the overall finish seems pretty hardwearing.
Verdict
Smooth rolling, knock-taking set of entry-level racing wheels that perform better than their weight would suggest
road.cc test report
Make and model: Vision Team 35 Wheelset
Size tested: 700C, 35mm deep
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?
Vision says: "Our Team components represent high performance and value for money. The all-alloy Team35 wheelset shares many features of our high-end wheelsets, including: aero bladed spokes, an asymmetric 2:1 rear lacing pattern, CNC machined braking surfaces, sealed cartridge bearings and hand-built quality. 35mm deep alloy clincher rims give aerodynamic benefits without an excessive weight penalty. CNC machined alloy hubs are durable and smooth-running. The Team35 is only available for Shimano 10/11spd cassettes and is an excellent training or entry-level racing wheelset."
The Vision Team 35 wheels feel very comfortable for a deep-section alloy rim and they roll smoothly too, contradicting their weight on the scales.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the wheel?
FEATURES
''Alloy 35mm deep clincher rim - CNC bracking surfaces
''CNC machined aluminum hubs
''6 sealed cartridge bearings
''Aero bladed spokes
''Artisanal built, entirely by hand
''Includes QR and rim tape
''Rims – sandblasted black anodized (The black braking surface is an aesthetic finishing, it will change color during use)
''Front and Rear hubs – black anodized
''Spokes – black
''Color graphics options – gray
SPECS
'' Alloy free-hub body for Shimano 10-11sp
'' Spokes (F/R): 16 radial front wheel; 21 rear wheel, 14 cross 3 drive side and 7 radial non drive side (2:1 Ratio)
Rate the wheel for quality of construction:
8/10
The Team 35s feel very robust in use and there was no pinging of spoke tensions in the early miles, plus they stood up well to lots of wet and gritty rides.
Rate the wheel for performance:
7/10
They suffer a bit under acceleration because of their rotational weight but the Team 35s roll really nicely and absorb a lot of road noise. No issues with stiffness either when really stamping on the pedals.
Rate the wheel for durability:
8/10
They stand up to knocks well, remaining true throughout the test period.
Rate the wheel for weight
7/10
1,820g seems pretty good for a wheel of this type, and unless you spend a lot of time in the hills they don't seem to feel heavy.
Rate the wheel for value:
6/10
A pretty fair price when compared against the likes of Campagnolo's Scirocco 35, a wheelset that is a little lighter than the Team 35 but offers a similar ride feeling and quality.
Did the wheels stay true? Any issues with spoke tension?
No issues whatsoever.
How easy did you find it to fit tyres?
Various 23 and 25mm tyres from different brands saw no issues whatsoever.
How did the wheel extras (eg skewers and rim tape) perform?
Rim tape was already fitted when the wheels arrived and it performed without issue. The skewers are a simple cam lock design which did the job, plus you get a freehub spacer for 9/10-speed systems.
Tell us how the wheel performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Vision touts the Team 35s as a good training/entry-level race wheel and I reckon that's pretty much on the mark.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the wheel
Comfortable wheels considering their deep profile and aero spokes.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the wheel
No Campagnolo freehub option.
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
Going by the numbers it'd be easy to discount the Team 35s as being overweight and sluggish, but ride them and you realise how good they are. They accelerate better than expected, and once the anodising has worn off they stop pretty well too.
About the tester
Age: 37
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: Mason Definition
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
Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.
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16 comments
This reviewer, God bless his/her little heart, lost me at the first paragraph. I see that others invested in reading it. I didn't. It is an industry confession. Here, "The black anodised finish gives them a cool stealth look too."
Because of all the military contracting going on all over the world, the "Steath Look," or SL-X is a popular social element, and we can also see this in the "metro-sexual," dark, grey, drab look that has seeped into the fashion of the times.
It is, however, a very dark force. How many cyclists in the UK last year were struck and killed by vehicles? Okay, how about in the USA? Drivers now are even running down bicyclists and attempting to kill them. The police do little and the courts do less.
