There’s something exotic about the idea of a prototype. Something aerospace, cutting edge, experimental, something which is, above all, irresistible to the inner explorer. This, it seems, is the common currency of the word, and it was with this hook that Charlie from Mud Dock Cycleworks lured Le Sportif into testing a new pair of ‘prototype’ wheels.

Was this because of an in-depth knowledge of the technicalities of wheels? No. A thorough grounding in the fundamentals of engineering? No. An incisive capability to see beyond the obvious? No. An appeal to vanity and an irresistible desire to ride regardless of conditions? YES.

So this is what we thought.

Laced to DT 240 hubs with black spokes the carbon rims were a quality addition to any bike, both in terms of performance and appearance. So much so, in fact, that most passing riders questioned the wisdom of their use for winter riding, but the variety of conditions made for ideal testing conditions.

With 50mm front and 60mm rear rims, both 24 spokes, radial front and two cross rear lacing, the wheels were laterally extremely stiff. Even under strong efforts there was no rear brake rub. Obviously this meant that they accelerated well after the initial inertia had been overcome. Matched to a Cervelo R5 frame they were also surprisingly comfortable.

In extreme windy conditions there was very little lateral instability, although neither was there any perceivable benefit, however the conditions themselves made any benefit difficult to discern.

In good/still conditions there was a considerable performance benefit, particularly when riding for sustained periods at over 20mph. Other than exemplary performance on purely flat riding, on rolling roads with steady, not steep, inclines the performance was impressive, stable and fast on the way down and responsive to hard effort on the way back up. Seated efforts were rewarding with a sensation of effortlessness which belied the rider’s level of fitness.

Braking was predictable and powerful, albeit with the expected slight loss of performance in wet weather. Heavy braking resulted in squeaking pads, to be expected, but this was only under hard and sustained braking and did not represent any reduction in braking efficiency. Under normal braking there was the pleasurable sound of a jet engine winding down!

Tracking through corners was extremely positive and predictable with the tyres, not tubs, well shaped by the rim to provide confident grip.

The finish quality of the wheels was high with a well defined braking surface. Despite clinchers rather than tubs the weight penalty was minimal with the associated benefits of practicality.

The performance of the rims, particularly the braking surface, complemented the crisp appearance and made for a wheelset that was confidence inspiring and became increasingly hard to relinquish.

Of course, we can’t recommend that you buy them, because they’re not available yet, but when they are, we will.

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