Zen Carbon Wheels Xiamen

[DavidG]

Interesting! I have done maybe 500km on mine now and compared to my set of Hunt wheels (50mm as well) I find the Zen much better in the crosswind. Even with a wide carbon spoke.
Mind are also stiff but not to cause any discomfort. Its only having moved from the Hunts to the Zen that I now realise how much flex the old wheels had.
But mine have been rock solid so far. Really stable decending too.

Maybe it depends what someone compares the Zen against. I am comparing them to my Hypers and Rovale C50s.

[Sander2177]

Winter wheels update 🚴‍♂️
This week I was looking into titanium spokes and thought they might be worth potentially swapping onto my winter bike/training wheels. I contacted Zen to see if they offered them, and it turns out they do. Titanium spokes come with aluminium nipples by default, and I asked if they could do brass instead, but they said galvanic corrosion between brass and titanium wouldn’t be ideal.

Since I don’t always clean my bike immediately in winter, it didn’t seem worth the risk, so I’ve decided to stick with Sapim CX-Ray and brass nipples. Interestingly, talking to a few people, titanium spokes seem to be becoming more popular for gravel build

[Colonel]

Just made and order from Zara through whatsapp and we finalized the specs yesterday and opted for a UD glossy 45/55mm, SR261,36T Rachet, ceramic bearings, sapim cxray spokes at 1340grams.  This morning, I was surprised to receive a video of the finished wheelset (attached) and sent me a photo if i can received factory minor IMPERFECTIONS, as Zara politely offered and said.

So I was wondering from those who received their wheelsets and share its imperfections, tolerable and not, is appreciated. 

[Sander2177]

Just made and order from Zara through whatsapp and we finalized the specs yesterday and opted for a UD glossy 45/55mm, SR261,36T Rachet, ceramic bearings, sapim cxray spokes at 1340grams.  This morning, I was surprised to receive a video of the finished wheelset (attached) and sent me a photo if i can received factory minor IMPERFECTIONS, as Zara politely offered and said.

So I was wondering from those who received their wheelsets and share its imperfections, tolerable and not, is appreciated.

These kinds of marks are typical of UD carbon layup, especially on paintless finishes where the raw carbon texture is exposed. Variations like this can result from:

Resin pooling or slight fiber overlap during layup (rims are layed up by hand)
Tooling marks from the mold
Natural texture differences in the carbon weave
They’re cosmetic and common on UD paintless rims, especially when no paint or clear coat is used to mask the surface. Unless there's a crack, delamination, or deep gouge (which this is not), these are not defects.

If you want perfect rims you ask for Black gloss.
I have this on my rims as well

[tenk24]

Currently have the Elite-Wheels Marvel 50D wheels but eyeing for a new set of wheels. Probably saving for a set for next year, some questions I had:
1. For an all rounder wheelset, is 45F 55R good especially on some windy days?
2. I know that there are 3 carbon versions, I weigh 185lbs which version would be recommended?
3. How many spokes, and what width?
4. I have seen some pictures of some wheels and was tending towards the no paint look but then saw the glossy one. Are there any pictures that compare the look side by side?

[cyruscycles]

Currently have the Elite-Wheels Marvel 50D wheels but eyeing for a new set of wheels. Probably saving for a set for next year, some questions I had:
1. For an all rounder wheelset, is 45F 55R good especially on some windy days?
2. I know that there are 3 carbon versions, I weigh 185lbs which version would be recommended?
3. How many spokes, and what width?
4. I have seen some pictures of some wheels and was tending towards the no paint look but then saw the glossy one. Are there any pictures that compare the look side by side?

