Following up a lightweight wheelset debuted at this year’s Giro d’Italia, Deda Elementi has several more new disc brake road wheels coming for next season. Starting with affordable, RS racing tech trickles down to attainable alloy wheels at almost 1/3 the price of carbon. Then, another two aero carbon wheels mix lightweight, tubeless, and aerodynamic gains. And lastly, their Hero TT disc gets lighter, faster, and a bit more affordable as it goes tubeless…
2023 Deda RS-upgraded road wheels
Deda’s 2023 road wheel updates essentially boil down to rolling out internal performance upgrades to their most popular wheelsets, while modernizing them at the same time. That means the focus is all on lightweight hooked-tubeless disc brake road wheels, with upgraded RS hubsets sharing the same tech as debuted on their latest RS4 wheels last spring at the Giro.
Tech Details – What’s new?
The wheels all get the new 7075 alloy RS-series hubs with machined-out straight-pull flanges that are wide-set but angled in for optimal spoke alignment. The slimmed-down hubs also get a new “rifled” body said to reduce airflow turbulence for improved aerodynamics, plus full Shimano, SRAM & Campagnolo compatibility.
Inside, a new 20T star ratchet set of internals delivers improved durability, stiffness, and easier tool-free maintenance, combined with new premium sealed steel bearings to reduce overall friction. All-in-all, Deda says the new RS hubs reduce weight by 16%, saving around 80g for the hubset.
RS3DB alloy wheels
The new 675€ RS3 wheelset is one of the most interesting, as it is a major functional upgrade for Deda’s affordable performance alloy road racing & training wheelset over the previous Zero2 generation. The 30mm deep, 19mm internal tubeless-ready, welded 6061 aluminum rim hasn’t really changed, but now with the same hubset as their top Pro Tour wheels, the RS3s offer much of the same performance & durability in a 1620g wheelset you can actually afford.
SL4DB aero carbon wheels
Back on the aero carbon front, the 1350€ Deda SL4 wheels are the Italian brand’s versatile all-rounders. With a dramatically asymmetric 45mm depth and slightly wider 19mm internal tubeless-ready rim profile (26mm external), they build up into a quick aero road wheelset that can still be raced in hilly terrain too. And thanks to the RS hub upgrade, the SL4s are now lighter at 1520g, more aero, and more durable.
SL6DB aero carbon wheels
The 1450€ SL6 disc brake wheels are much the same story, just deeper and more aero. They feature an unchanged 62mm deep symmetric rim profile, 19mm internal tubeless-ready & 26mm external, upgraded with the lighter, faster, stronger RS hubs. At 1620g for the set, the deeper wheels are likely still light enough for racing in varied terrain.
Hero DB carbon TT Disc wheel
The all-new 2100€ Hero DB wheels is a hollow full carbon disc rear wheel for time trials & triathlons, now upgraded to a tubeless-ready bead for lower rolling resistance in addition to maximum aerodynamics. With a 19mm internal width, 25mm external & a 1070g weight claim, the new hooked tubeless clincher disc brake wheel still manages to shed about 30g over Deda’s SL tubular Hero disc. Pair it with one of Deda’s latest RS-hub carbon front wheels for the best aerodynamics and control in any conditions.
Of all of the new wheels, only the two aero SL wheelsets are already in stock, but the alloy RS3 & TT Hero should be available early in 2023 at the latest.
