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Product Review: Campagnolo Zonda C17 Road Clincher Wheelset

With a redesigned rim that takes its inspiration from a growing trend towards wider tyres, the Zonda C17 model is a truly modern, high performing alloy wheelset. In addition to the wider rim profile, there are differentiated front and rear rim heights, bringing you the ideal balance of comfort and performance.

Features:

  • Material: Aluminium (Rim)
  • Brake Type: Rim brake
  • Tyre Compatibility: Clincher
  • Front Hub: 16 Aerodynamic radial spokes
  • Rear Hub: 21 Aerodynamic radial spokes
  • Weight Limit: 109kg
  • Tubeless Compatible: No
  • Axle Type: Quick release
  • Differentiated Rim Height
  • Precision milling to eliminate excess material and weight where not needed
  • Aluminium oversize flange
  • MEGA G3™ pattern
  • Cup and cone bearings
  • Self-locking nipples
  • Included: Wheelset, rim tape, QR skewers
  • Weight: 1,540g

Campagnolo Zonda C17 Wheels Review:

Italian aluminium wheels don’t come with a bad reputation, they are known to be light, stiff and race ready. If you’re looking for the best of the best when it comes to alloy wheels then you either go out and get Campagnolo’s Bora, or you go online and buy the only other fully Campagnolo compatible and approved non-Campagnolo wheelset, the Fulcrum Racing 7. Campagnolo wheel sets are what you’d expect from a brand with such a long history, refined, and stylish. You expect nothing less from the brand that invented the clincher wheel set. From the Zonda’s sleek shiny hub, to the meticulously polished rim, to the easy to use (and adjust) quick release skewers, these wheels are curves in all the right places. The wheels are light, stiff, and it’s somewhat of a breeze to install tubeless tyres without much fuss and without too much hassle. The extra stability that can come from such a deep rim is welcome, and the extra width makes the wheel stable, quite stiff, and more importantly makes riding tubeless a much more pleasant experience than it is with most wheelsets.

The Zondas come with great, sturdy quick release skewers and are pre-threaded for Presta valve stems. They’ll happily take a valve extender and even use a 7mm hex key, rather than an 18mm spanner, to facilitate adjustments. Campy’s own TLR (three lock technology) rim profile is both aesthetically and aerodynamically pleasing. Wheels with wheel dish (where the rim looks wider at the brake track than it does at the hub) are becoming quite popular as aero gains are easily generated at the expense of not much weight.

Read more reviews or buy here

Performance Bicycle Review:

It’s worth noting that these are the lightest wheels Campagnolo makes, and we’re talking barely 2 pounds. They spin up aggressively, are stiff, and positively woofed the descent on our local Marin mountain trails.

The the first words most people who ride on these wheels often say is “these things are stiff”. These wheels will give you the last bit of aero gain that you thought you couldn’t get from a wheel. It’s a good dryer, its narrow rim is fair, not too deep, and its able to stop with the best of them. OK they weigh more than you think, and maybe it’s not the best aero find considering your wallet, but it’s aero enough, and stiff enough, to make that a little hard to argue against. The fact that it’s Campy-approved means that these wheels are not just some roll off the line aero wheelset. These are made with special care, and because they’re made with Campy, from Campy they get special pricing to make it that much harder to argue against.

The Zonda C17s are expensive wheels – and bear in mind that Bora AL wheels (complete package) are still cheaper. That said, the Zondas feel far lighter than they are and, although hyper-responsive, can still handle big miles.

Cycling Weekly Review:

“After using the Zonda Clinchers, we’ve come to the conclusion that although they may not be your first choice for an everyday set of wheels, they make an ideal race wheelset (particularly for lighter riders) and more than capable of getting the job done on a daily basis.”

Bike Radar Review:

“To the beginner rider, Zondas may not seem that impressive when ridden against the Bora, but to someone who rides an average of 300 kilometers a week, the Zondas wind up starting to feel very comfortable indeed.”

Campagnolo has been an innovator in wheel design and is the originator of disc brake wheels. Its research and design facility in Vicenza utilizes unique high-strength metric alloys and the most advanced production techniques in the production of Campagnolo wheels.

Campagnolo is now recognized for producing some of the best wheels in the world, all with the highest levels of technology. Campagnolo makes wheels to fit most of the bicycles sold in the world today, including their own UCI registered models.

All Campagnolo wheels are designed to meet or exceed the most stringent standards for high spes technology. These standards are set by the industry’s most recognized governing bodies, such as the UCI. As testing is a major part of the approval process for Campagnolo’s wheels, Campagnolo testing is designed to be thorough and rigid.

Campagnolo wheels include a variety of different brands and models. Campagnolo currently makes thirteen different models of racing wheels ranging in depth from 32mm to a narrow 21mm, with a 25mm depth for the most aerodynamic and fastest models. They also make three different aero wheels. Campagnolo also makes three different wheel classes with different features for Triathlon, Track, Clock, and for individual Campagnolo components.

Read more or buy here

Written by Mark Adams

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