I’ve been using these Drive 50D wheels as my daily drivers for just over 2 years. Elitewheels make some great budget options for road bikes, but how do their more premium wheels stack up?

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https://srko.co/tracevelo

Drive 50D 15% off all wheelsets with ‘TRACE15’
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I’ve been a fan of Elitewheels ever since I bought an incredibly cheap set of their ENTDisc carbon wheels from AliExpress back in 2020. So when they sent over their more premium Drive 50D wheels 2 years ago, I couldn’t wait to try them!

I got them fitted to my carbon raod bike, but just 100km in, I found an issue with the front hub. They quickly sent over a replacement, and since then, I have been using them at least a couple of times each week for just over 2 years.

So it’s been an incredibly long term test, and frankly I love these wheels. They are incredibly stiff, thanks to the 50mm deep section carbon rim and some excellent bladed carbon spokes, they look absolutely fantastic, and they‘re lovely to ride.

So in this episode, I’ll give you the lowdown, take the wheels apart to show you some of the wear and tear on the freehub, axles, and bearings, and ultimately help you decide if these wheels are worth your consideration.

Also I’ll quickly cover their new partnership with @GCN, and discuss a patent dispute they are currently facing with a company called Qvist.

Ebay shim washers (35mm ID / 0.25):
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224326415431

Timestamps:
00:00 – Start
00:40 – Intro
01:26 – Quick overview
01:50 – Front hub issue
03:17 – Sponsor spot
04:37 – Rim: 2 years later
05:12 – Spokes: 2 years later
05:50 – Wheel balance: 2 years later
06:52 – Hubs and bearings: 2 years later
08:15 – Weather proofing & axles
09:10 – 12 speed freehub issue
10:09 – Why do I like them so much?
12:24 – GCN partnership and patent dispute

Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi http://www.go2dev.co.uk

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Please note:
I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.

In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!