So, with the official "Drab & Dark" profile of all this "stuff," all the defense attorney needs to do is hold up the wheels, the pants, the arm warmers, the drab-black rain jacket and say confidently,
"Your honor (My Lord), it was the rider him/herself who put this suit on, and by doing so was cupable in the fact that seeing this even here in the courtroom is arguably difficult. Your honor, this is a two wheeled ninja suit, and everybody knows why ninja's wore black - it helped make them invisable, which is what they were trying to achieve. My client couldn't see the deceised, and part of the responsibility for that rests with the deceised. "
That Stealth look belongs in the military in the jungles at night where it belongs. It isn't cool to bring this fashion into the world of cycling and put it on a person or a bicycle. It isn't cool; it is in fact totally irresponsible.
I think you should declare if you have a vested interest in Hilly Cow Wigwams
.
The finest wigwams in the land! With cows, and ah, on a hill..
Alright so finally got to take them out today. Something feels different at speed compared to the Racing 5's and there's a nice whooshing sound that I didn't expect. Couldn't really bomb around in them too hard, just rebuilt the whole bike and not entirely sure if it was going to hold up. Braking when dry is amazing though that could be down to my new brakes, but when wet it didn't feel so good. Again maybe the brakes, first time they've been used since install.
Some pics and weights cos I'm sure people will start Googling for these wheels as they look good and are relatively cheap. Much noisier freewheeling than the R 5's.
Racing 5
Front wheel 774g
Rear wheel 973g
Front QR 61g
Rear QR 66g
Totes: 1874g
Vision Team 35s
Front wheel 810g
Rear wheel 1010g
Front QR 57g
Rear QR 63g
Totes: 1940g
I'm on a gate.
If I get more feedback or have any props with them I'll edit it in.
Yep another reason why discs brakes are boss.. we can have cheaper blacked out wheels.
Went and ordered these Vision Team 35s any way just now. Can get them around 170 delivered from a Euro store ProBikeShop, so went for it. Heart over head. By the time they're all messed up maybe I'll win the lottery and buy some Boras Ultra 50s eh
Agreed. I had Fulcrum Racing 3 which were substantially lighter than the Quattro but I feel that the aero and rim width of the Quattro offset any losses there. I had FFWD F4r which rolled really well (because they had lush bearings) and I'd say they were a tad better than the Quattro but then they were 4 times the price.
I had Archetypes which are just great. Discs luckily so didn't have to go through the pain. I now have Pro Lite Revo (2 pairs) on the CX bikes and they are a great wheel.
Anodising makes me cry. I mean, they look great initially, and they end up looking like other wheels. Then there's that part in the middle where they look like, well, everything is wearing off!
Agree with that BTR. I have some lovely handbuilts with Archetype H+ Son rims. They looked great to start with, they look ok now...but they didn't half look gash for a while. I would have been happy buying them with just a plain alloy braketrack but maybe that adds to the cost? No idea.
I have come to the conclusion that a good wheelset is a good wheelset, and weight is just one of the factors. (and 100g here or there really does not affect feel/speed).
Think they'll do a 2016 Team 50 or Team 45 like this? They used to make a T42.
Maybe get these Team 35s this weekend to replace my Fulcrum Racing 5 LGs just based on looks. Both are pretty budget wheels. You think I would notice the extra weight on the Vision wheels? Are the Vision Team 35s worse than the Racing 5 LGs anyone think?
Just get Quattro LG. Lighter than the Visions and really good. They spin up to speed fast and hold speed really well.
Those would be nice but.. they don't have the blacked out surface. Even temporarily I'd enjoy how it looks. Really want something that looks cool and I don't mind wrecking until I'm ready for something posher.
How big a difference between the Vision Team 35s and the Quattro LGs in terms of performance?
Impossible to say without a back to back. The Quattro are £184 most places now. Lighter, though I doubt there's much in that. What I would say is that they are good wheels, don't feel their weight at all, I climb on them very well. And they do appear to be a bit aero. The LG rim width does make tyre shape better as well. Lighter and cheaper than the Vision basically. You could always felt tip the rims in for a few weeks.
Wrong guy to suggest taking a sharpie to a rim. I'd actually go and do it!
Alright, going to think about it for a bit.
The truth is that without a well equipped lab and some standarised testing methods, bike and wheel reviews are just that, pseudo scientific subjective BS.
My favourite bits (usually on forums) are always: "The wheels roll smooth/well" and "They spin up to speed fast and hold speed well"
those tests are carried out by the germans at tour magazine and roadbike.de
It would be nice to see a photo of what the rims look like after the anodizing has been worn off the brake surface...whether they look cheap, or still look decent.