XMCS CS-GDW53-41 Gravel

Hi all, I’ve completed my first rides on the wheels – about 200 km in total. Unfortunately, my last outing ended in a self-inflicted crash, so here’s just a quick update before I post a full review once I’m back on the bike. Roughly half of the distance was on tarmac, the other half on light gravel (what we’d call “forest Autobahn” in Germany), with only a few short singletrack sections. So far, no major climbs or descents and no technically challenging trails – that part is still to come. pros • The wheels accelerate well and hold speed efficiently • Hubs and bearings run extremely smooth • Freehub engagement is flawless so far • Tubeless setup was easy and air retention has been excellent • Possibly due to the titanium spokes, there seems to be better damping of small vibrations from the surface • Aesthetics are great – they look as good as they ride neutral / learnings • Due to the wide internal rim width, tire pressure can and should be set significantly lower compared to my previous 23 mm internal rims • The wheels act as a large resonance chamber and brake noises can be noticeably louder cons • With the tall, lightweight rims combined with high-volume tires, cross-wind sensitivity is noticeable • They tempt you to ride faster than you probably should

Did my first ride today (~72km) and I'm really happy with the result. It's comfortable, has lots of grip and is feels quick. But I don't have any data to back that up. I simply believe the latest research which shows that... • wider tires reduce rolling resistance • increasing comfort through greater air volume as suspension minimizes rider fatigue And all of that without compromising performance. The widths match quite nice according the 105%-rule (42mm outer rim width; 39.5mm tire width). The Michelin Pro 5 tires have an unmounted tread width of 45mm, which is even more than the Pirelli P Zero 40-622 at 42mm. This means that even when stretched, the risk of running off the tread is reduced. Regarding ETRTO compliance: I don't really like the concept of regulatory documents being behind a paywall. Additionally, it seems that bicycle tire standards are outdated and not up to current requirements. The complexity also exceeds that of car/motorcycle tire standards. While ETRTO is indeed a technical institution with regulatory purposes and its importance is highly regarded in various forums, threads, and Reddit discussions, this apparently doesn't tell the whole story. This article provides valuable insights: The most prominent example of deviating from ETRTO standards is SRAM/Zipp. They allow a 40mm tire on their 303 XPLR wheels (32mm inner width rim) through their 'dual testing' approach, far from ETRTO standards.