There are no shortage of carbon wheels on the market, from the cheap and woefully poor, to the aspirational, R&D heavy, tech-loaded offerings from the likes of Enve, Zipp and Lightweight. It is difficult then, to enter a market flooded with product unless you have something different to say. Vittoria have taken their time in order to bring something slightly different to ensure that their Qurano wheels don't get swept along in the current : Graphene.
Vittoria have a wealth of experience and understanding of the wheel-tyre interface, being as they are one of the foremost producers of road bike tyres : from tubulars and clincers to tubeless-ready. Indeed, above a certain thread-count, they are the only producers of tyres and are renowned for their supple feel and excellent handling. Using this knowledge and working with Directa Plus Ltd - manufacturers of the nanotech material Graphene G+, Vittoria have developed a range of carbon wheels with unique construction and which offer palpable benefits for the rider. Graphene is the lightest material known to man, it is 1 atom thick, harder than diamond and 200x stronger than steel. Take a look at the video below for a little more insight!
There are numerous elements to a wheel's construction that are tried and tested and which are employed by Vittoria in order to maximise their performance. All Vittoria's Carbon wheels are asymmetric for example and all feature straight pull spoke lacing. The straight pull spokes convey greater strength and are less prone to failure than traditional J-bend spokes. The Asymmetric construction is key for creating a laterally stiff wheel - no one likes to hear the brakes rub on the rim the moment they get out of the saddle on a climb. The idea of asymmetry is to balance the spoke angles as much as possible and the 2.5mm offset from centre on Vittoria's wheels minimises differences in spoke tension while equalising spoke lacing angles for greater stiffness and stability.
This is where Graphene G+ comes to the fore. In-house engineers and independent laboratories have confirmed that the utilsation of G+ Graphene yields numerous benefits in carbon rim construction. On it's own, when Graphen G+ is added to the carbon matrix of the rim it increases lateral stiffness, but more than that, its use results in a measureable increse in strength of the spoke hole. This is important in the context of overall lateral stiffness and strength since it is the strength of the spoke holes in a carbon rim that can dictate the maximum possible tension on the spokes. Higher spoke tension means higher stiffness, less deflection and greater performance. Spoke hole strength is a key feature of ENVE wheels for example, though their construction method is without Graphene and the cost significantly higher!
In addition to the greater stiffness afforded by using G+, Graphene has further benefits. One of the biggest problems with Carbon rims is braking and this is generally a result of temperature increases in the rim that cause brake fade or, in worst case scenarios, delamination of the rim. Graphene significantly reduces the temperature build-up in the rim resulting in more consistent braking for longer periods.
Like many wheel manufacturers now, Vittoria also employ a wider rim profile. The 24.5mm external rim width on the Qurano range is optimised for the use of 25mm tyres. The additional width means that he tyre tread contact area is shorter and wider to give greater grip and improved handling in corners. In addition the tyre casing (clinchers and tubulars) deforms less, making the tyre faster because of lower rolling resistance.
The asymmetric G+ enhanced rim construction is combined with Vittoria's proprietary hub design. While the internals are all based on industry-proven systems and parts and meet Vittoria's stringent quality standards, the spokes are manufactured specifically for Vittoria and the rear hubs on all but the 2 base model wheelsets feature their SwitchIt tooless Freehub design that allows the rapid swap-out of freehubs for servicing or switching from Shimano/Sram to Campagnolo cassette carriers. The rear hub also features an oversize drive-side flange and 2:1 spoke lacing for better balance of spoke tension, this gives a direct feel to the pick-up of the wheel when pushing through the pedals.
If anyone knows how a tubular tyre should sit on a rim it's Vittoria. With decades of experiance they have created Perfect Match for tubular mounting. It offers a wide tubular rim bed which matches Vittoria tyres perfectly - as you might expect. Perfect Match offers exact fit and greater safety with mounted tubs.
So, how do they ride?
At 1409g the Qurano 60 Tubular wheels are as light as wheels at over twice the price and like their clincher counterparts they are impressively stiff.
The stiffness is the real talking point and it lends a livliness and reactivity to the wheels that is lacking in many others of comparable price and section The cornering (especially when partnered with the impeccable Corsa G+ tyres) is deft and surefooted lending bags of confidence to descents and in the tightest of corners.
The 60mm rim profiles optimise the airflow both front and rear and make them a rapid wheelset while keeping the handling agile. Speed on the flat is easily maintained at a lower output than you might expect at this price, thanks - in part - to the very smooth-rolling hubs. Braking - while not quite aluminium in its tenacity - is impressive and bests most at the price thanks to the graphene reinforcement in the rim.
Overall, the Qurano 60 demand your attention for an aero carbon tubular aero wheelset. Despite the depth they are still a lot of fun to ride and are never slow to react. Pricing is competitive and the use of Graphene is both novel and beneficial. You also get a set of quality wheel- bags at the price too.
Supplied as Shimano/Sram as standard, the freehub can be swapped out for Campag at no additional cost or are available separately for those running multiple drive trains.