Shimano RX31 wheels

Shimano's RX31 wheelset is perfect for those bikes that see a hard life whether that be slogging along on the commute in all weathers, a bit of light touring or even some gravel or cyclocross abuse. It's great to see this latest version come with hubs for 12mm thru axles too.

With a road bike thru axle standard seemingly starting to settle down on 12mm front and rear Shimano have obviously felt it's the right time to release their wheel range to accept the large diameter axle.

Thru axles replace the quick release that's been used on road bikes for decades with a hollow tube, 12mm in diameter in this case, which passes through a hole in the fork leg (in place of the dropouts) then through the hub before screwing directly into the other fork leg.

The larger axle and secure fixing stiffens the whole fork and wheel assembly against steering flex, and makes it impossible for the wheel to be ejected by braking forces, which can happen with standard vertical dropouts. Wheel alignment is also much more precise avoiding rotor rub every time.

The build here is pretty much the same as the quick release model we originally reviewed back in September 2014. There's a 24mm disc-specific rim attached to a Center Lock disc hub with 24 straight-bladed spokes in a two-cross pattern. The bearings are well-sealed angular contact loose balls like all Shimano wheels, although you don't get the tool-free adjustment of the pricier options.

Those original wheels have been in constant use since that date under plenty of riders doing different things. Dave's original 9/10 for durability certainly hasn't needed to be put under any scrutiny and things aren't any different with this thru axle version. They've seen a fair old bit of abuse with gravel tracks and muddy singletrack giving the bearing seals plenty of work to do keeping out water, dust and grit. The bearings are still running smooth and quiet.

The same goes for the rest of the wheels' build quality. Tension has remained high and even across those bladed spokes plus trueness seems the same although that isn't a major issue when running discs.

The rims are 17mm wide internally (24mm external) which means that Shimano recommend a tyre width of 25 to 28mm for a smooth transition between wheel and tyre. Tyres were easy to fit; I tried a few pairs, from Schwalbe Ones to Continentals and 35mm Schwalbe cyclocross tyres.

From a durability point of view it's good to see a steel freehub body. Aluminium ones may be lighter but tend to get gnarled up by the sprockets.

The only real downside to these wheels is the weight: 1960g with the rim tape in place. That's quite a heft to get spinning from a standing start over and over again and certainly rules these wheels out for racing of any kind.

In terms of value the RX31s offer a decent investment considering they are pretty much bombproof and Shimano wheels are often discounted in the shops. Anything you can save on the £299 price tag will be a bonus.

We've seen lighter disc brake wheels here at road.cc like the Kinesis Racelight Discs but they are an extra £100 which further confirms the value for money of the RX31s.

Verdict

Solid, dependable wheels for on and off road duties, now available with thru axle