See Why The Shimano Rs80 Is Such A Popular Choice For Many Types Of Rider.}

See Why The Shimano RS80 Is Such A Popular Choice For Many Types Of Rider.

by

TJG Idle

The Shimano RS80 wheels give you the stylish appearance of carbon, but underneath is an alloy rim, that makes it better for braking and general long life, and Shimano allege the blend of the two materials results in a light, firm and comfortable wheel.

This wheelset uses exactly the same patented Carbon/alloy rim bonding process that you get on the Dura-Ace 7850 wheels, however Shimano use a thinner Aluminium for the main structure of the rim, and then stick on a Carbon outer seam. 16 bladed steel spokes connect the rims to Ultegra level hubs, which are understated in looks, smooth and well sealed. The one mini complication is the Aluminum nipples, which are too easy to round off if you have to complete any fettling. Yet,in the course of most of the testing miles that have been completed, this wasn’t required.The Shimano RS80 is a light wheelset for below ?400, a lot lighter than the Gipiemme Tecno 1.55 lights and the Fulcrum Racing 3s which have set the standard ?400 wheel for a while, in terms of all round proficiency. They weren’t as suitable in the stiffness test, when compared to other wheels in the similar price bracket. The usual test is to apply a lateral force to the rim and calculate the curvature, and the RS80’s 5mm deflection for 15kg load is higher than both the Gipiemme (4mm) and the Fulcrum (3mm).Broadly this gives you a good idea of how the wheel will act, stiffness-wise, out on the road, therefore I was anticipating noticeable bend and brake rub under exertion. It didn’t happen for all that – the RS80s were very well behaved most of the time. I could get them to touch the blocks if I really tried, all the same that happens with most wheels to be fair. They’re not as hard as some of the competition, nevertheless they’re firm enough, and a fair amount lighter for the same money. If you’re an ordinary weight rider you maybe wouldn’t notice the difference in flex.Where you do gain however, is in the comfort. The RS80 definately gives you a comfortable ride, considering it’s dependent on the Carbon in the rim to keep things rigid, it has a fairly shallow profile, and this translates into a flowing ride, even on defective tarmac with the tyres pumped up to the max. With the tyres at usual pressure they work very well for longer rides, the light weight making them rapid going up and the compliance giving them a good feel on the flats and the downs.Overall, the Shimano RS80 is a well proposed, comfortable and good looking wheelset. The Carbon layer is thin, still it does seem to create a difference to the ride, and the wheels are light and handle well for the money. Cutting rotating weight can make a big difference to performance, though if you’re looking to cough up round ?400 on some new wheels, then the RS80s are a reliable place to start.

This information was supplied by ShimanoCyclingShoes.org. You can find out more about

Shimano RS80

wheelsets at their website.

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See Why The Shimano RS80 Is Such A Popular Choice For Many Types Of Rider.
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