We've created gravel wheels that weigh 1300g and cost under 200,000 yen.

Ever since their release, our Grumpy-selected gravel wheelsets have been very popular.

Based on these wheels, which are hand-built with rims, hubs, and spokes selected by Grumpy, we’ve created another version with a different hub and spoke configuration.

And surprisingly, we ended up with a 1300g wheelset for under 200,000 yen!

The main reason for this was wanting to try out a particular hub, but it turned out to be an extremely cost-effective carbon wheelset.

Based on Grumpy Select Wheels

The original wheelset is this one:

👉 [Grumpy Select] Gravel Wheelset "Growtac x Industry Nine"

Priced at 228,000 yen (including tax) and weighing 1250g, it's highly popular as a high-performance, cost-effective wheelset.

This time, we are using the same Growtac EQUAL carbon rims as on that wheelset.

These carbon rims boast an incredible cost-performance, with an inner width of 25mm, hookless design, a weight of 330g, and a price of 38,500 yen per rim.

The rims themselves have excellent balance and precision, and are designed to meet modern standards. I have yet to find anything that surpasses this level of cost performance.

While the project started with a specific hub in mind, there was also an intention to see how the character of the wheels would change by altering the hubs and spokes.

Surprisingly smooth-spinning HOPE PRO5 hubs

The hubs used this time are HOPE PRO5 straight-pull.

The reason I chose these hubs was that I noticed how incredibly smoothly they spun when I built a customer's bike with HOPE hubs. It was just a test ride for inspection, but it gave me the feeling that "I really need to try these properly."

The PRO5 hub has a 3.3° engagement with 108 points. While this is far from the 605 points of the INDUSTRY NINE SOLiX, it is still a very high number for a road-style hub. Despite this, the resistance when the freehub is spinning freely feels extremely low.

Furthermore, HOPE is a brand from the UK, where it rains a lot. Naturally, water resistance is prioritized, and it's easy to imagine that this suits the Japanese environment well.

Available in 6 colors: Black, Blue, Orange, Purple, Red, and Silver.

24 spokes.

Freehub body options include Shimano HG, Shimano MS, and SRAM XDR.

Aiming for a solid feel with straight pull spokes

We chose straight-pull hubs.

Straight spokes are said to distribute the load on the spokes more evenly than J-bend spokes, making it easier to achieve a strong and rigid wheel build.

The spokes used are SAPIM CX-RAY.

The original Grumpy Select wheels use PILLAR WING20 spokes.

While PILLAR WING20 is often described as "supple," CX-RAY spokes are generally considered "stiffer." It's interesting how brands can differ despite having almost identical weight, shape, and price.

This configuration aims for that "stiffer" feel.

Also, while we built this with straight-pull hubs, a common J-bend type is also available.

Completed for now. Testing to begin.

The completed weight is 1308g. The original INDUSTRY NINE SOLiX version is 1249g, a difference of 50g. The rims are the same, and the spokes are approximately the same weight, so the difference is almost entirely due to the hub weight. This can be considered a negligible difference in the central part.

The final evaluation will come after riding them. After riding for a while, I hope to share my impressions, including the differences compared to the existing Grumpy Select wheels.

Specs and Price

Rim
Growtac EQUAL RMCD-302530 Carbon Rim

Hubs
HOPE PRO5 Straight Pull 24H

Spokes
SAPIM CX-RAY (Straight Pull)

Nipples
PILLAR DSN16

Complete Weight
1308g

Price (incl. tax)
188,000 yen

Finally

If you're looking for lightweight and cost-effective carbon wheels for gravel, you should definitely consider these.

Although we call them gravel wheels, they would also be perfect for road bikes or endurance road bikes if you prefer wider tires of 30c or more.

Grumpy Loan is also available.

For more details, please consult with Shimizu.