Bontrager Aeolus 5.0

Price Paid:  $2000.00 at yellow jersey

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere without cars

Bike Setup:
Tarmac S-Works, Dura ace

Summary:
First of all, these are a good, fast wheelset. They are on a par with most other carbon clinchers weight-wise. If anyone reckons Zipps and Mavics are faster [and vice-versa] then they are a better rider than me. They are easy to put tyres on and I think quite good looking.
My main beef however is quality control. Apparently these wheels are no longer USA built, rather bulit in Taiwan. When I took possession of my new wheels, the carbon on the back rim was clearly coming away from the aluminium braking surface. Trek gave me a new wheel, no questions asked. On my next ride, the front wheel braking was very 'on-off'. Trek again replaced the wheel due to a poor quality braking surface. The third wheel was exactly the same, and although offered a fourth wheel I have now swapped these for Mavics. I have at least another cyclist in my club with a similar experience.

Strengths:
Good looking, as fast and light as any other carbon aero wheel. Trek warranty excellent.

Weaknesses:
Quality control is poor. When you pay $2000 for a set of wheels, you expect perfection. To have three wheels be faulty clearly there are production issues.

Similar Products Used:
Mavic Cosmic Carbone

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Price Paid:  $2500.00

Bike Setup:
BMC pro machine w/full campy.

Summary:
Excellent wheelset. I have the powertap setup and this wheelset is fast. Very good on climbs, though clearly not as good as a dedicated climbing set, but still very good. Braking is very good, though I haven't tried in wet conditions. I sense a small amount of flex when I really get on it, but it's very small and likely contributes to the carpet like ride quality you get. Anybody who tells you they have a superstiff wheelset that rides like your on a cloud is probably lying, there is always a tradeoff. I use this set for everyday rides and so far they have held up nicely. I great blend of speed, ride, and stiffness. I would put them sligthly ahead of my Zipp 303s, which also had a powertap and are a great wheel themselves.

Strengths:
Weight (for a clincher), speed, ride quality, looks.

Weaknesses:
None really. Overall a great combination of ride qualities.

Similar Products Used:
Zipp 303s (w/ powertap), reynolds, dt swiss, mavic carbone sl, mavic kyrsium, bontrager race x lites

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Price Paid:  $2100.00

Favorite Ride:
Boulder Canyon

Bike Setup:
Giant TMobile team issue

Summary:
I think the guy who said these wheels flexed wasn't reviewing the same wheel. These things rule and I can crank 1400 plus watts in a sprint. I can race and train on the same pair of wheels and they are guaranteed through Trek/Bontrager. Solidly built and really aero. Make sure to use latex tubes for best ride. Bye Bye tubulars!!

Strengths:
Light rim weight for good acceleration. Hubs could be lighter but not so significant that close to the center of the wheel. Use the cork pads or else!

Weaknesses:
Can't brake well in the rain. Maybe different pads would help. You feel it in big crosswinds.

Price Paid:  $3400.00 at Sharp Bicycles

Favorite Ride:
Mt. Diablo

Bike Setup:
Serotta Ottrott w/ full D/A
or
Trek Madone 6.9 full D/A

Summary:
These wheels kick butt. I opted for the clinchers so I can use them all the time. My rear wheel has a Powertap Pro Wireless hub so they cost a bit more. I haven't had any issues.
These wheels have a great feel to them. They are great for all around riding.
I race on them every weekend and they hold up great in the sprints as well as climbing. They are pretty good in the cross winds.

Strengths:
Light weight, aero, low maintenance

Weaknesses:
braking can be variable, but similar to other carbon rims I have ridden.

Similar Products Used:
zipp 303 tubulars, mavic ksyrium sl, bontrager race x lites, Ritchey WCS protocol

Price Paid:  $0.00 at n/a

Bike Setup:
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL, K-Force cranks, Ciamillo Zero-G calipers, Dura-Ace drive. Easton bars, stem, post. Reynolds Carbon w/custom ceramic bearings.

Summary:
Rode these wheels as a demo while my wheels were having some bearing work done. All i can say is WOW.
These are close to the worst wheels i have ever ridden. The front wheel is anything but stiff, it rubs the brake pads when sprinting. The rear hub has the same problem as most Bonty/DT hubs, the freehub body oscillates. The rear wheel is about like the front, rubs the brake pads on both sides, and feels like riding through wet sand when i sprint. The braking surface is very unpredictable and non-existent when wet. Im no clydesdale, im 5 11 160lbs. There is no reason wheels that cost this much should perform this terribly.

Strengths:
There good at taking a chunk out of your pocketbook.

Weaknesses:
Soft in the sprint and everywhere else.

Similar Products Used:
Bontrager Race X Lite(ok wheelset)
Reynolds carbon clincher(great wheelset)

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