Dura-Ace 9100 C60 Carbon Road Wheelset

Though clinchers have historically had a decidedly “training wheel” reputation, recent advancements in wheel materials and construction have made it so that clinchers are nearly as light as tubulars without sacrificing durability. They're also immensely more practical and cost-effective in the event of a flat. As such, the line between training wheels and race wheels has blurred altogether, especially with wheelsets like Shimano's Dura-Ace 9100 C60 Carbon Road Clincher Wheelset on the table.

Although a moderately deep rim keeps these wheels out of the featherweight division, they're competitive for their category and well suited to just about any sort of riding. At 50mm deep, the C60 hits the sweet spot to balance aerodynamics and weight, so you'll snap up to speed quickly and be able to hold it for the long haul with ease.

Shimano uses a proprietary process whereby it merges the carbon portion of the wheel to the alloy composite braking surface. This junction utilizes a spine of aluminum against which Shimano sandwiches plies of unidirectional carbon. This process increases rigidity, durability and aerodynamics while keeping the weight down. It also provides an aluminum braking surface that works on command in a variety of conditions, free from the worries and poor braking that can plague carbon braking surfaces.

• An aerodynamic wheelset with versatile capabilities
• Machined aluminum with carbon laminate balances weight and cost
• 50mm hybrid rim is fast without the poor braking of carbon
• Durable titanium freehub body reduces weight
• Wide hub flanges boost wheel stiffness even more