Manufacturers of wider (clincher) rims claim many benefits–improved aerodynamics, better handling, and the ability to run (wider) tires at lower pressures.  I, myself, have ridden wider rims for many years, but they have typically been heavier, and less aerodynamic than the rims currently on the market.  Recently, however, I was given the opportunity to test the new Pacenti SL23 rim.

The Pacenti SL23 rim with Schwalbe’s 700×28 Durano tire.

Kirk Pacenti–the man behind the SL23 rim–is a 20-year veteran of the bicycle industry, working with the likes of Keith Bontrager, Giro, and Manitou’s Doug Bradbury.  The SL23 is not Pacenti’s first foray into the rim market–has been one of the driving forces behind the industry- and consumer-adoption of the 650B (27.5″) wheel size, and lead the charge towards wide-but-light rims by designing Velocity’s P35 rim.

Exactly how does one test a rim?  If you have a huge budget, you spend time (and dollars) in a wind tunnel, or you develop machines and fixtures that can measure deflection and other esoterica.  But if you’re an enthusiast-run blog like GRAVELBIKE, you ride them, think about them, ride them some more, and then share your thoughts and findings.

Due to the fact that I possess the wheelbuilding skills of a chimpanzee (apologies to any wheelbuilding-chimps reading this), I enlisted the services of Ergott Wheels‘ Eric Gottesman.  He spent several months riding and testing pre-production SL23 rims, so I was able to take advantage of his familiarity with the new Pacenti hoops.  I gave him a summary of my riding style, weight, and tire/gearing preferences, and told him to build whatever combination he thought would best highlight the SL23s’ features.

Ergott Wheels paired the SL23 rims with White Industries T11 hubs and Sapim bladed spokes.

One week later, a pair of Gottesman’s GT Signature wheels arrived at my doorstep.  The SL23 rims had been laced to White Industries T11 hubs using Sapim bladed spokes and alloy nipples.  While the majority of my wheels tend to be fairly conservatively, the GT Signature wheels are anything but.  Gottesman chose to go with 24 radially-laced spokes for the front wheel, and 28 spokes in back (using slightly thicker spokes for the drive side).  Weight for the front wheel was 671g, with the rear wheel coming in at 871g (weights include rim tape).

Constructed of 6061-T6 aluminum, the SL23 features machined sidewalls with wear-indicator “dimples.”  The Pacenti’s 24mm outside width is paired with an inner-bead width of 18mm.  For comparison, a Mavic Open Pro rim has an outer measurement of 20mm.  By increasing the rim’s width, the tire’s profile opens up, and it takes on more of a “U” shape.  This reduces the tire’s “lightbulb” profile, and increases the tire’s effective width.  That translates into the ability to run lower pressures (without increasing rolling resistance), which means more traction and comfort for the rider.

Wear indicators make it easy to determine when rims need to be replaced.

During the course of my testing, I rotated through three different sets of tires: Panaracer Pasela (700×28), Schwalbe Durano (700×28), and Vredestein Fortezza (700×25).  With two layers of Stan’s yellow tape installed, I could mount (and remove) all three tires without the aid of bead lubrication or bead jacks.  Inflated to 100psi, the Duranos measured the widest at 28.65mm, but it should be noted that the 25mm Vredesteins plumped out to 26.5mm wide.

Over the past few months, I’ve ridden the SL23-equipped wheels over a range of terrain that’s included lots of broken pavement and dirt roads and trails.  The wheels are as true as the day I unboxed them, and aside from the buzz of the rear hub’s freehub, they’ve been blissfully silent.  I’ve been unable to detect any “pulsing” or vibration from the welded seams or wear indicators, and braking has been smooth, quiet, and predictable.The end result is a pair of lightweight-but-sturdy wheels that I can ride hard over a wide variety of surfaces, without having to baby or constantly true them.

At 450g each, the SL23s are anywhere from 25g to 50g lighter than the rims I normally use, but the rims’ light weight doesn’t come at the expense of durability or compatibility with wider tires.  I’m no speed demon (especially at 195 pounds), but I really appreciate the wheels’ liveliness when climbing (which there is no shortage of here in Colorado).

Disclosure: Pacenti, White Industries, and Ergott Wheels provided review samples and services for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.

Compact road cranksets have been a boon to riders seeking lower gears without the added complexity of a triple chainring setup.  The ubiquitous 34/50 combo has proven popular with racers and recreational riders alike.  But what about the rest of us?  Not everyone wants–or needs–a 50t big ring, and the compact crank’s 110mm BCD (bolt circle diameter) can’t accommodate anything smaller than 34t (33t if you use T.A.’s Zephyr).  Alternative solutions have been available in the form of vintage setups such as the T.A. Cyclotouriste and Stronglight 49D (and their copies), but they lack the ramped-and-pinned chainrings necessary for compatibility with modern integrated shifters.