1) I can handle 50mm on the front on windy days fine. 45 should be significantly better. the rear doesnt matter much, so 55 is fine. I run 65 on the rear and don't notice much difference.
3) I run 16/18 on a set from XMCS and weigh around the same as you do. Peter said I was plenty light enough for 16/18, and I've been throwing myself down rough roads to put together a proper review, and they're fine. Broke my bike computer mount on a crack in the road, and the wheels held up fine. If you want a super stiff bike, you can get more spokes. Width doesn't really matter. Go narrow to save weight, or go wide for aesthetics

[tenk24]

1) I can handle 50 in the front on windy days fine. 45 should be significantly better. the rear doesnt matter much, so 55 is fine. I run 65 on the rear and don't notice much difference.
3) I run 16/18 on a set from XMCS and weigh around the same as you do. Peter said I was plenty light enough for 16/18, and I've been throwing myself down rough roads to put together a proper review, and they're fine. Broke my bike computer mount on a crack in the road, and the wheels held up fine. If you want a super stiff bike, you can get more spokes. Width doesn't really matter. Go narrow to save weight, or go wide for aesthetics

1. That's good to know.
3. I know XMCS do have a different weight limits and they were also on my radar, will keep that in mind regarding the 16/18!

[h0ldb88r]

Why do you like the 16/18 spokes versus 20 or 24? Weight, crosswinds?

[cyruscycles]

Why do you like the 16/18 spokes versus 20 or 24? Weight, crosswinds?

Aero benefits, slightly more flex on the front inspires more confidence in sprints and descents, haven’t’ noticed any difference in the crosswinds

[hsaus]

Just got my wheelset delivered this morning. Packaging was great. I've only had time to unbox the wheels, weigh them, and snap a couple of photos.

Specs:

• Rim depth: 45mm front & rear
• Rim type: Hooked, tubeless ready, with a drain hole on one side
• Rim width internal: 24 mm
• Rim width external - at the top of the rim: 31 mm
• Rim width external - at the widest point: 34 mm
• Rim finish: UD satin
• Rim build: Ultra light weight front & rear (90 kg system limit)
• Hubs: ZSL230, 36T ratchet, 20 holes front & rear, ceramic bearings (claimed weight 228 g)
• Freehub: HG 11/12s Road (I also ordered an XDR freehub)
• Spokes: Carbon, 3.1mm width (claimed weight 2.1 g each)

Inclusions:

• Four spare spokes with nipples (one for each length used)
• Tubeless valves
• Tubeless tape - I asked for it to be preinstalled, which they did

And finally, the weights - which includes the tubeless rim tape:

• Front: 493 g
• Rear: 576 g
• Total: 1069 g

[Ludo]

That’s One light set of wheels!

[contraptions]

This was the spec I asked for:
F Rim   
d55,iw24 Lightweight
F Rim (g)   460
F Hub   HX240
F Hub (g)   71
F Spokes   
CS04 5.1*0.9 3.5g
F Spokes (g)   70
R Rim   
d40,iw25 ASYMMETRIC Lightweight
R Rim (g)   400
R Hub   HX240
R Hub (g)   155
R Spokes   
CS04 5.1*0.9 3.5g
R Spokes (g)   70
Estimated weight   1226

(I think I estimated the independent front and rear hub weights but can't remember how...)

The cs05 spokes don't fit otherwise I'd have gone for those.

Hubs are beautifully finished but I'd have taken the tiny weight gain over what are now almost vestigial splines on the disc and cassette.  Going to pull the front rotor fairly regularly I think as they honestly look like they've gone too far.

Actual weight on a Kern balance 1213g. Look great in the sun - poor indoor lighting in the photos.

Pretty standard build quality tension wise.  That said I'm an inveterate spoke plucker and I've never been impressed with any pre built wheels yet.  Contrary to popular belief carbon spokes are incredibly easy to build with compared to superlight steel and/or shallow rims.

I built a set of Speeder rims on Aerolites that now have 25k of abject abuse on country lanes and are straight as a die. I'm 72kg. Those were the heaviest of the four tiers (i.e. normal) so I've just gone one lighter.

The new ones definitely have a decent amount less carbon in the walls as they're noticeably tinnier to tap and give to gentle pressure.

I'm not sure if anyone has pointed this out but the rims are plainly Speeder/Adapt.  Diagrams and weights match exactly.

I also had a pair of the Speeder 45 carbon spokes wheels but the token hubs are pretty heavy and they don't offer any variations of their carbon spoked wheels.

