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Wheels
Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels
Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels

Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels

7
by George Hill
UPDATED Tue, Aug 20, 2019 00:11

First Published Aug 19, 2019

4
£534.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Durable and well-specced wheels that spin up well and hold their speed, if not as 'lightweight' as Miche suggests
Weight: 
1,598g
Contact: 
www.chickencyclekit.co.uk
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The Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels spin up quickly and hold their speed well, but they arrived out of true, which was a little disappointing.

  • Pros: Hold their speed well, very effective braking surface
  • Cons: Arrived out of true, included rim strip leaves a bit to be desired

The wheels are designed with the modern cyclist in mind, with the 17mm internal section meaning that you can run 25 or 28mm tyres if the mood catches you. I ran 25s which worked well. The wheels are also tubeless ready if you're that way inclined; I used inner tubes.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The front and rear have differing rim depths, the front at 26mm and the rear 29mm, which Miche claims improves performance.

With the low rim depth I found that crosswinds were not an issue, and the wheels held the road well throughout testing. That said, I was using these during a period of fine weather so didn't have the opportunity to really test these in high winds.

Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels - rim detail 1.jpg

Miche claims to have improved the braking surfaces on these wheels and it seems to have worked as the braking performance is excellent. I used them in both dry and wet conditions and they offered a strong, quick grip from the pads.

Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels - rim detail 2.jpg

Miche also claims it has reduced rim wear, which is great news for longevity but isn't something I can test during a short review period. The wheels do seem pretty bomb-proof and once I had trued the rear wheel they stayed true despite me taking them over some very rough surfaces, so the signs are good.

Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels - rim detail.jpg

The fact that they arrived out of true is a bit annoying, though. It only took a few minutes with a spoke key to make it right, but it's not something you expect with a brand new set of wheels.

Miche has used Sapim spokes, 18 on the front and 24 on the rear. These are attached through drilled holes, meaning that they require rim tape or a strip. Miche includes rim strips with the wheels, but they're almost impossible to get on without breaking them. Once I'd managed to bodge them onto the rim they held in place well and covered every hole effectively.

Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels - rim bed.jpg

The rear wheel uses a titanium and AL7075-T6 alloy freewheel body, which helps to keep the weight down and provide a solid base for decent power transfer. It seems to be high quality too, with no marks at all from hard accelerations and climbs – always an indication of durability.

Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels - rear hub.jpg

Both wheels use oversized flanges made of a mixture of carbon and AL7075-T6, which not only helps with weight and allows for increased stability but also looks great alongside the black on black rim graphics.

Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels - front hub.jpg

Inside, Miche has used ultra-performance SKF bearings which spin up really well and allow the wheels to maintain their speed despite the relatively low rim depth. It's an impressive setup for this price.

When Miche launched the Neons, it did so boasting of their weight: a set of mid-range alloy wheels that were lighter than its top-of-the-range lines. They hit the scales at 1,598g for the pair – 688g for the front and 910g for the rear. That's a decent weight for wheels in this price range, considering their durability and stability, but not the lightest for the money. One of their main rivals is the Fulcrum Racing 3 C17; the Miches come in 3g lighter, which isn't much, but given that they can run tubeless, for £15 less, that's pretty good. However, against the Mavic Ksyrium Elites, which are £10 more – which includes tyres – they are about 80g heavier than Mavic's claimed weight.

> Buyer's Guide: 37 of the best road bike wheelsets

Overall, I like these wheels. They spin up well, hold their speed, and you can put the power down nicely. However, for a pair of wheels sold on being lightweight, they aren't bad but aren't as light as some of their direct competitors, and receiving a new pair of wheels that are out of true is pretty annoying.

Verdict

Durable and well-specced wheels that spin up well and hold their speed, if not as 'lightweight' as Miche suggests

road.cc test report

Make and model: Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels

Size tested: 700C, rim brake

Tell us what the wheel is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

A pair of wheels designed to be lightweight and high enough quality to be used for racing or training.

Miche says, "The objective of creating a lighter wheelset to our current top of the range alloy clinchers, the Miche Syntium AXY has not been an easy task. We have tried to maintain the same level of strength and rigidity whilst at the same time reducing the weight.

"As we have often found, a lighter wheel does not necessarily mean a faster wheel!

"Tested and developed in the Miche Engineering Lab, where we have tested the wheels rigidity and power transfer ability, this together with lifecycle testing on our rolling road, to meet our goal, to build a wheelset that performs fantastically, yet is also ultra-reliable.

"The rim width now matches the current trend for wider rims / tyres being 17mm internal section, ideal for 25c or 28mm clincher tyres. The rear rim is skilfully tuned to improve its performance with the use of a taller depth than the front rim along with an asymmetric profile.

"The wheels are assembled using double-butted straight pull spokes with dedicated spokes patterns: 18 spokes radial for the front, 24 rear crossed on the drive side and radial for the non-drive side. Nipples are in Ergal for maximum lightness, spokes as with all Miche wheels, are custom-made by Sapim to Miche's innovative design.

