Miche Kleos RD 50mm Tubeless wheelset review

Italian components specialist Miche might be a lesser-known player in the bike wheels market in 2024, but with a storied history, widening distribution network and meticulous research and development into its products, I was intrigued to find out if the Kleos RD wheelset could compete with the best triathlon wheels out there.

The Kleos RD is Miche’s premium road wheelset, available in three depths and with a CeramicSpeed bearing upgrade over the standard Kleos wheels (£1,299).

The weight for the pair is 1,455g, neither super light nor particularly heavy at this common 50mm depth.

Design and build

The rim is a mix of Toray’s T1000 and T700 carbon fibres to balance stiffness and responsiveness, and the spokes are flat, double-butted stainless steel.

Sixteen spokes are arranged in a crossed formation on the driveside and eight are laced radially on the non-driveside, a formation that Miche says was informed by the data it collected in wind tunnel tests.

An ‘Aero Blade’ fairing sits on the front wheel’s left flange between the spokes and disc rotor.

Miche claims this “reduces turbulence” and improves the aero performance of the front wheel, backed up by its wind tunnel data.

I have no way of quantifying this personally and some might say it’s heading into gimmicky territory, but credit to Miche for adding an interesting bonus feature.

The 21mm internal rim width will work with tyres from 25mm up to 35mm, but Miche says 28mm is the ideal width.

I used 28mm clinchers (the Hutchinson Blackbird) with TPU inner tubes for my test rides, but they are ready to go with rim tape and valves out the box if you’d prefer to go tubeless.

Ride performance

My initial impression of the Kleos RD was one of familiarity and a premium ride feel not dissimilar to wheelsets considerably more expensive when pedalling steadily on flat roads.

The freehub is nice and quiet, and they tick along beautifully while undoubtedly providing an aero boost.

They feel stiff enough to deal with the most brutal of inclines, even if they’re not climbing wheels per se, and I was also very impressed with how they handled in the wind.

The crosswind performance is up there with the very best on the market at this 50mm depth, in my opinion. 

Where I felt the Kleos RD wasn’t quite up there with the absolute cutting edge from the likes of Cadex and Black Inc was the acceleration from a dead start and responsiveness under load, but that’s not something that would concern most triathletes.

The bottom line

Overall, I was highly impressed with the Kleos RD wheels, and I think they would be a particularly wise choice for long-course triathlon.

The slight hint of sluggishness when accelerating and extra weight compared to the most premium wheels on the market means I’d be less inclined to choose them for sprint triathlon or road racing, but for reliable performance in crosswinds, handling and speed on the flats they’re hard to beat.

For the same price, you could also go for the 62mm depth for more straight-line speed if you’re willing to sacrifice some crosswind stability.

Miche Kleos RD 50mm Tubeless Wheelset specs

Price:	£1,699
Spokes:	24 stainless steel spokes
Rim depth:	50mm
Internal rim width:	21mm
Tyre type:	Tubeless or clincher
Weight:	1,455g