Test Oval 724: Oval, the component brand that equips Fuji bikes, among other things, has extremely interesting wheelsets on offer that are much more streamlined than they look. For the Oval 724 model, a track test can even be used as proof. This makes you curious about a practical test.
No question: aero wheels are beautiful. They harmonize perfectly with the large-volume tubes of modern carbon frames, and they also have the advantage of being particularly "aero". The deep rims should allow the airstream to slide off better and reduce turbulence; occasionally they are even accused of a "sail effect", which, however, fails in practice because you cannot turn a wheel like a sail.
However, aero wheels also have certain disadvantages: If they are to be reasonably light, they must be made entirely or in part from carbon, which can reduce their durability and worsen braking performance, and they are usually quite expensive. No one has yet managed to reconcile weight, aerodynamics and price – has it?
Good results in the Procycling wheel test
In aero tests on the cycle track, such as those carried out at regular intervals by the magazine "Procycling", it is not always just proven special constructions that are successful. Wheel sets with comparatively flat rims around 25 mm did quite well in the velodrome and were sometimes even on a par with expensive aero wheels like the Zipp 404. One of these wheelsets is the Oval 724.
The relatively young component brand Oval Concepts belongs to the Advanced Sports group along with wheel manufacturers such as Fuji and Breezer. The oval wheel sets, on the other hand, come from the specialist TruVelo, whose logo can be found on the rims and hubs. In retail, the Oval 724 is traded at 729 euros - an acceptable price, especially since the wheelset is quite light: the front wheel weighs 580 grams, the rear wheel 800 grams; nowhere is there a visible saving on material. The rims are contemporary 23 mm wide; Some lightweight aluminum wheels come with 17 mm rims and can be ridden with tires that are a maximum of 23 mm wide.
Outstanding aero values for the Oval 724
The TruVelo rims are 24 mm deep and have the typical rounded shape at the spoke seat. The flat spokes themselves (20 at the front, 27 at the rear) are classic cranked. So far nothing unusual; the good aero results on the velodrome could have something to do with the arrangement of the spokes. On the slim front wheel hub, the hub flanges sit close together; the spokes are therefore more oriented towards the center of the hub and thus offer less surface area for the airstream to attack. At the rear, the spokes are divided between the right and left flanges in a 2:1 ratio. This means that on the left, where the spokes are flatter and therefore more in the wind, fewer of them rotate.
All this is nothing new, but it still works - in the train test as well as on the road. With 25 Conti GP 4000s II tires, the wheelset rolls absolutely smoothly; A little more aerodynamic would be 23 tires, which protrude less in width than the braking surfaces. The hubs turn as smooth as butter and the aluminum freewheel body, which has a steel rail to prevent the cassette from seizing up, just purrs. During assembly, the high-quality quick release skewers, which are quite light with a total of 120 grams, catch the eye. The braking behavior of the slightly tapered rim flanks is predictable, as is typical for aluminium. When accelerating and leaning, the Oval 724 doesn't feel soft at all, even if the small flange distance on the front wheel might give reason to fear the latter. The only noticeable thing is a slight lateral wobble on the rear wheel, which is not noticeable when driving.
And the aerodynamics? Of course, this is difficult to determine in practice; In terms of subjective impression (and the average speed on our test lap), the Oval 724 certainly have an inspiring effect. It feels like they can keep up with the deep-profiled aero specialists; everyone has to decide for themselves whether they are just as beautiful.
Conclusion Oval 724
The lightweight Oval wheelset seems to be a force upwind, too. In practice it proves to be nimble, supple and stiff enough, making it a very good all-rounder.
Product Highlights Oval 724
- Very light weight
- Pretty cheap price
- Good aerodynamics proven in the wind tunnel
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