Xero Centauri XR-200

Price Paid:  $399.00 at lbs

Favorite Ride:
Texas Hillcountry

Bike Setup:
Specialized Allez (alum). Shimano 105 (9 speed).

Summary:
This is a first-ride impression.

I bought these wheels as an upgrade to my Specialized Allez Elite. The wheels fit into my budget and had features I was looking for: bladed spokes for stiffness, medium depth alloy rims, high flange hubs, smooth bearings, low price. there were bonuses that made me decide to buy these wheels: oversized rear axle/bearings for stiffness, welded rim joiny.

I rode an 85 mile ride on these wheels and they performed just fine. Stiff enough to sprint and climb out of the saddle. Freehub, although alarmingly quiet, engages positively and reliably. Bearings roll smoothly. This company is the same as Formula, the hub makers. I expected the hubs to work just fine, and they did. Braking was very smooth with welded and machined rims.

The spokes were evenly tensioned when I bought the wheels. I did not need to do any adjustments before riding. The wheels did not "pang" or "pop" to settle the spoke torsion from the building process, which boosted my confidence in the quality of assembly. The ride was stiff over rough terrain, as expected.

With bladed spokes in a low count configuration, the spoke tension was high. This means the wheels had a harmonic resonance to bumps and rough sections that could be heard and lightly felt through the bars.

I also considered buying the Williams Cycling System 30 and possibly Mavic Ksyriums. Price+Performance features helped me decide. Williams System 30 were more expensive, smaller rear axle, and did not have welded rims. Mavics were too expensive for what I budgeted.

Strengths:
True, even spoke tension new. Price. Smooth bearings. High flange hubs. Over-size rear axle. Quality for your money.

Weaknesses:
Not everybody can properly appreciate gold anodizing. Front wheel has a bit of harmonic resonance over rough surfaces and square bumps.