Vision takes their aerodynamic road wheels to the next level with the new Metron RS racing series. Inspired by continued success on the World Tour in recent years, and driven by positive feedback from their 2021 SL series overhaul, Vision continues to improve their level of quality and top pro-race performance, while still retaining pricing below many of their top-tier competitors.
These all-new Vision Metron 45 & 60 RS wheels combine proven aerodynamics with lighter and stiffer carbon spokes and smoother hubs to create a premium aero wheelset with a hard-to-beat cost-to-performance ratio.
Vision Metron 45 & 60 RS carbon spoke aero road wheels
Metron has always been Vision’s fastest, most aerodynamic road bike wheel line. But in order to overcome its historically strong position as a primarily OEM brand, they’ve had to push the envelope in developing higher performance, lighter, stiffer, and better-performing wheels. For a brand known as the wheels that came stock on your bike, Vision is fighting hard to show they can deliver a wheelset worthy of upgrading and choosing over the likes of Enve or Zipp, for example.
And these all-new carbon-spoked Metron RS wheels make a compelling argument.
So what’s new?
Lighter, stronger carbon spokes
This is Vision’s first full carbon wheelset to combine carbon rims with carbon spokes.
The new RS (Racing Series) wheels significantly improve on stiffness & reactivity thanks to the new carbon spokes. But also at the same time, they shed a lot of weight. Both of these wheelsets are light – under 1400g for the 60mm deep wheel, and under 1300g for the 45mm deep wheels.
The reason for switching the carbon spokes is a balance both of weight savings vs. premium bladed stainless steel spoke (108 grams less per wheelset), and also to increase the tensile strength. The higher tensile strength of the carbon spoke allows Vision to build wheels with essentially the same tension, yet create higher stiffness and more reactive/responsive wheels.
The spokes are a full UD carbon body with a molded aero-bladed midsection, and on each end an alloy interface with hub & rim. Those alloy ends are held mechanically in place with a tapered design that can’t separate. At the hub, they slot into a special T-head slot. At the rim, it looks like conventional external nipples, but what you actually see on the outside is that tooled alloy end of the spoke’s threads. And you actually tighten/adjust the spokes from inside of the rim bed via hidden internal nipples. Not simple, but if you damage a spoke, it is replaceable relatively easily.
New mid-depth aero rim profiles
The new wheels feature two new blunt-nosed aerodynamic rim profiles – 45mm or 60mm deep. Both are hooked tubeless-ready rims with 23mm internal width, and end up either 31.1mm wide (45mm) or 33mm (60mm) at the widest point about 35mm away from the spokes.
They are designed for wider tires – minimum 28mm, but with aerodynamic performance optimized for the 30 to 32mm range that most pro teams prefer at the moment.
New PRS hubs, too
They also feature new PRS hubs, Vision’s own ratchet-style hub with fast 72-tooth engagement. But now the new V-1000 hub design is simpler than before and doesn’t require tools to maintain or replace the ratchets. The new wheels also step up to full ceramic bearings for reduced drag. And of course, the hubs have that new proprietary straight-pull spoke interface for the T-head carbon spokes to prevent windup.
Improved aerodynamic performance
As for aerodynamics, Vision states that the new RS wheels have slightly lower drag than the previous Vision Metron SL wheels of the same depth. Vision’s wind tunnel testing shows a 9% drag reduction for the 45 RS vs. the 45 SL, and 6% reduction for the 60 RC vs. the 60 SL.
Testing also unsurprisingly showed marginally higher side force because of the deeper carbon spokes. But in the end, the difference was minor, to the point that Vision chalked it up as imperceivable.
In the end, the aerodynamic performance of the wheels is quite similar between the RS and the proven SL range, but while now delivering much lower weight and improved lateral & torsional stiffness and upgraded responsiveness.
First Riding Impressions
I had a chance to ride the new wheels on familiar roads in Tuscany last week and they’re undeniably quick feeling.
The big claim from the carbon spoke upgrade is combining more than 100g of weight savings per wheelset while also improving overall wheel stiffness. The result being this easily noticeable lightweight feel mixed with harder-to-quantify improvements in pedaling efficiency and quicker acceleration.
At less than 1300 grams, it definitely feels like a lightweight climbing wheelset while going uphill. But there doesn’t seem to be any speed compromise over rolling terrain or fast descending.
The carbon spokes do also seem to lend a unique feeling to the wheels that is both responsive to pedal input, and yet still helps smooth out little bits of road buzz.
Interestingly, it also felt like the carbon spokes may have damped some of the characteristic noise you get from an aero carbon wheelset while riding over textured asphalt. I was riding the 45mm deep wheels – typically a quieter depth – but I can’t say I noticed any deep carbon noise from the 60mm wheels of my friend riding next to me.
Yet speaking of noise, the PRS freehub is loud when coasting. I personally can appreciate a buzzing hub. Loud hubs save lives, right? But some might be put off by the loud whirr of coasting along. Worst case, you can just pedal harder to make them quiet again!
Vision Metron RS – Pricing, options & availability
These all-new carbon-spoked Vision Metron RS wheels are available now from your local FSA/Vision retailer, in 45mm or 60mm depths.
Both are built entirely by hand, feature molded-in (not drilled) spoke holes, and get low-key straight-out-of-the-mold glossy-on matte carbon graphics. (Glossy silver graphics are team-only.)
The new Metron RS wheels are certainly more expensive. They ratchet up the price about 50% over the SL wheels to $2900 / 3110€ for the shallower 45mm rim, or $3000 / 3180€ for the deeper 60mm wheels.
