Elite Wheels G45 SS Review
I recently bought a set of the new G45 SS gravel wheels. I bought these to possibly replace the existing carbon wheelset I had from another company. Out of the box they come pre-taped with the tubeless valve installed. The tubeless valve includes a valve core removal cap which I thought was a nice touch. I weighed the front wheel at 643g and the rear wheel at 772g. I was hoping these would be under 1400g but it's pretty close and these are 45mm deep and 24mm wide internally. I initially fitted these up with S-Works Pathfinder 42c tires, I'm quite heavy so I usually run these at 50-55psi. The ride quality is noticeably stiffer which has some pros and cons. The downside is over bumps the ride is much harsher, reducing tire pressure didn't seem to help this very much. The feel was similar to my road bike. Other gravel wheels with the same tires and tire pressure have a much better ride quality. The benefit is that sprinting out of the saddle these feel outstanding and consistent. No spoke noises or hub shifting causing the brake rotor to rub which I sometimes get with weaker wheels. On smooth pavement even with wide gravel tires I set a personal best that I haven't even touched with my road bikes. They hold speed very well above 20mph and at higher speed 40mph+ they aren't wind sensitive. Honestly I think these wheels are best suited for the gray area between road and big rock gravel. A second test has confirmed this. I switched these wheels to a 2022 Trek Domane AL with WTB Vulpine 36c tires. They stretch out to 38mm with the 24mm internal width of the G45s. The bike now feels like riding a cloud on pavement and on hardpack or light gravel with no bumps it rolls quite nicely. For a pure road setup a 32C tire would match up perfectly aerodynamically and offer great comfort. Visually I generally prefer a flat matte black finish but the glossy marble on these has grown on me and it stands out on a group ride. Finally I believe these wheels miss the mark in being a true gravel wheel and are best suited for road use, which they are quite good at. At 45mm deep the weight is better than most road wheels you find and at this price point it's hard to beat.