The new Aeolus XXX lineup from Bontrager is meant for everything from gravel to pavement. But if you’re looking for the work horse of the group, look no further than the Aeolus XXX 4s. Situated in the middle of the line, the 4s are deep enough to be your go-to aero wheel, yet light enough for every day use, and we’ve got all the in-person details from actual weights and widths to first ride impressions.
Quick Overview
The Aeolus XXX 4s measure in at 47mm in-depth and have 21mm internal rim widths. This slight increase – from 19.5mm – helps flatten the tire’s sidewall and reduce drag between the tire and wheel (when used with 25mm tires). They’ve also introduced Speed Stability Shaping which claims to enhance how the wheel reacts to crosswinds. The whole goal of the new profiles was to create rims that were lighter as well as aerodynamically efficient, but maybe most importantly – stable.
A closer look
18 bladed spokes in the front and 24 in the rear thread into exposed alloy spoke nipples. This makes it easier to true wheels compared to other wheels that may hide them within the rim.
Looking at the rim, we see the raw Laser Control Track that – to the touch – has a slightly rough texture. This claims to improve braking performance in various conditions from wet to dry. From this angle, you can see the laser etched decals which keep weight to a minimum.
Aeolus 4: Front wheel details
Claimed weight of the front wheel is 630g while the on-hand weight is 670g. This is the bare wheel weight without any components or accessories. Also, its front skewer weighs in at 66g which is beefy but doesn’t add to the rotational weight.
Aeolus 4: Rear wheel details
The rear wheel is listed at 750g while the one we received weighs in at 810g. Plus, its skewer weighs 70g.
The 11 speed freehub gets DT Swiss internals with 36 points of engagement. Accessing the rear wheel internals is super easy and requires little to no tools. Also, its freewheeling sound is quite subtle.
What are wheels without the accessories?
The wheels come with Bontrager TLR tubeless rim strips and standard rim strips, 60mm tubeless valves and tool, an 11 to 10 speed cassette spacer, and Bontrager’s repackaged SwissStop carbon specific Black Prince Brake Pads. Oh, and you can’t forget the humble spoke guard.
The rubber
We’ll be testing the Aeolus wheels on open tubular and tubeless tires. We’re running Bontrager’s R4 open tubulars that weigh in at 216g a piece and get a 320TPI build. Setup with Continental Race tubes and with skewers the set weighs 2,450g.
The tubeless tires we’re running are Bontrager’s R3s. They’re a 700×26 tire that hit the scale at 331g and have a 120TPI build. We used 1oz of tire sealant per wheel. Overall weight with the tubeless setup is 2,635g.
First ride impressions:
Our first few rides were on an open tubular setup with tire pressures ranging from 100 – 110 psi. So far, the wheels have excelled on downhills and flats while holding their own on climbs. Plus, the Laser Control Track braking surface has exceeded my expectations for braking performance in the rain. I’m interested to see how well they handle winds going forward. Our first few rides were cursed with far less than ideal conditions and some high wind speeds and when in a direct crosswind you could definitely feel the tug on the front wheel. But there are plenty of riding days ahead of us to get better impressions so stay tuned for the full review.
