The explosion… the MASSIVE EXPLOSION of All Road and Gravel bikes over the last few years has seen a real blurring of the requirements for an N=1 bike. A single bike alone can’t do everything well, but now there are so many options across the All Road and Gravel categories for bikes capable of doing many things really, really well. This popularity has brought a corresponding growth in aftermarket space with optimised clothing and equipment and even attitudes – the “just ride and enjoy it” mentality is far more forgiving than the relentless chase for watts, KOM’s or distance.
The Happy Graveller and the All Roader audience is where the BikeBeat AufSTEIGER LITE wheelset steps in. The German model name translates to ‘climber’ which is quite nice as it covers climbing both literally and metaphorically. On the back of a few thousand kilometres with this wheelset, I can now share some insights. To find out what it takes to put this wheelset on your shopping list for your next upgrade, read on.
BikeBeat – what’s in a name?
The young company was established in Germany by Max Achten and Philipp Kielwein, keen athletes who wanted to achieve that very familiar sounding goal of creating top performing products at a fair price. Based about 50km south of Frankfurt, close to the river Rhine and Heidelberg, ample riding opportunities for every type of cycling are within easy reach of BikeBeat HQ in the town of Bensheim.
The BikeBeat team have approached their wheelsets with an unconventional manufacturing approach by developing an Airbus patent/system from the aerospace industry that allows a higher level of consistency (strength, consistent and repeatable high quality and weight). Instead of the widely used hands-on process of building carbon fiber parts (laying up pre-preg carbon fibre sheets in moulds), BikeBeat use a robotic process of machine braiding and Resin Transfer Moulding (RTF). The innovative manufacturing approach was touched on in the review of the Bike Beat Überflieger road wheelset by Christopher Jones.
To summarise the appeal, this process provides far greater control over the manufacturing accuracy and the finish as it can consistently turn-out highly capable and high quality rims. On many of the BikeBeat wheelsets the braided construction is quite visible though sadly, the AufSTEIGER LITE wheelset I trialled uses a darker clearcoat that hides this feature.
Not only are the wheels manufactured differently, they are manufactured and assembled in Germany. If you are familiar with the German Industrial Standards (TÜV), you will know they set particularly strict standards for quality which is excellent news for customers needing assurances.
This sounds great… but it also leads directly to the price question. The AufSTEIGER LITE retail for A$2,399 so they are not the cheapest wheelset out there. But I also feel that they comfortably bring an equal, if not better, quality than brand-name wheels that retail for significantly more.
If you have deeper pockets, the AufSTEIGER PREMIUM wheelset are available for A$2,799 with the mighty fine DT Swiss 240 hubs, which will save you an additional 100g.
You may have spotted the ‘LITE’ designation which I find is curious. The AufSTEIGER LITE wheels are slightly heavier than the AufSTEIGER PREMIUM model. But LITE… in the world of cycling means light weight and a lot of keen cyclists know that you have to pay more for less… weight. In the case of BikeBeat model names, LITE refers to the price tag and this model is the lower priced version with the slightly heavier DT350 hubs.
AufSTEIGER LITE Specifications
Each component used in this wheelset is sourced from a well-regarded brand. The wheelset is built around the ever reliable and long-lasting DT Swiss 350 Straightpull hubs and are laced with 24 Sapim CX Ray spokes front and rear. The DT350 hubs feature a 12mm thru-axle (TA) mount with the now (almost) standardised 100/142mm spacing and Centrelock mountings for the disc rotors. One feature that differentiates these wheels from many other wheels on the market are the internal nipples. Concealed under the carbon faring, this gives the AufSTEIGER wheels a sleek look, and they are certainly better for it.
The rims are 30mm deep and have a “U” profile. The outside rim width measures 28mm with a handy, but not overly wide, internal measurement of 21mm with hooked beads. BikeBeat state that the wheelset is suitable for 28 – 55mm (2.2”) width tyres, so this covers the very broad “All Road / Gravel” designation.
They can be spec’ed with either the Shimano/SRAM 10/11, Campagnolo 9/10/11/12 or SRAM XDR freehubs so the chances are that this will fit your setup. The wheels also come with a generous 120kg rider weight limit and a 4-year warranty.
Given their intended application and liberal rider weight limit, they are listed with a very acceptable from 1,490 grams. On my uncalibrated scales, they came in at a higher totalling 1,585g, with the rear at 858g and the front at 727g. However I had the rim-tape on which can add up to 60 grams. These extra grams may not make a difference when you already weigh 95kg, but it can still be hot a topic for heated post-ride discussions in the café.
