ELITEWHEELS Drive G50 CS carbon-spoke gravel wheelset

Carbon rim, carbon spokes: the Drive G50 CS is built for fast gravel, on 40 to 60 mm tyres. Elitewheels claims 1,380 g a pair, with a hooked rim 50 mm deep and 30 mm wide internally.

It all starts with the spokes. A carbon spoke is stiffer and more fatigue-resistant than a steel spoke, for less weight. Elitewheels drills the rim specifically for this system, which makes it lighter and the structure more efficient. The 2:1 flange hub puts two spokes on the cassette side for every one on the opposite side, which balances the tensions and adds stiffness.

Out on the trail, the brand describes a wheel that is laterally stiffer and livelier under acceleration. The 50 mm depth makes sense once speed goes up. The power absorbed by the air grows with the cube of speed: going from 25 to 35 km/h multiplies it by 2.7. The trade-off lies with the spoke, which not every workshop can replace: four spare spokes are supplied.

The G50 CS has passed more than 20 lab tests at Elitewheels, durability and stiffness included, then the UCI vertical impact test. For fast gravel, when stiffness comes first, MAAKE picks it.