Remerx Rapid Wheels

by Simon · 23/05/2013

Preview

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Remerx Rapid Wheels

May 2013

The Remerx Rapid Wheels are described as ideal for ‘training and recreation’. Later the brochure says they are ideal for ‘preparation’ and that they will ‘satisfy the most demanding cyclists’. This tells us that they are going to be tough wheels… but probably quite heavy.

Strangely though the first thing we thought was that these wheels are high quality. Considering the above narrative and the price point, they look and feel like a much more expensive offering. The build quality is very good.

In particular the rim is a really nice example. Its of traditional construction but exudes quality and by that we mean it looks strong. Its not overly wide at 21mm but has some depth at 27mm. It does look stiff though, which is one thing we really appreciate nowadays, especially in a do-it-all training wheel. We look forward to putting that to the test.

The hubs are the simple design favoured by Remerx and on our examples were super smooth when spun by hand. We’ll see how that translates out on the road. They promise a reasonably long life and easy maintenance or bearing replacement should it be necessary.

The claimed weight for the Rapids in the brochure isn’t too bad at 1660g. However, our Rapids are a modern evolution of those and in seeking extra durability at the hub, Remerx seem to have made them a bit heavier than the previous version. Without skewers but with rim tape the front was 808g and 57g for its skewer. The rear was 1033g with a 63g skewer. That means 1841g for the pair without skewers or 1961g with. OK, so they are not that light but at this price point they were never going to be.

We recently tested the Remerx Alcyon race wheelset which features aluminium spokes. Whilst not as chunky as those aluminium spokes, this newer version of the Remerx Rapid uses spokes that are thick, plain gauge stainless steel items finished in black. Notably they are straight pull spokes instead of the old wheelset’s traditional spokes.

At the back there are 24 and they are connected to rim and hub by silver alloy nipples, adding to the attractive look. As for the 20 at the front hub, the spoke ends are concealed within the hub by the industrial sealed bearing’s end caps, making for a very neat finish.