Miche’s new Kleos RD wheelsets aim to balance optimum aerodynamics and low weight, with the lightest Kleos RD 36 claimed to weigh 1,390g in its SRAM XDR freehub variant.
Its name taken from the Ancient Greek for ‘eternal glory’, the Kleos RD range will be offered in three different rim depths – 36, 50 and 62mm.
Miche says the rims are constructed from a combination of Toray T1100 and T700 carbon fibres with a unidirectional finish. The stiffer T1100 fibres are applied in the higher-stress areas of the rim, such as at the spoke nipple area, according to the brand.
The brand says it conducted wind tunnel testing at Silverstone, with wheels designed, engineered and made in Miche’s factory in San Vendemiano, Italy.
The Kleos RD 36 and 50 feature a 21mm internal rim width, with the Kleos 62 wider at 23mm. That’s about average for modern road bike wheels, with Zipp and ENVE, for example, opting for a wider 25mm rim width on some of their hoops.
Miche has opted for a hooked rim over hookless. The hooked rim is said to meet modern ETRTO standards and is compatible with all commercially available tubeless and clincher road bike tyres. The brand advises a maximum 109psi road bike tyre pressure.
Miche specs its Ergal 7075 T6 hubs. These feature CeramicSpeed bearings and the freehub body features a titanium pawl carrier. You can choose Shimano, SRAM XDR or Campagnolo N3W freehubs.
You’ll need a 12mm hex key to service the hub, as well as a 2mm key to undo the preload bolt.
Lightweight meets aero
The non-driveside hub flange of the front wheel uses Miche Aero Blade technology. This is an aero fairing that shrouds the head of the spokes. Miche says its wind tunnel tests show at a yaw angle between 0 and 2-4 degrees, the aerodynamic performance is improved.
The wheelset is only compatible with 12mm thru-axles front and rear, and Miche will not be offering adaptors to convert them for quick-release.
Lacing the rims to the hubs are the brand’s own double-butted, straight-pull stainless steel spokes. The spokes feature an aerodynamic profile that differs between the front and rear. Eight spokes are specced on the non-driveside, with 16 arranged in a three-cross pattern on the driveside. Aluminium nipples tension them to the rim.
The Kleos RD 36 is claimed to weigh 1,390g in its SRAM XDR freehub variant, with the Kleos RD50 1,455g and the Kleos RD60 1,560g. Miche says the weight of the tubeless tape and valves it installs prior to shipping adds 35g.
We have the Kleos RD 36 in for review and it weighs 1,467g (666g front, 801g rear) on our Scales of Truth with a Shimano freehub.
The wheelsets retail for €2,349 for all variants, with UK, American and Australian pricing to be confirmed.
