System Engineered Performance is the guiding principle behind the four-model 2012 range of road wheels from Giant, which was unveiled recently in Majorca. According to Giant, the idea is to take the four factors considered to have the greatest effect on overall performance – weight, stiffness, aerodynamics and comfort – and play around with them to achieve the best-balanced design given a fifth factor, missing from the list, which is, of course, price.
The outcome is called a Wheelsystem to distinguish it from a wheelset, which is simply a collection of standard parts assembled into a pair of wheels. A Wheelsystem is, instead, a collection of components designed to work together to achieve optimal performance at a given price across the performance factors.
Key points include wide-set front hub flanges and offset rear rim spoke bed for maximal axial stiffness, bladed stainless steel spokes on the top three models for aerodynamics and the adoption across the range of 21mm wide rims, which modifies the shape of the inflated tyre’s cross section. This stiffens the tyre sideways and allows the use of a lower inflation pressure for comfort without compromising on steering response and is said to reduce air turbulence at the junction between rim and tyre.
The wheels were developed in association with what Giant coyly described simply as a Swiss company. One glance at the design of the P-SLR1 wheel and, in particular, the way the model’s spokes are located gives away the fact the company is DTSwiss. This is, of course, no bad thing; the company’s freehub body is excellent and the spoke seating design, seen on the DTSwiss Tricon wheelset, ingenious and ideal for road tubeless tyres.
Spoke lacing is radial at the front and, excepting the entry-level P-SL1, which has all-angent radial on the rear drive side with tangent spoking on the non-drive. The spokes will be user-serviceable.
Of the four models, the top-end is the P-SLR1 Aero, which has a 50mm deep carbon/aluminium rim and weighs 1575g with no skewers. Next comes the 1390g P-SLR1, which has the same Aerolite spokes allied to a “Tubeless Ready” scandium-aluminium alloy rim using DT Swiss Tricon spoke bed technology.
Third in the lineup is the P-SL0, which weighs 1595g features the same offset rear spoke holes but has DT Aero Competition spokes and “Tubeless Compatible” rims, which require a special airtight rim tape in order to work with road tubeless tyres. The entry-level P-SL1 wheel weighs 1770g, has a 6061 aluminium alloy rim and features DT Champion spokes laced 18 radial at the front and 24 two-cross at the rear.
First impressions of the P-SLR1, which was the reference wheel for test rides at the 2012 road press launch, are of excellent ride comfort, stiffness and power transfer, especially during out of the saddle efforts. It should at least match if not exceed the performance of the DT Swiss Tricon wheelset, although a back to back test would be needed.
The Wheelsystems will be available in the UK through Giant dealers.
