Though it is not often something that is generally sought when purchasing carbon road wheels, it is worth noting that the Bontrager Aeolus 3 D3 Clincher wheels come with no weight restriction. There is something to be said about engineering and design with so much confidence that the manufacturer openly advertises no weight restriction on their wheelsets. This is the case for the vast majority of Bontrager wheels. And from personal and shop experience, I can tell you that the high end Bontrager wheels are manufactured to this standard. The Aeolus 3 D3 Clincher wheels are highly durable, even in all conditions, they spin with very little resistance and have fast and powerful acceleration.
The Aeolus line of wheels caries the D3 title because of their new Dual Direction Design. What this means for the rider is that the rims have been designed to be aerodynamic both where the tire is leading and where the rim is leading, hence dual directional aerodynamics. In aerodynamics tests, performed by Bontrager, the Aeolus 3 has lower drag than the Zipp 202 and the Zipp 303 at all yaw angles from 0° to 12.5°. Of course, when thinking critically, these tests have been performed by Bontrager, naturally they are not going to publish results that make their product appear inferior. However, as a third party, who carries both brands we are in a position to make an objective review.
The Aeolus D3 wheelsets are light for their depth, and this is true for all depths, there is no disputing this fact. Moreover, from personal and shop experience we can tell you that they are very durable, it is no wonder that Bontrager proudly puts no weight limit on them, and continues to stand by their durability and manufacturing. These wheels are heavily ridden by customers and colleagues alike, through rough streets of New York and New Jersey, they both rarely need truing and continue to have smooth spin in the hub. A colleague of ours was actually even in a fairly significant accident with this wheelset and they still held up.
These personal praises of the Aeolus D3 wheelset coincide with that of other professional reviews. Professional reviews also claim that they have fast acceleration, and of equal importance, they maintain their speed on par with other wheels in the same class. Some experts even claim they maintain their rolling speed even better than others in their class. And as previously mentioned, because of their durability, they are ridden with confidence in a multitude of terrains and conditions. In addition, they maintain stability even when ridden in crosswinds, an important consideration when riding fairly deep aero rims.
A breakdown of Bontrager’s testing of the wheelsets in comparison to the competitors can be found in the following link.
The information can be analyzed and provide valuable insight. However, of course such information should be analyzed critically as the tests have been conducted by Bontrager themselves.
All of this being said, Bontrager definitely holds their own against the big dog competitors such as HED, Zipp, and Easton. We highly recommend them. And because of their durability, they are perhaps a better option for those which consider this a big factor in wheelset choice. Such is a great all around wheelset for the recreational cyclist who demands performance, those who do not necessarily have the means for a separate set of wheels for race day, or even serious competitive cyclists who need something durable for everyday use.
Feel free to direct any questions my way. As always, I am stoked to answer any and all questions as well as provide professional expertise.
Fulton Bikes 