Spada Wheels

September 2013

Spada Wheels are produced in Tirano in the Italian Alps. ‘Spada’ means sword in Italian but is also the last name of Corrado Spada, who built his first frame at 19, before his obsession with hubs began. He is driven by the continual refinement of existing bicycle components as opposed to all out innovation and as such has spent years refining his own very special handmade hub.

Spada Crystal Rear Hub

This naturally lead to his workshop producing the Spada range of wheels, with each wheelset being built around Spada’s own hub. As with the hubs the wheelsets are hand built and overseen by Corrado Spada himself. The emphasis is on producing high quality, robust and fantastically lightweight wheels.

Spada Stiletto

Curently importers VAM offer three models to the UK.

The Stiletto is their everyday, go anywhere, do anything model, whether training loop or racing. The aluminum clincher rim is available in black or white, is built around Spada’s own crystal hub with ceramic bearings using 24 spokes in the front and 28 to the rear. The wheelset comes with forged skewers, weighs just 1260g and will retail for £730.

Spada Stiletto front

The carbon rimmed Tivan will cost £1299. They are named after the wind that blows over Lake Como early in the morning. The Tivan is a true race day wheelset, again built around Spada’s own ceramic bearing crystal hubs. The tubular only Tivan combines aero performance while being light enough to be equally at home in the hills. A high performing set of hoops with 18 aero spokes in front and 24 behind; wheels with rims of 38mm and 50mm weigh in at 1050g and 1090g per pair respectively.

The Breva is a clincher priced at £730. It’s described as an everyday wheel with aero performance, Spada’s crystal hubs and a weight of 1350g per pair. There’s black or silver colour options with 18 and 24 aero spokes attached to 30mm aluminum clincher rims.

Spada Skewers

The wheels are described as “seriously impressive”. The importers are focussing on the aluminium clinchers called the Stiletto, as at just 1270g a pair and being built around Spada’s lightweight ceramic hub they promise very high performance.

The ceramic Spada hubs are also available seperately and weigh in at a very light 55g and 182g respectively. They will retail for the £515 for a pair.

Spada Crystal Front Hub

Look out for a full review soon.

 
[rps-include blog=127.0.0.1 post=29481]
 

All the wheels and hubs are currently available from the LeadOut website.

VAM Performance Website

Spada Website