Shimano Ultegra R8170 C50 Tubeless CL Disc review

Sitting below Shimano’s top-of-the-range Dura-Ace wheels, the Ultegra C50 is a tubeless-ready wheelset that strikes an attractive balance between price, aerodynamics and weight. 

But does it do enough to land a spot on our list of the best wheels for triathlon?

Design

Described as “an excellent upgrade for any aspiring racer”, these wheels are 50mm deep, carbon fibre and come in at 1,570g for the pair. You can also get them in 36mm or 60mm depths. 

Like most disc brake wheelsets on the market in 2024, the C50 wheels have all the modern features we’ve come to expect: tubeless-ready, an internal rim width of 21mm and suitable for tyres up to 32mm wide. 

The rims are hooked so you can use tubeless or standard clincher tyres with inner tubes. 

Being more keenly priced (£1,099.98) than very high-end wheelsets, there are a few compromises. 

You get robust stainless-steel spokes as opposed to fancier carbon ones, steel bearings rather than ceramic, and a total weight that certainly isn’t the lightest out there. 

Still, we’re talking marginal gains, and the spec of these wheels is still excellent for the money. 

The wheels come with all the gubbins to run tubeless out of the box, and setting mine up with lightweight inner tubes and 28mm tyres was very straightforward. 

They appeared robustly built and seemed to run perfectly true, with a slight humming coming from the freehub. 

Performance

On the road, I found the C50s perfectly dependable and reasonably stiff, but the performance drop was noticeable compared to the pricier wheels in our grouptest. 

When it comes to the acceleration and the general excitement I look for when riding deeper rim wheels, this was somewhat lacking, and it all felt a bit industrial. 

There’s not a great deal of feedback when you stamp on the pedals, so this is probably not the wheelset for you if you’re looking for something to get you up to speed as fast as possible; for example, the explosive efforts you might need to perform in draft-legal triathlons. 

If, however, you’re much more into longer distance triathlon and steady-state efforts, the C50s are more at home here. 

They come into their own when ticking along at a steady pace, built to handle long miles and tough conditions. 

Shimano’s Labyrinth double-contact sealing within the bearings help to keep out mud and moisture. 

In heavy crosswinds, the C50 wheels were impressive. I didn’t feel like was getting pushed around too much considering the 50mm depth to the rims. 

The bottom line

While they might not have absolutely thrilled me on the road, the Ultegra C50 wheels are a decent upgrade over stock hoops. 

I think it’s difficult to justify buying them over high-quality wheelsets from the likes of Parcours and Hunt, which arguably offer better specifications for your money.

That said, if you can get a good deal (we’ve seen them at under £1,000 for the pair) or buy as part of a full bike purchase, they will serve you very well on your road or tri bike. 

Alternatively, they could work as a luxury winter wheelset if you want to save your very best wheels for racing only. 

Looking for more upgrades? See our list of the best clip-on aerobars.

Shimano Ultegra R8170 C50 Tubeless CL Disc specs

Price:	£1,099.98
Available from:	Freewheel
Spokes:	24, stainless steel
Rim depth:	50mm
Internal rim width:	21
Tyre type:	Tubeless or clincher
Weight:	1,570g