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Review: Xentis Squad 4.2 Disc Carbon Clincher Wheelset

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Xentis Squad 4.2 disc clincher review (1)

Of all the high end carbon road wheels on the market, Xentis might be one of least known here in the States. Made with Austrian precision, that seems to be changing as Xentis expands their presence in North America and continues to introduce new models.

One of their latest models, the Squad 4.2 Disc Carbon Clincher was just introduced at Interbike a year ago. After breaking them down in our first look, it was time to see what the Squads were like to live with for a season. There was definitely a lot to love, but also room for improvement…

Xentis Squad 4.2 disc clincher review (2)

Having spent most of their time installed on my Volagi Viaje, the Squad 4.2 clinchers will find themselves more at home on road bikes rather than gravel, cross, or adventure bikes. In road trim with slick tires the Squads best attribute is their ride quality, hands down. Perhaps the definition of what carbon wheels can do for road feel on your bike, the wheels absolutely sing along the pavement.

Aero performance on the road is pretty subjective, but I did notice very little pull of the front wheel in heavy cross winds. They certainly feel fast, but since I don’t have access to a wheel tunnel I can’t vouch for the performance of the Active Turbulator lip on the rim. The 42mm deep rim section will require the use of a valve extender or tubes with 60mm valves – standard 48mm valve don’t leave enough purchase for most pumps.

Xentis Squad 4.2 disc clincher review (3)

Xentis Squad 4.2 disc clincher review (5) Xentis Squad 4.2 disc clincher review (4)

Technically, the 4.2s are listed for running 18-25mm tires. I mounted up tires that went way past that size restriction without issue, but I’m guessing the recommendation is based on the relatively narrow rim channel. Built with just a 12.6mm internal width, and 21.2mm external width the Xentis hoops don’t really fit into the current trend of wider is better. That also meant that any tire we mounted ended up measuring narrower than the listed size. The Vittoria Rubino Pro 28mm tires above measured just 26.1mm.

The narrow profile didn’t seem to affect the handling much on tires below 28mm, but it would definitely be a detriment to wider tires than recommended. A note for a comment that came up on our first look, the Squad carbon clinchers are perfectly capable of handling 100 psi. In fact, the useable pressure goes all the way up to 145 psi – when using an 18mm tire. As the tires grow in size, Xentis recommends lower and lower max pressures down to 116 psi for a 25mm tire.

Xentis Squad 4.2 disc clincher review (7) Xentis Squad 4.2 disc clincher review (6)

Xentis Squad 4.2 disc clincher review (9)

For my needs on the review, the hubs were ideal, but with the new crop of disc road bikes that may not be the case. It should be pretty easy for Xentis to update the Squad 4.2 discs for the future, but the current QR5 quick release hubs may limit their use with newer frames running thru axles in the front or even rear. The 6 bolt brake mount may also be a stumbling point if you are set on running the Shimano Ice Tech Freeza rotors which are still only offered in Centerlock.

With that said the hubs did prove to be very smooth and show zero signs of wear after some serious abuse. Freehubs are available in either Shimano/SRAM 9/10/11, Campagnolo 11, or even SRAM XX1 so plenty of options there. Also as Michael with Stage-Race pointed out below, the Xentis 4.2 rims are available in custom builds which should take care of any thru axle compatibility issues.

Final Thoughts:

So just who are the Xentis Squad 4.2 Disc wheels for? Well, you need to have a bike with quick release axles front and rear (135mm on the rear), you should be happy running tires smaller than 28mm, you must weigh less than 240 lbs (110 kg), and you will need a brakeset where 6 bolt disc rotors are OK to use. If you fit those criteria and don’t want to hold out for something tubeless, the Squad wheels are worth it for their ride quality alone. As one of their first products in the road disc space, we have a feeling that the next version will appeal to a wider range of users.

Xentis Squad 4.2 Disc Wheels are available in either white or stealth black graphics from Stage Race Distribution for $2,599.

xentis.com

 

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SNIPE-HUNTER
9 years ago

Geezo! Some of the product reviews here are painful to read.

Mike Yakubowicz
9 years ago

Thanks for the review, Zach.
Anyone can email me directly to ask any questions at michael@stage-race.com.
FYI, I’ve been running 30 mm Challenge Strada Bianca clinchers on my set with no issues.
We think these stack up in terms of weight and stiffness with anything out there, and even if they are not uber-wide, aero data has shown them to be an amazing wheelset in varied wind conditions.
Also, we do offer the Squad 4.2 Disc in custom builds, including CLD hubs from Tune and White Industries, so just contact us for more info.

Mike Yakubowicz
Founder – Stage-Race Distribution

taylor
taylor
9 years ago

No weights?
No mention of country of manufacture?
No care given to readability?

Patrick
Patrick
9 years ago

No picture of rim without tire…

wheelz
wheelz
9 years ago

No weights? These must be embarrassingly heavy for the price. 1600+g is my bet. Still, the review is very useful because it sends a loud message to avoid these wheels.

zscs
zscs
9 years ago

@Taylor: AFAIK, Xentis wheels still made in Austria. High-end stuff. Specified weight is 1476g for the set, haven’t found real measurement during my short 2-min Google search. http://www.xentis.com/en/2014/squad-4-2-disc-clincher-carbon/4552/products/

Velo
Velo
9 years ago

> 12.6mm internal width

Wow… that’s ridiculously narrow.

wheel-addict
wheel-addict
9 years ago

1476 (claimed) weight isn’t too bad, but the 12.6 mm internal width is bizarre by today’s standards. That might be the skinniest rim I’ve heard of. I love the 21 mm internal width of my HEDs—noticeably better tire traction and comfort.

Mike Yakubowicz
9 years ago

Just to chime in, the Squad 4.2 Disc wheels reviewed was designed for a classic road disc setup, an aero meets disc braking set for the road market, with the expectation that a 23, 25 or 27 mm tire would be the choice.
For gravel grinders seeking a much wider rim profile in a clincher, we offer our 29″ Squad CC MTB rims with a 25.6 mm width and even lower weight – those can be laced to various hubsets for different setup options for gravel grinding, CX, etc.
Btw, Xentis MTB hubs are swappable between QR / thru-axle and Shimano / XX1.

Thanks,
Mike

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