Bontrager Aeolus Elite 50

£849 Versatile wheels that deliver performance gains

Weight 1,871g (including Bontrager TLR strip) Wheel size 700c Freehub options Shimano/SRAM Road 9/10/11-speed Rim depth 49.9mm Rim internal width 19.1mm Spoke count 24 (f)/24 (r) Spoke type Bontrager bladed Rim material Carbon Tubeless? Tubeless ready At 50mm deep and 28mm at their widest, the Elite 50’s wide, bluntnosed shape is designed to balance aerodynamics and stability. An internal width of 19mm ensures the tyre forms part of the aero profile of the rim while giving a wide stance for increased grip and comfort due to the largerthan-average air cushion. The TLR Rim Strip – Bontrager’s removable system for sealing the rim for tubeless set-ups – reduces the effective depth of the rim to 8.5mm, or around the usual depth.

As well as the TLR Rim Strips and tubeless valves, you’re given regular rim tape in case you’d prefer a traditional clincher set-up with inner tubes. The freehub is compatible with 10- and 11-speed Shimano and SRAM cassettes, with 12-speed bodies ‘available separately’. A spacer to run groupsets with fewer cassette sprockets is included as well. There’s also a lifetime warranty and two-year crash replacement.

The Aeolus Elite 50s have near-perfect trueness out of the box and basically remained round and true throughout the test period.

Long-term maintenance is relatively straightforward, and although the bladed J-bend spokes are Bontrager’s own, replacements should be relatively easy to source. No unusual tools are needed to prise the hubs apart, but you’ll need a bearing puller and press to remove and install the sealed cartridge bearings.

Freehub engagement is reassuringly solid, with twenty points offering 18° of engagement, which isn’t bad. At 1,871g, these wheels aren’t the lightest, but the benefits away from the scales far outweigh the numbers.

Surprisingly for fairly deep wheels, the keenly priced Aeolus Elite 50s from Trek’s component arm are extremely comfortable. There’s loads of vertical compliance built into the carbon rims, combined with impressive lateral stiffness. These things deliver a near-perfect blend of damping to silence road chatter plus confidenceinspiring, out-of-thesaddle power. So we found ourselves cornering with more bravery, helped no doubt by the improved grip of the wider tyre profile.

Verdict

An impressive wheelset performing well above its price point