Black Inc 48|58 wheelset review

Black Inc is the components arm of British premium bike brand Factor, and the 48|58 wheelset was introduced specifically to compliment the latest Factor Ostro VAM road bike.

With a price tag of £2,899 ($2,899), I was intrigued to find out if the most expensive and lightest wheels in 220’s 2024 race wheels grouptest could live up to expectations. Would it earn itself on our list of the best triathlon wheels? Let’s take a look…

Design

Few expenses are spared when it comes to specification. Black Inc has laced the rims with 20 lightweight carbon fibre spokes, which not only look amazing, but also provide extra strength and rigidity when paired with the high-flange hubs.

Essentially, this means the hubs have a greater circumference compared to low-flange hubs, which should reduce stress on the spokes.

The hubs are infused with CeramicSpeed bearings made exclusively for Black Inc to remove more friction, adding up to a 1,290g wheelset, a phenomenally low weight for aero wheels.

Black Inc has gone for asymmetry when it comes to depth, pairing a 48mm front and 58mm rear.

The shallower front is to improve handling in unpredictable conditions, with Black Inc promising us “stability in high wind conditions and at all yaw angles”.

When it comes to width, the rim is 23mm internally and 29mm externally.

That’s not as wide as we’ve seen some go recently, but Black Inc says this is optimised for 28mm tyres.

Setup and weight

The rim has a ’mini-bead hook rim’, meaning these wheels are compatible with tubeless or clincher tyres.

Setting my test pair up with lightweight TPU inner tubes and 28mm tyres was easy, and didn’t even require a tyre lever.

They looked stunning on my Cube Aerium tri bike and the all-important freehub soundcheck revealed a rear hub that’s more pleasing than screechy both in volume and tone.

The weight of these wheels impressed on the scales, and even more so on the road.

They really do handle like lightweight climbing wheels on hills, and on flats and descents you get to take advantage of the aero-optimised rim depth, too.

Performance

They were incredibly stable in crosswinds and blustery conditions, to the point I barely felt like my wheels had any depth to them when the wind roared.

Black Inc claims this is due to the “increased leading edge radius” to “promote airflow attachment at higher yaw angles and reduce the onset of dynamic stall” to give a greater feeling of control.

While I can’t claim to know exactly how this works, I can certainly vouch for it working in the real world.

Despite the reduced spoke count and light weight, the wheels felt super strong and stiff during sharp accelerations.

The whole experience is smooth and assured, with the high-quality hubs and bearings no doubt contributing to the regal ride feel.

I would recommend the 48|58 wheelset to anybody who has serious money to invest in a set of race-day wheels for triathlon and road racing.

It would make the ultimate Kona wheelset, and pairing the 48 front with a deeper section or disc rear wheel would give you an even faster set-up for less blustery conditions.

Looking to make more upgrades to your setup? Take a look at our pick of the best clip-on aerobars and our list of the best aero helmets for triathlon, as tested out on the road and in the wind tunnel.

Black Inc 48|58 wheelset specs

Price:	£2,899 / $2,899
Available from:	Black Inc
Spokes:	20, carbon fibre
Rim depth:	48mm front, 58mm rear
Internal rim width:	23mm
Tyre type:	Tubeless or clincher
Weight:	1,290g