The 1,232g Revelation: AERO50 II Review
The cycling industry is currently in the throes of a carbon-spoke obsession. Marketing has successfully packaged carbon-spoked wheelsets as the only way to create truly “ultralight” wheelsets, as if you’re dragging an anchor if your wheelsets don’t use fragile carbon fiber spokes. While the stiffness is undeniable, this trend has created a proprietary trap: a world of harsh ride qualities, weight limits that exclude heavier riders, and a total lack of field-serviceability.
For the self-supported enthusiast, the appeal of a "record-breaking" wheelset fades the moment a proprietary spoke snaps sixty miles from home. The problem is that many brands use carbon spokes as a crutch to hit a target weight, ignoring the fact that those same numbers can be achieved through superior hub and rim engineering. We’ve been told that "ultralight" necessitates "proprietary," but that narrative is officially dead.
Tom Bowers Cycling, a YouTube channel from the UK, tested ICAN Cycling's AERO50 II wheelset with steel spokes. These 50mm deep wheels clocked in at a staggering 1,231.9g (without valves or tape). What makes this figure a genuine revelation is that ICAN achieved it using traditional steel spokes. This wheelset serves as a mechanical masterclass in how smart optimization can rival—and even beat—the high-end proprietary tech we’ve been conditioned to believe is essential.
The following is the complete video of the evaluation wheel set:
The "Marmite" Problem and the Steel Solution
Carbon spokes are the ultimate "Marmite" product: you either love the clinical stiffness or you hate the logistical headache. Beyond the repair difficulties, carbon spokes have a technical ceiling; they are generally not recommended for heavier riders who require the fatigue resistance and elasticity of steel. If you’re a rider who values longevity over a "disposable" race-day feel, carbon spokes are a hard sell.
ICAN Cycling completely avoided this problem by using Sapim CX-Ray spokes. These spokes are the industry gold standard for obvious reasons: they offer excellent aerodynamics, are extremely durable, and are available in almost every reputable bicycle shop worldwide. ICAN chose to use Sapim CX-Ray spokes instead of using an "unnamed" carbon fiber alternative.
"In theory you could take these to any old bike shop and they'd be able to source the spokes for you and fix them up... you want that ease of repairability."
Weight Saving is in the Details, Not Just the Material
To hit 1,231.9g with a 50mm rim and steel spokes, you have to be obsessive about hub architecture. ICAN has taken a "minimalist" approach that borders on the extreme, focusing on removing every non-essential milligram of metal from the rotating mass.
Aggressively Milled Freehub Body
The D91 freehub has been machined down to its structural skeleton, leaving only the bare minimum of material required to engage the cassette.
Gapped Centerlock Rotor Mounts
In a clever bit of engineering, the disc rotor mounts do not feature continuous splines. Instead, there are intentional gaps in the splines where the load is minimal. This requires high-precision machining to ensure the rotor remains perfectly seated without play, but the weight payoff is significant.
Skeletonized Hub Shells
The hub shells themselves are stripped-back, focusing material only where the spoke tension and bearing seats demand it.
The Myth of "Carbon or Nothing" Stiffness
There is a persistent myth that steel spokes equate to a "soft" wheel. To verify this claim, Tom Bowers challenged the famous "The Struggle" climb in the Lake District with his AERO50 II wheelset—a climb notorious for its high-torque, low-cadence gradients that act as a torture rack for wheel lateral stiffness. Even under heavy out-of-the-saddle efforts, the wheels remained remarkably composed.
The real story, however, is the noticeable comfort benefit. Carbon spokes often transmit high-frequency road buzz directly into the rider’s hands and spine. The Sapim steel spokes provide a smoother "glide" over rough tarmac, offering a damping effect that carbon simply cannot match. For endurance riders or anyone training on real-world roads rather than pristine Velodrome boards, the trade-off is clear: you get the same weight as the "pro" carbon builds with a far more forgiving ride quality.
Tested in prevailing winds of 30-40 mph, the 50mm AERO50 II wheelset demonstrated surprising stability. Modern rim profile designs have largely "solved" the crosswind stability problem, and ICAN Cycling's rim profile is no exception. This stability is arguably more important than weight; a wheelset that remains stable in a crosswind allows you to maintain an aerodynamic posture for longer, which is key to truly improving speed.
The "All-Rounder" Mid-Range Masterclass
At $799 / £620 (taxes included), AERO50 II wheels sit in a sweet spot between AliExpress "budget" gambles and the £1,000+ premium tier. If the shipment is from the EU warehouse located in Germany or the US warehouse, the customer does not need to pay for shipping or taxes.They feature a modern 23mm internal rim width, which is the current "goldilocks" zone for 28mm or 30mm tires, providing a support base that maximizes aerodynamic transition and air volume.
While the wheels are a bargain, you (or your mechanic) will need to grease the hub caps immediately upon unboxing to survive a wet winter. Additionally, while the tape and valves are included in the box, they are not pre-installed—a minor but noteworthy hurdle for the "plug-and-play" consumer.
Performance Summary
Pros
Incredible 1,231.9g weight without the proprietary carbon spoke tax; standard Sapim CX-Ray components; modern 23mm internal width; excellent price-to-performance ratio; 2-year warranty from an established brand.
Cons
Dry bearings out of the box (requires immediate maintenance); rim tape and valves require manual installation; no spare spokes included.
