Ultegra WH-RS500 Road Wheelset - Tubeless
Style & Size:
Quantity
Why We Like The Ultegra WH-RS500 Road Wheelset
We would never think of riding a mountain or gravel bike that wasn't shod with tubeless tires. The ability to run lower pressures and the increased flat prevention can't go unnoticed. While it's been a little bit slower to catch on with the road set, more road tubeless tires are currently available, and the technology, materials, and reliability have vastly improved. Shimano has been on the forefront of road tubeless know-how from the get-go and the Japanese bicycle component manufacture has been delivering tubeless road wheel options for over a decade. The durable Ultegra-level WH-RS500 wheelset adds to Shimano's current lineup and brings road tubeless to the masses is weighing in at just 1649 grams and built for rim brake use.
Details
- One of the best all-around wheelsets for racers on a budget
- Aluminum rims offer great braking performance
- Tubeless-ready design alloys for more plush traction
- Steel freehub is durable and prevents cogs from digging in
- Cup-and-cone bearings are user friendly to maintain
- Compatible with 11-speed drivetrains, or 9- and 10-speed with included spacer
- Item #SHI00FT
- Rim Material
- aluminum
- Wheel Size
- 700c
- Rim Type
- Hooked
- Rim Depth
- 24mm
- Rim Width
- [internal] 15mm, [external] 20.8
- Brake Compatibility
- rim
- Hubs
- machined anodized aluminum, cup and cone bearing
- Front Axle
- 9 x 100mm quick-release
- Rear Axle
- 10 x 130mm quick-release
- Skewers
- anodized grey [front] 100mm [rear] 130mm
- Spokes
- black, stainless steel, straight-pull
- Spoke Nipple
- black alloy
- Spoke Count
- [front] 16, [rear] 20
- Max Rider Weight
- 220lb
- Wheel Bag Included
- no
- Claimed Weight
- 3lb 10.2oz (1649g), [front] 1lb 8.9oz (705g), [rear] 1lb 8.9oz (944g)
- Manufacturer Warranty
- 1 year
Reviews
Q&A
Overall Rating
3 based on 3 ratings
Review Summary
Fits True To Size
Screen reader users: the following list provides a visual scale to illustrate the product fit. Please refer to the heading above for the fit type in text.What do you think about this product?
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Selecting an option will reload the available reviews on the pageJune 4, 2023
Sloid Wheels
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Size Bought:
- N/A
- Height:
- 6' 1"
- Weight:
- 175
These have been very solid wheels for me. I have been using them as my beater wheels for years. I'm not sure exactly how may miles I have on them, but I have almost worn the brake track past the wear indicator mark, so probably at least 6,000. The set I have now was within 0.3 MM of true when I got them, and they haven't budged since--I've never trued these wheels once. I think the offset rear rim really helps. I had the prior 10 speed version of these wheels, which did go slightly out of true one me after a lot of off-road miles on 25mm tires. You definitely need to know what you're doing to true these, as the spoke tension is very high, and even small adjustments in tension can move the wheel a long way. They aren't exactly light, but they are nice and wide, and are relatively deep for their class. I wouldn't say they are aero, but the low spoke count and bladed spokes help. I've had these on plenty of rides where everyone else was running aero wheels, and been just fine. I've run them with clinchers and tubeless; no issues either way. Nice that they come with value stems (and spoke wrenches). At the sale price, nothing can touch them. At full price, personally I might probably spend a little more and get something lighter, like aluminum Hunts or HED Ardennes.
April 17, 2023
Rear wheel constantly needs truing.
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
Bought these about a year ago for a build and use them on my steel road bike. I am between 175-185 depending on the time of year and this isn't my daily rider. In under a year and just about 1k miles on them I am on my second time needing trued. The first time was minor and then about 2 months after that I just had to do a much more significant truing to the rear wheel.
Originally reviewed on Competitivecyclist.com
November 29, 2021
Not Ultegra level of quality
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
I replaced the Bontrager Race stockers that came on my 2016 Trek Domane 5.2 with these in Oct. 2020. At that time they were just under $300, so I thought they were an outstanding value. But after over a year of use I no longer feel that's the case. While the initial build quality was good, the rear wheel constantly needs truing. At 185 lbs., I'm well under the suggested weight limit of 225, but am unable to maintain the proper spoke tension. And unlike others here, I've found the ride quality to be somewhat harsh. I've always found Ultegra components offered near Dura Ace performance for a much lower price, but even though these wheels are pretty light, they seem more Tiagra-level in terms of performance and quality. They seem like the stock wheels you'd find on an $800-$1,000 bike, even if they weigh much less than wheels typically found on bikes in that price range. For that reason, and the fact they now cost considerably more than what I paid, I would recommend anyone considering spending $450 on these as a replacement or upgrade instead look at well taken care of used wheelsets with a good reputation.
Originally reviewed on Competitivecyclist.com
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