AliExpress Carbon Wheels: One Year Later

In June 2024 I bought the EliteWheels 50mm carbon wheels from AliExpress for £244.49. A year on, including a 30mph crash—they’re still on my bike. And still turning heads. Here’s everything I wish I’d known before buying them.

1. Why these?

Mostly YouTube. TraceVelo’s reviews are solid, and seeing EliteWheels sponsor GCN gave me peace of mind. They looked good, the specs were there, and the price was wild.

2. Setup was a breeze

Straight onto my Tiban. No weird spacers or compatibility headaches. I used this as a chance to upgrade tyres (everyones favourite, GP5000s). Done.

3. First ride feels

The carbon swoosh hits immediately. They sound fast, they look fast, and they feel like they stiffened up the whole bike. Cornering and sprinting felt sharper overnight.

Also… people started assuming my bike was worth 5x what it actually is. Noice

4. On the flats? Eh

Not a huge difference in holding speed on flat sections or group rides. Aero helps, but don’t expect miracles without watts.

5. Crash-tested

Had a 30mph crash. Needed a quick true and walked away with a few cosmetic scuffs. No cracks. Still true now. Honestly super impressed.

6. Hubs: loud and proud

No issues. Bearings still smooth, still noisy in all the right ways.

7. In the crosswind

Yep, you’ll feel it. They’re 50mm deep, so crosswinds do push a bit. On fast descents it can twitch, but thats what makes it fun right?

8. Everyday riding

Wet, dry, whatever. They’ve been low maintenance. No brake rub. No weird flex. Just solid.

9. Anything bad?

Nothing really. For the price, they’ve been superb.

10. Would I buy again?

Without question. If you’re upgrading on a budget, I’d put these right after a decent saddle. 50mm was the right call for balance between aero and handling.

£244 for full carbon wheels sounded sketchy but a year later, I’m still riding them hard. If you’re tempted, I say go for it.

Here’s the exact pair I bought (not sponsored. Just sharing the plug that worked for me).