ELITEWHEELS Drive G36 carbon gravel wheelset

According to Elitewheels, the Drive G36 covers two uses: fast gravel and the road. The brand claims 1,325 g a pair, on a carbon rim 36 mm deep with a 25 mm internal width.

What sets it apart is the rim edge. A hooked rim holds the tyre bead under a lip. A hookless rim holds it by pressure alone, which it therefore has to cap. The G36 uses a mini hook that complies with the ETRTO standard. This shorter lip keeps the hook's retention as pressure rises. According to the brand, this interface widens the tyre's contact patch, makes the rim lighter and improves the aerodynamics.

On the bike, those grams count above all when you accelerate. Mass on the rim has to move forward and spin at the same time. Each gram there therefore costs roughly twice over when accelerating, and only once at a steady speed. Elitewheels recommends 30 to 40 mm tyres. On the road, the brand asks for at least a 30 mm, and only a disc-brake frame takes the wheel.

In the lab, Elitewheels ran the G36 for 20,000 km on a surface that reproduces gravel. Riders who want a single wheelset for both gravel racing and the road will find it in the MAAKE selection.