There are lighter wheelsets on the market that cost less. With cheaper wheels you need to account for compromises with the hubs, spokes and more restrictive rider weight limits.
Time to roll!
For the majority of my test period, the wheels were used on the roads in Adelaide suburbia and surrounding hills. Many of the roads are well surfaced, but there are plenty of rough & deteriorated roads scattered with obligatory sunken manholes, potholes and patchwork surfaces to really challenge the strength of the wheels. I also sought-out a few runs into the Clare Valley on well graded, offroad trails. The tyres used for testing were Goodyear Eagle Sport 28C with inner tubes, and when inflated the tyres measured spot-on 28mm. These tyres lend themselves towards the All Road use for road cycling and well maintained off-road routes.
The first time I rolled out on the road, two things really struck me with this wheelset – first was the hardly audible freewheel ratchet noise. I am OK with louder wheels but I also know many riders just love loud wheels just as much as being chased by a swarm of angry wasps. The second thing was just how smoothly these wheels rolled.
I suspect that the additional weight of the AufSTEIGER wheelset over other brands with comparably spec’ed/dimensioned wheels is primarily down to the rim construction differences. This may also explain the wheel strength and compliance that I perceived was so well suited to uneven surfaces. I felt that rim/wheel structure played a role in absorbing the impacts. For context, I was been testing a similarly spec’ed HUNT brand wheelset that felt much stiffer/harsher, but at the same time more responsive. It is crucial to note that the HUNTs are road cycling wheels, not gravel, however this helped me hone in on the ride qualities and my take-away is that the level of compliance and shock-absorption is an intentional trait to make the AufSTEIGER suitable and versatile for All Road and Gravel.
It didn’t take long to build confidence in the wheelsets when climbing and descending my local hills. Where they seemed to excel were those rough-road descents, the ones that are in urgent need of resurfacing following decades of poor and failing. Paired with the 28mm Goodyear Eagle Sport tyres, they soaked up the sharp transitions and tracked with purpose.
Conventional wisdom says that there are only minimal aero gains with just 30mm deep rims. The reality is, I’m fine with that as I either don’t ride fast enough or those extra few seconds I can gain don’t really matter to me. The real benefit with these mid-depth rims is on blustery days and lessens any concerns about being deflected off-course or nervous handling from sudden gusts. All-in-all, riding qualities tie into the ‘one wheelset can do it all’ traits that BikeBeat are seeking to create.
The rims will keep you happy by accommodating 28-32mm All Road tyers, right through to fatter 33-45mm tyres with light tread for the Gravel backroads. I racked up about 2,500km on the AufSTEIGER LITE wheels, clattering through potholes, descending and braking like a demon into hairpins and pushing them quite hard. They stayed true and if anything, felt smoother at the end of my time with them as though they had been bedded-in.
Value verses Performance?
The AufSTEIGER LITE Disc wheelset, with a A$2,399 pricetag, is touch above my personal threshold for wheelsets which is around $2,000. The Covid inspired supply & demand conundrum has meant that many things now cost a lot more than they used to, and that’s if you can get the parts and bits.
If I think about how these compare to other wheels, a similar style wheelset with a lower spec can be had for A$1,500. But the AufSTEIGER feels like they in the same league as popular brand wheels from Zipp and ENVE in the A$2,800 – $3,600 price range.
As a trained engineer with decent experience with bike gear, I see intrinsic value in the manufacturing methods and confidence in the industry standards compliance so this makes the BikeBeat wheels stand apart. Yes, there is something nerdy about the automated braiding and Resin Transfer Moulding processes. To summarise, this wheel set has attributes that directly appeal to me and mean more than a brand with flashy USP’s that are hard to quantify.
To buy or not to buy…
With the German manufacturing and assembly, I feel that these could easily be priced much higher and with the current retail price would rate them as a value-for-money purchase.
You get quality hubs (DT Swiss 350), high-end spokes (Bladed CX-Ray), carbon rims made with biaxial braided aerospace technology and Resin Transfer Moulding, fully manufactured in Germany – home to some of the worlds best sports cars and high end carbon components – and also a very useful rider weight limit of 120kg to boot. The hidden nipples also just give them that sleeker look which add to the visual appeal of this wheelset. But wait, there is a little cherry on top (that you never really want to redeem), a 30% crash replacement discount.
The brand is still young but is also taking-off and new buyers can probably still call themselves an early adopters. The Australian distributer FullBeam Australia is responsive so you still get that personal touch. The full-range range of BikeBeat wheels are available on their webshop: fullbeam.com.au
