Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 C35 Wheels Review

by Simon · 25/09/2014

The front rim has also suffered some cosmetic damage. This has only affected the glossy finish over the carbon, which itself does not seem to have been compromised, but is still slightly worrying.

We are perplexed as to why this has happened but will try to find out. It may be as simple as something being spilt on the rims, maybe brought up from the road, but whatever it is odd to say the least.

Weight of our set is 691g front and 863g rear without skewers, which equates to 1554g. Refitting the skewers, and chucking on Schwalbe tyres and tubes brought the weight up to 1048g for the front and 1373g for the rear, a total of 2421g. This compares favourably to my 2068g, 40mm deep, full carbon tubular wheels.

Combined with Dura-Ace pads, braking is first class with the C35s, thanks to the aluminium braking surface. It’s so much more reliable and consistent than full carbon rims and certainly makes the C35s a good choice for wet races.

Generally the wheels are very well behaved but the boxy rim shape may explain why the C35s can be blown off course by side winds, enough at times to catch me out a bit, which was a huge surprise for a wheel just 35mm deep and a rider of 75kgs.

The hubs are wider than the previous generation 7900, but are still traditional ball bearing and cone hubs built around oversized A7075 alloy axles. Both hubs have large flanges to add to the wheel’s overall stiffness. At the rear there’s also a titanium freehub body to keep the weight down, especially if you combine with the Dura-Ace carbon bodied, 11-speed cassette.

Impressions are that the hubs are superb and have not required any attention in over a year of constant usage. Adjustment maybe considered trickier than with cartridge bearings but it’s just a case of getting used to it and is in fact straightforward. Shimano would argue that the hubs are smoother than cartridge bearings, but it is 6 and two 3s as far as I am concerned.