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Spada offers crazy light mountain bike wheels complete with wide rims

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Spado Rapido XX Bike-2

“Don’t cha wish your mountain bike was light like mine.” That’s what weight-weenies will be singing to their internet friends when they have these babies mounted under their mountain bike’s feathery carbon carriage adorned with unobtainium parts from krypton. Okay okay, these are actually pure uber-light race wheels hand-built in Italy by a company with a strong heritage in bicycle racing… but really, these things are crazy light!

Check out the specs on Spada’s insanely light Carbon Rapido XX wheels as well as their other…. well, really light wheels including the wild looking World Cup edition Rapido SL’s….

Spada_rapido_xx_carbon

Just to get it out of the way, these are a no holds barred set of wheels made to be stiff and as light as possible, therefore they come with a weight limit. The 1210 – 1250 g Rapido XX wheels (£1,349.00/$1,959) will suit most elite to pro level racers that fit within the 85 kg (187 lbs) weight limit. If you’re above that line but under 210lbs, the ones next in line weigh only 1440 g! Boasting robust 30 mm outer & 24 mm internal widths the tubeless-ready wheels are compatible with Shimano and SRAM XD cassettes as well as Lefty forks, (a few Canonndale fans will dig the next wheels coming up).

Specs for the Rapido Carbon XX:

  • Weight: 27.5 1210gr & 29er 1250
  • 30 mm wide rim and 24 mm channel, asymmetrical profile. 3k carbon fiber t800.
  • Rider weight limit of 85 kg (187lbs)
  • Tubeless ready
  • Made in Italy
  • Superlight forged hubs – Front 123 g, rear 238 g
  • Quick releases included
  • Compatibility Shimano-SRAM
  • Shimano / SRAM 9-10
  • SRAM XD optional 11
  • Lefty also available

 

Spada Rapido SL 2016 WC Spada Rapido SL

While it’s hard to believe a 1440 g wheelset is not a company’s flagship model, Spada is not your typical wheelsmith. The Rapido SL (£695.00/$1,005), has an asymmetric profile to balance spoke tension for a stronger wheel. At almost half the price of the Rapido Carbon XX’s, (when squeezing almost a 1/2 lb out of an already really light wheelset, you gotta pay to play), the Rapido SL comes in at a fair price and is available in the green, 2016 WC edition for no additional charge! It’s also worth mentioning both versions come in 26, (yup), 27.5, and 29er diameters.

Specs for the Rapido SL & SL 2016WC:

  • Wheelset weight excluding QR of 1440 gr.
  • Rider weight limit of 95 kg
  • Asymmetric profile for an excellent balance of the right-hand spokes / claims for the benefit of the strength and performance over time.
  • Alloy 6082
  • Oriented holes to eliminate stress of nipples
  • The tubeless ready rim has an optimized profile specifically for tubeless.
  • Aero-spoke profile of 0.9mm
  • 32 spokes front, 32 rear spokes
  • Made in Italy
  • Superlight forged hubs
  • Front 123 g, rear 238 g
  • Quick releases included
  • Compatibility Shimano-SRAM
  • Shimano / SRAM 9-10
  • SRAM XD optional 11
  • Lefty also available

Spada Tananai

The Spada Tananai Enduro Wheels, (£695.00/$1,005), weigh in at where a light set of XC wheels usually fall. At 1660 g, the Tananai wheels have a 25 mm internal width and come in all 3 popular(‘ish) wheel diameters. They are also available with up to a 20mm front and 150 mm rear axle leading us to believe these could be used as an overly light wheel option on a downhill bike, or that there may be a downhill version in the pipeline.

Specs for the Tananai Enduro Wheels:

  • 1660 gr.
  • Rider weight limit maximum 100 kg
  • Rims Aluminium Black
  • 29mm external and 25 internal rim width
  • Suitable for all mountain enduro profile offset to optimize balance beams and resistance rim / wheel
  • Differentiated Spokes
  • 32 differentiated spokes:
  • Forged hubs – Over Size
  • Front: 15 or 20mm thru axle
  • Rear Axle diameter 12mm
  • Rear axle width 135/142/150 mm
  • Compatibility Shimano-SRAM
  • Shimano / SRAM 9-10
  • SRAM XD optional 11

All Spada wheels are available in the US through their UK distributor,  VAM Performance.

SpadaBike.com

VAMPerformance.com

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13 Comments
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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago

I assume they want their customers to feel excited about them like it’s Christmas day with those colors. Although eventually you’ll probably end up sick of it like when you hear Christmas music every day.

Frank
Frank
8 years ago

the Italian flag is red, green and white.

anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  Frank

I was talking more about the complete bike, but it’s still a pretty cringe worthy color scheme. If you’re going to do Italian colors, it’s really painful to look at if you don’t do it well.

Ryan S
Ryan S
8 years ago

I don’t understand wheelsets, just sell me the hoops. I already have my favorite hubs, I don’t want yours.

mofo
mofo
8 years ago
Reply to  Ryan S

The best piece in Spada wheels are hubs, which are manufactured on custom project. Rims and spokes are OEM, and heavily tested by the builder.

Here you can take a look at the hubs: http://www.spadabike.com/en-en/hubs/

An unmentioned upside about these wheels is the outstanding customer care: Corrado Spada answers the to every question by himself, and can build custom wheels according to what riders ask for. Obviously using Spada hubs.

Ryan S
Ryan S
8 years ago
Reply to  mofo

Thanks for the reply mofo. There are other reasons at play though, like the fact I ride singlespeed exclusively…which I don’t see offered in his hubs.

Steve Benes
8 years ago

Are the decals removable?

ascarlarkinyar
ascarlarkinyar
8 years ago

This was bound to happen, mtb wheels lighter than my road wheels.

I check out the distributors website and the first pic on the first page has a black guy in a bike helmet smoking. Really? Are hipsters the target audience? Big turn off. I didn’t even go any farther. Just closed that window and went on my way.

Mike D
Mike D
8 years ago
Reply to  ascarlarkinyar

Are you that threatened by a silly stylized photograph that you are feel it better to shut yourself off to a potentially good product? “Oh no! Tattoos and smoke coming out of someone’s mouth! I’M OUTTA HERE.” Kind of absurd, no?

PsiSquared
PsiSquared
8 years ago
Reply to  ascarlarkinyar

So, it wasn’t just a guy in a bike helmet smoking, it was a black guy in a bike helmet smoking. I guess that must be an important distinction for you.

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
8 years ago
Reply to  ascarlarkinyar

@ascarlarkinyar, so you’re offended by black people, weed smoke, and hipsters. How do you manage to make it through the day, let alone get out of bed in the morning?

allbiz
allbiz
8 years ago

That’s nice he includes the quick releases but I’d rather he include the thru axles.

Vanrider
Vanrider
8 years ago

Yawn. Stan’s Valors are same weight, less money and have been out for years.

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