First Look: Zero Two carbon wheels

The Zero Two brand looks to bring in value for money carbon wheels. Zero Two has entered the market with an XC/Trail wheelset but we’ve been told that a wheel for more aggressive riding is soon to be launched. There may even by an affordable carbon road wheel in the works.

Zero Two’s current wheelset is aimed for cross-country and light trail riding and features a generous 27 mm internal rim width. The lightest wheelset configuration will tip the scales at around 1,445 grams. The Zero Two wheelset should retail for around R15,500.

The wheels are laced with Pillar Wing 20 bladed spokes to standard, boost, and Lefty hub configurations. If the standard hub offering is not to your liking, Zero Two will allow you to send your own hubs to Omnico in Cape Town (through your local bike shop) where the wheels will be built by an expert to ensure quality control and workmanship.

The features of the standard hubs include:

• Sealed bearings
• A three pawl system
• XD and Shimano freehub bodies available
• Boost, Non-Boost, and Lefty combo’s available
• Available in 6 bolt only

The current 27mm rim (bottom) versus the upcoming 31mm rim (top).

Spied! Is that a road rim?

Iwan’s First Ride Impressions

I spent a couple of weeks riding a trail bike with the Zero Two wheels fitted. It’s hard to assess a wheelset in such a short time, especially when it comes to questions of durability. But what I can say is that the Zero Two wheels appear to be exactly what one would expect from a carbon wheelset in 2018. They are light, stiff, and spin up fast. The rear hub’s three pawl system does not engage quite as fast as a Hope Pro4 or (engagement leaders) Industry Nine but this does not distract from the ride. Anyway, once pedalling, engagement is no longer an issue and for most riders rock solid hubs will be more important than quicker engagement.

The Zero Two’s 27 mm internal rim width is my sweet spot for cross-country and trail wheels. These wheels, when paired with a 2.2″ tyre makes for a great combination, striking a good balance between speed and grip. For those looking to go wider, there will soon be a more aggressive option in the range with an internal width of 31mm for wider, beefier tyres.

For the money, I can’t fault the Zero Two wheelset. In fact, even with a bit more fat on them, they would still offer good value. They also come with local support and a built-in crash replacement policy all back by an established distributor.

Warranty and Crash Replacement

To back their product and workmanship, Zero Two offer a five-year guarantee from defects in material and workmanship, provided that you are the original owner (valid proof of purchase will be required).

They’ve taken it even further by offering a crash replacement policy. Zero Two offers all original owners a lifetime Loyalty Guarantee Program on their carbon rims. This program covers accidents which fall outside of warranty coverage for any reason. If you break it, they will help you replace it.

Whether it has to do with lack of talent or trail conditions – no matter what the circumstance – as part of this program the price of a replacement Zero Two carbon rim is R2,500 (at the date of publishing this article). This includes all freight (to their offices in Cape Town and back to you) as well as the work required to rebuild your wheel.