USE Road 8.0 Tubular bike wheels review
Smooth to ride and a very attractive price
USE Road 8.0 Tubular bike wheels review
Smooth is the best way to describe USE’s Road 8.0 Tubular wheels. Smooth to the touch, thanks to the ‘Nanotech’ surface finish, and smooth to ride… for the most part.
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Exactly what the ‘Nanotech’ is or how it works appears to be a secret the folks at USE are keen to keep (especially as its patent is still pending).
But suffice to say it’s intended to ‘reduce drag and the ability of dirt to stick to the wheels’. And it seems to have been applied over the graphics to prevent even them from producing turbulence.
In action, the 8.0s handle like a train: somewhat unwieldy at slow speeds but they soon settle down and barrel along once the pace picks up.
The few bumps and shunts you experience as they ‘pull out of the station’ are to be expected, however, because, although the 8cm-deep sides make them susceptible to side winds, they’re there to help you go fast.
And when the 8.0s are going fast they feel great. They even brake pretty well; a little bitey and squealy perhaps but they slow down almost as easily as they speed up.
Naked – without a cassette, quick releases or tubular tyres – the wheelset weighs 1.6kg (704g for the front and 897g for the rear).
That puts them within spitting distance of the very best deep-section hoops but, when you consider what the equivalent Zipp or Enve wheels cost, the USE’s price makes them an attractive alternative.
Strap: Unsettled by side winds but fast, light, full-carbon tubs, 89%
Contact : www.ultimatesportsengineering.com
Jamie Beach
Former digital editor 