"The Miche Supertype hubs for rim brake models feature oversize flanges built from a combination of carbon and AL7075-T6, excellent smoothness and long bearing life is assured thanks to the use of Miche specific ultra-performance SKF bearings.

"Exclusive materials are used for the freewheel body, which ls made of titanium and AL7075-T6 alloy. Freehub bodies are available, compatible with Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM gear systems.

"The new Miche Neon wheels excel over mixed or mountain terrain, when the road rises, they will boost your performance."

I'd say Miche has generally succeeded in this task, with the wheels being fairly light and definitely strong and rigid.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the wheel?

From Miche:

Weights+

Miche Neon Alloy Clincher: 1545g

All weights + / - 3% manufacturing tolerance

Exclude wheel quick release (QR)

Hubs+

Hub Bodies available for;

Campagnolo CA 9-10-11 speed

Shimnao SH 9-10-11 speed

SRAM 10-11 speed (same hub body as Shimano)

Spokes+

Miche Neon Alloy Clincher: 18 Front - 24 Rear

Miche use exclusively SAPIM spokes, made to our custom specification in all our wheels. All custom machined and finished in our factory. Alloy 7075 T6 nipples.

Rate the wheel for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Very well made, but they arrived out of true; once trued they stayed in shape well throughout the review.

Rate the wheel for performance:
 
8/10

Performed well throughout the review, spinning up well and holding their speed.

Rate the wheel for durability:
 
8/10

Seemed to take everything in their stride, including the roughest roads I could find.

Rate the wheel for weight
 
7/10

Our test wheels came in a bit heavier than the claimed weight of 1,545g, but 1,598g is still a decent weight for the price, if not hugely (or at all) lighter than their competitors.

Rate the wheel for value:
 
5/10

They compare well with the Fulcrum Racing 3 C17s, which are £15 more and around the same weight, but the Miches give you the option to run tubeless; the Mavic Ksyrium Elites are £10 more (which includes tyres) and about 80g lighter.

Did the wheels stay true? Any issues with spoke tension?

Once trued they were fine, but they turned up out of true which is not a great start.

How easy did you find it to fit tyres?

Very easy, and once they were on they held the rim impressively well.

How did the wheel extras (eg skewers and rim tape) perform?

The skewers worked well and have a nice industrial design. The rim strips that were included worked well once they were on the wheels, but getting them there was almost impossible to do while keeping them in one piece.

Tell us how the wheel performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They performed well: they hold their speed, are light enough to make them decent options when going upwards, and create a solid base for power transfer.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the wheel

Sounds superficial, but probably their looks – the blacked-out graphics and carbon outer on the hubs look great.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the wheel

They arrived out of true.

Did you enjoy using the wheel? Yes

Would you consider buying the wheel? Maybe

Would you recommend the wheel to a friend? Maybe

Use this box to explain your overall score

They are a good set of wheels, but arriving out of true wasn't the greatest of starts, and for wheels that are described as 'lightweight' they could be lighter. That said, they perform well, they hold their speed impressively for low profile wheels, and they look good.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 29  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cinelli Gazzetta  My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels 2019
Miche Neon Black on Black Wheels
Miche 2019
Miche
George Hill

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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4 comments

Avatar
jaysa | 5 years ago
0 likes

Yep - I have a pair of custom-built climbing wheels from DCR that are beautifully built and lighter both on the scales and the pocket ...

Avatar
Stebbo | 5 years ago
0 likes

 You could get some beautifully built handmades for less than that price that would last longer, be true from day one and more than likely lighter as well.  I have always thought that Factory build wheels are less than good value. Especially if you one of the 80% plus of people who dont compete in anything other than a club run.

Avatar
bobbinogs | 5 years ago
0 likes

yeah, I am mystified by this one.  £535 for a wheelset that arrived faulty (one can paint 'retrue' in many ways but a new wheel that is out of true is technically defective as it is not fit for purpose in my book)...and with wonky stickers (see pics) and no rim tape...offering the same kind of weight that can be bought elsewhere for less than half the price (Cero AR24 Evo, £189 for an easy example that actually weigh 100g less).  Yet 3.5 stars out of 5.  Blimey!  A top product that delivers the promise and gives good VFM would get 4.5 to 5 stars...this shoddy offering gets 3.5.  Hard to see any sense in that.   

Avatar
Welsh boy | 5 years ago
1 like

£500 for a pair of out of true wheels and ones where they cant be bothered to put stickers on straight, I would want better than that for my money.  As for this stupid statement "they spin up well", my 5 year old daughter could spin up a wheel with one finger so what does it mean?  1598g for a pair of shallow depth rinmmed wheels is not particularly light especially when taking into account a titanium freehub body and some token gesture use of carbon on the hub body so I wonder where the weight is concentrated?

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