For those riders seeking to break out of the 34/50 box, Sugino introduced the OX801D crankset.  Instead of a 110mm BCD, the Japanese company designed their new crankset using 74mm and 110mm BCDs.  The dual-BCD design enabled the use of inner chainrings as small as 24t, and the ability to run large chainrings much smaller than the ones usually found on compact-double cranks.  To the delight of mechanics everywhere, Sugino spec’d their new crank with ramped-and-pinned chainrings, as well as making it compatible with external bottom brackets such as those from Shimano and Chris King.

There were a couple of gotchas, however.  First was the price–over $500 when it was initially introduced.  Contributing to the high price were the highly polished finish, and cold-forging and machining the units in Japan.  The second gotcha was the extremely limited choice of available chainring combinations in the US (34/50, and later, 34/48).  The latter limitation could be circumvented by ordering directly from one of the specialty retailers in Japan, but the price put the OX801D out of reach for many riders (including yours truly).

Sugino OX601D crankset (34/48) on the author’s Campagnolo-equipped test bike.

Then, in late 2012, Sugino brought the OX601D crankset to market.  This new model featured the same cold-forged arms as the OX801D, but with a less-costly matte silver finish.  To satisfy the pickiest gearhead, the OX601D can be ordered with the customer’s choice of chainring sizes.  With a suggested retail price of just under $400 (including sealed bottom bracket and all necessary hardware), the new Sugino crankset is on par (price-wise) with similar offerings from Rene Herse and White Industries.

One of the first things you notice about the OX601D is that the outer chainring mounts inboard of the spider.  Positioning the outer chainring this way allows the use of the 74mm BCD for inner chainrings smaller than 34t.  On setups where both chainrings utilize the same (110mm) BCD, the inner chainring is attached to the outer chainring via spacers and the large chainring’s mounting hardware.  If the smaller 74mm BCD is used, the inner chainring uses a separate set of mounting hardware.

The 74mm and 110mm mounting patterns accommodate a wide range of chainrings.

Installing the OX601 cranks and bottom bracket was is easy as any other two-piece unit.  The external bearing cups install using a standard, Shimano/SRAM-compatible socket (such as this one from Pedro’s), and the cranks themselves require only 4mm and 5mm hex keys (although I did use a torque wrench to insure that the left arm’s fixing bolts were properly tightened).  While the MB-608-II bottom bracket seemed to have less seal drag than a comparable Shimano unit, I couldn’t detect any actual difference once the cranks were in place.

Sugino MB-608-II cupset weighs 93g with sleeve.

For this test, I installed the Sugino cranks on my Black Mountain Cycles bike, replacing the Shimano R4550 cranks that I normally use.  Weight-wise, the OX601D came in at 925g, compared to 900g for the aforementioned Shimano cranks (with Dura-Ace cups, 34/46 chainrings, and alloy chainring bolts).  Where the Sugino cranks really shine, though, is their q-factor of 145mm (the Shimanos measure 150mm).  Riders who want to maintain a narrow(er) pedaling stance without having to sacrifice modern drivetrain compatibility will be well served by the OX601D cranks.

The left crank arm is secured with two opposing pinch bolts.

On the road (and trail), the ramped-and-pinned Sugino chainrings meshed perfectly with my Campagnolo 10s drivetrain.  The only necessary adjustment involved raising the front derailleur to clear the larger 48t chainring.  Shifting up and down was quick, reliable, and didn’t require any babying on my part.  Climbing out of the saddle didn’t induce any unwanted flex (that I could notice), and everything has remained silent.  Because the OX601D doesn’t rely on the spider’s width for determining chainring spacing, the crank is compatible with 9-, 10-, and 11-speed systems simply by using different spacers.  And while it’s too soon to comment on chainring durability, the 74mm and 110mm mounting patterns ensure a wide range of compatible replacement rings.

Hardware and spacers used for mounting the 48t outer and 34t inner chainrings.

Currently, the US importer offers Sugino OX601D cranks in 165mm, 170mm, 172.5mm, and 175mm lengths.  Inner chainrings are available in 30t, 32t, 34t, or 36t.  Ramped-and-pinned outer chainrings come in 44t, 46t, 48t, or 50t.  Shops can order the cranksets through Merry Sales, or you can purchase them directly from SOMA Fabrications.

Disclosure: SOMA Fabrications provided review samples for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.