ELITEWHEELS Marvel II carbon road wheelset

Marvel II: one carbon rim, three depths. Elitewheels designed it for the rider moving on from aluminium wheels who wants to choose rim depth to suit their roads.

The rim keeps the same dimensions in all three versions: 23 mm internal, 31 mm external, mini hooks that comply with the ETRTO standard. Only the depth changes, and it shifts two things. Weight first: in 65 mm, the pair weighs 160 g more than in 36 mm. That mass sits in the rim, at the edge of the wheel. Side area next: a deep rim cuts drag into a headwind, but gives crosswinds more to grab.

On a steady climb, those 160 g count for little: at 15 km/h on an 8% gradient, lifting them takes about 0.5 W. When you accelerate, the difference matters more. Mass on the rim has to move forward and spin at the same time. It takes almost twice the energy of the same mass sitting on the frame. So the 36 mm suits routes where you are constantly accelerating, the 65 mm those where speed holds. 28 to 30 mm tyres recommended, riders up to 120 kg.

Its Motion hub, machined by Elitewheels on five-axis machines, has raced in the World Tour with the brand's teams, notably at the UAE Tour. As a first carbon wheelset, with the depth chosen to suit the terrain, it is the one MAAKE recommends.