Premium Chinese wheels, 2 YEARS later… Elitewheels Drive 50D

I’ve been using these Drive 50D wheels as my daily drivers for just over 2 years. Elitewheels make some great budget options for road bikes, but how do their more premium wheels stack up?

Affiliate links below:

SIROKO CLOTHING – 10% off (automatically applied via link below):

Drive 50D - 15% off all wheelsets with ‘TRACE15’

I’ve been a fan of Elitewheels ever since I bought an incredibly cheap set of their ENT-Disc carbon wheels from AliExpress back in 2020. So when they sent over their more premium Drive 50D wheels 2 years ago, I couldn’t wait to try them!

I got them fitted to my carbon raod bike, but just 100km in, I found an issue with the front hub. They quickly sent over a replacement, and since then, I have been using them at least a couple of times each week for just over 2 years.

So it’s been an incredibly long term test, and frankly I love these wheels. They are incredibly stiff, thanks to the 50mm deep section carbon rim and some excellent bladed carbon spokes, they look absolutely fantastic, and they‘re lovely to ride.

So in this episode, I’ll give you the lowdown, take the wheels apart to show you some of the wear and tear on the freehub, axles, and bearings, and ultimately help you decide if these wheels are worth your consideration.

Also I’ll quickly cover their new partnership with @GCN, and discuss a patent dispute they are currently facing with a company called Qvist.

Ebay shim washers (35mm ID / 0.25):

Timestamps:
00:00 – Start
00:40 – Intro
01:26 – Quick overview
01:50 – Front hub issue
03:17 – Sponsor spot
04:37 – Rim: 2 years later
05:12 – Spokes: 2 years later
05:50 – Wheel balance: 2 years later
06:52 – Hubs and bearings: 2 years later
08:15 – Weather proofing & axles
09:10 – 12 speed freehub issue
10:09 – Why do I like them so much?
12:24 – GCN partnership and patent dispute

Intro roll:

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Please note:
I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.

In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!

[galenkehler]

That 50/50 😂😂😂
Truly one mustache to rule them all❤

[hockysa]

😂😂😂😂 omg the transition to gravel and road cyclist 🤣🤣🤣 dying

[HoshinoMirai]

I am so distracted by the asymmetric mustache

[KamikazeCommie]

I'm glad I missed the poll because I might've swayed it and this result is better than I could've ever imagined.

[qwertyazerty]

Massive kudos and a 🥖 for shooting the entire show with this halfstache. It's absolutely hilarious 😄

[ridingflats]

Would be cool to see a long review of the cheaper wheelset they make, see how they stack up for $600.

[Fatbutnotflat]

Even without sound i can perfectly hear Luke's voice, in my head. Even until the bonus bit. Keep up the good work! The stache is gold.

[georgepepper]

Luke, I purchased the same wheels about two months after You. I had a tubeless tire blow off the rim while I was riding it. There are serval possible causes of the failure on my side and Elite side of the failure. I noticed that the rim tape that Elite uses is two wide for the rim bed and went up the inner wall of the rim close to the rim hook. Their rim tape is also not traditional rim tape and looks like electronic masking tape that does not stretch. Elite customer service was bad, they just wanted to sell me a new front wheel. Great video thanks for the review.

[ThomasPrenner]

Great content, as always 🥖! I've been using the 50D for around 1.5 years now with 10.600 km on it and without a single issue. They also sold me a version without any decals, which I really appreciate...

[leonmarshall]

The semi mustache 😂😂😂 Ok now that's funny right there. Keep up the good work.

[TaichoCyclist]

I got a customed DRIVE45D from EliteWheels for 1260 grams. They are also my all-purpose road wheels for my rides. They are really great on flats and light for climbs on club rides and races.

They are beautifully made and made my TIME Alpe d'Huez look really great with the glossy marbled finish. I do highly recommend the DRIVE wheelset if you want the balance of budget and performance without burning a huge pothole in the pocket.

[XJ]

I got a pair of G45 since 2.5k Kilometers. Weirdly I got one bearing to break but since switching them out (Elite payed for the repair as it was within guarantee) everything works fine. love the wheelset

[lpoolck]

2:48 well played for diagnosing that issue! 👏

[stuartdryer]

I like mine. But I had some issues with bearings on the rear wheel very early on. They replaced them for free, no problems since.

[doncrescas]

Nice touch with the split color shirt to match the half stache. Bravo.

[suhdud]

I’ve got a set of the Helix 68Ds and they’re fantastic. One thing overlooked regarding patent, Qvist stated they have never outsourced their manufacturing meaning that the Drive Helix hub is a unique design to Elite. It may resemble similarly designed elements but so does every single bicycle in the world having two wheels. You don’t see brands during brands because their wheels do the same as the next brand.

[joshuabuilds]

I replaced the bearings in a different freehub no problem. Press the inner sleeve out of the way to expose the inner race of the bearings for hammering out

[levonscheijbeler]

Enjoyed this and the rest of your content. Thank you for the detailed information you shared after 2 years of driving with these wheels. I used your discount code to buy a 65D set, so thanks a lot! 🙏

[pdoyle]

If you replace the hub bearings do a video on it

[EstelonAgarwaen]

Have to say, while they are heavier, i like my campy shamal carbon wheels. The bearings are cup and cone style, but with a crankset style preload ring. Look great too.