When Revin Cycling entered the bike wheel market in 2017, it jumped right in. The company released carbon mountain bike wheels in both 27.5" and 29" sizes as well as a carbon road model.
The company is off to a fast start, thanks in part to its partnership with the online retailer Jenson USA, which is already selling its wheels. Revin has also partnered with ACT Labs to assist in testing its products during the design process.
Revin is now jumping into the gravel market with its new carbon G21 and G21 Pro gravel wheel models. The name gives the game away a little with G standing for gravel and 21 representing the tubeless clincher's 21mm internal width.
Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers. © Cyclocross Magazine
Cyclocross Magazine recently received a set of the carbon G21 Pro gravel wheels for review. We take a first look at the G21 Pro in this In Review Spotlight. Stay tuned for a full review after we put them through their paces.
Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Gravel Wheels
Since its launch, Revin has focused on producing carbon rims meant for performance. The carbon used on the G21 Pro is a hybrid modulus layup that Revin developed via testing.
Revin offers two models of its gravel wheel, the G21 and G21 Pro. Our test set is the higher-end G21 Pro.
The G21 Pro carbon tubeless clincher rim has a 21mm internal width, which is well-suited for gravel riding and high-volume, non-UCI cyclocross racing. The rim depth is 28mm, putting it somewhere between a shallow and aero profile.
The rims are tubeless ready, with a noticeable bead barb at the edge. Revin ships the wheels with tubeless tape and valves.
The G21 Pro wheels come with tubeless tape installed. The rim has a bead barb to help seat tubeless tires. Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers. © Cyclocross Magazine
One of the biggest differences between the two models is the hubset. The G21 comes with a DT Swiss 350 hubset, but the G21 Pro upgrades to the lighter DT Swiss 240s hubset. The 240s hubset has 18 teeth for 20-degrees of engagement, but star ratchet upgrade kits are available with 36 and 54 teeth at the cost of about 40g and about $100.
The G21 Pro wheels come with DT Swiss' 240s hub, which is an upgrade over the one available with the G21 model. Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers. © Cyclocross Magazine
The 240s is CenterLock disc and has 28 straight-pull Sapim CX-Ray spokes. The freehub is a Shimano 11-speed model.
The DT Swiss 240s comes with an 11-speed Shimano/SRAM freehub. Spokes are straight-pull Sapim CX-Ray. Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers. © Cyclocross Magazine
The G21 Pro is a modern wheelset that is disc-only and comes with 12x100mm front and 12x142mm rear thru-axles. The DT Swiss hubs can be converted to quick release and a front 15mm thru-axle using a conversion kit.
Revin ships the G21 Pro wheelset with a decal sheet that gives you five additional color options to match your bike, kit or just be different.
Revin ships the G21 Pro wheels with pink decals, but provides a sheet with five additional colors. Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers. © Cyclocross Magazine
The G21 Pro is a relatively light wheelset. We measured weights of 692g front and 798g rear with tape and valves, giving an estimated weight of 1,462g at a cost of $1,600. The G21 Pro is lighter and cheaper than the Knight Composites 35 Clincher TLA Disc wheelset and lighter and the same price as the Ritchey WCS Apex 38. However, it still has a way to go to match the ultra light weight of the new Stan's Grail CB7.
If you are interested in Revin's gravel wheel but want something less expensive, the G21 has a claimed weight of 1,570g at a cost of $1,200. The upgrade to the G21 Pro comes at a cost of about $3.70 for every gram you save.
Initial Impressions
After receiving our set of G21 Pro wheels, we tried mounting a couple of different tires. Our first tire, a 40mm Vittoria Terreno Wet tire was a bit of a challenge to mount on the rim, but seated easily with just a floor pump and held their air very well once seated.
An old pair of non-TCS WTB Nano tires went on easily but lost their air overnight after the first inflation. Adding some extra sealant did the trick, and then have held their air since then. Yes, we used a non-tubeless tire on a tubeless rim.
The two tires we initially mounted were a 29 x 2.1" WTB Nano and 700c x 40mm Vittoria Terreno Wet. Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers. © Cyclocross Magazine
Although the G21 Pro wheels came with 12mm thru-axles, we converted the front hub to a 15mm thru-axle using a DT Swiss conversion kit. During our first few times out with the wheelset, the DT Swiss 240S hubs have been noticeably quiet. Engagement of the hub is neither fast nor slow, so the freehub star ratchet upgrade kit might be worth a look if you are looking for quicker engagement.
The 40mm Vittoria Terreno Wet tires were a bit of a challenge to seat, but once on, they have held their air. Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers. © Cyclocross Magazine
Initial gravel rides, mixed terrain adventures and hot laps have failed to stress the G21 wheels, as they've remained round and true as expected. How will they hold up over time? We will be putting the Revin G21 wheels to the test this fall on both mixed terrain rides and between the course tape. Stay tuned for a full review of the new carbon wheelset.
For more on the Revin G21 Pro wheels, see the specs and photo gallery below.
Zachary Schuster and Lee Slone contributed to this report.
Revin Cycling G21 Pro Gravel Wheelset Specs
Price: $1,600 USD, currently on sale for $1279
Weight: 678g front, 784g rear, 1,462g total (estimated without tape/valves)
Rim: carbon, tubeless-ready, disc only
Rim Width: 21mm internal, 29mm external
Rim Depth: 28mm
Freehub: Shimano/SRAM, 11-speed
Spokes: 28 Sapim CX-Ray front and rear
Hub: DT Swiss 240s, CenterLock Disc
Axles: Front: 12x100mm thru-axle, Rear: 12x142mm thru-axle; Conversion kit available for quick release and front 15mm thru-axle
More Info: revincycling.com
Photo Gallery: Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers
The G21 Pro has 28 Sapim CX-Ray spokes laced in a 4x pattern. Revin Cycling G21 Pro Carbon Tubeless Clinchers. © Cyclocross Magazine