[toxin]

If the disc lockrings are torqued properly, the splines aren't what's carrying most of the load

[Sander2177]

This was the spec I asked for:
F Rim   
d55,iw24 Lightweight
F Rim (g)   460
F Hub   HX240
F Hub (g)   71
F Spokes   
CS04 5.1*0.9 3.5g
F Spokes (g)   70
R Rim   
d40,iw25 ASYMMETRIC Lightweight
R Rim (g)   400
R Hub   HX240
R Hub (g)   155
R Spokes   
CS04 5.1*0.9 3.5g
R Spokes (g)   70
Estimated weight   1226

(I think I estimated the independent front and rear hub weights but can't remember how...)

The cs05 spokes don't fit otherwise I'd have gone for those.

Hubs are beautifully finished but I'd have taken the tiny weight gain over what are now almost vestigial splines on the disc and cassette.  Going to pull the front rotor fairly regularly I think as they honestly look like they've gone too far.

Actual weight on a Kern balance 1213g. Look great in the sun - poor indoor lighting in the photos.

Pretty standard build quality tension wise.  That said I'm an inveterate spoke plucker and I've never been impressed with any pre built wheels yet.  Contrary to popular belief carbon spokes are incredibly easy to build with compared to superlight steel and/or shallow rims.

I built a set of Speeder rims on Aerolites that now have 25k of abject abuse on country lanes and are straight as a die. I'm 72kg. Those were the heaviest of the four tiers (i.e. normal) so I've just gone one lighter.

The new ones definitely have a decent amount less carbon in the walls as they're noticeably tinnier to tap and give to gentle pressure.

I'm not sure if anyone has pointed this out but the rims are plainly Speeder/Adapt.  Diagrams and weights match exactly.

I also had a pair of the Speeder 45 carbon spokes wheels but the token hubs are pretty heavy and they don't offer any variations of their carbon spoked wheels.

They look good the weave looks good
It’s possible they may not manufacture the rims themselves. I spoke with Zara about sourcing 25mm inner width rims, the same profile used on the 8Lien and CRW. The factory produces them and conducts tests, but Zen will carry out their own testing before offering them for sale.

I also asked whether they make their own rims. Some they do, and some they don’t. As with many OEMs, not all products are made in-house; factories often collaborate, as many of us know.

[Rebel_Yell]

This was the spec I asked for:
F Rim   
d55,iw24 Lightweight
F Rim (g)   460
F Hub   HX240
F Hub (g)   71
F Spokes   
CS04 5.1*0.9 3.5g
F Spokes (g)   70
R Rim   
d40,iw25 ASYMMETRIC Lightweight
R Rim (g)   400
R Hub   HX240
R Hub (g)   155
R Spokes   
CS04 5.1*0.9 3.5g
R Spokes (g)   70
Estimated weight   1226

(I think I estimated the independent front and rear hub weights but can't remember how...)

The cs05 spokes don't fit otherwise I'd have gone for those.

Hubs are beautifully finished but I'd have taken the tiny weight gain over what are now almost vestigial splines on the disc and cassette.  Going to pull the front rotor fairly regularly I think as they honestly look like they've gone too far.

Actual weight on a Kern balance 1213g. Look great in the sun - poor indoor lighting in the photos.

Pretty standard build quality tension wise.  That said I'm an inveterate spoke plucker and I've never been impressed with any pre built wheels yet.  Contrary to popular belief carbon spokes are incredibly easy to build with compared to superlight steel and/or shallow rims.

I built a set of Speeder rims on Aerolites that now have 25k of abject abuse on country lanes and are straight as a die. I'm 72kg. Those were the heaviest of the four tiers (i.e. normal) so I've just gone one lighter.

The new ones definitely have a decent amount less carbon in the walls as they're noticeably tinnier to tap and give to gentle pressure.

I'm not sure if anyone has pointed this out but the rims are plainly Speeder/Adapt.  Diagrams and weights match exactly.

I also had a pair of the Speeder 45 carbon spokes wheels but the token hubs are pretty heavy and they don't offer any variations of their carbon spoked wheels.

Can you share a link to Speeder/Adapt for these rims/wheels?  I have tried to find and am not having any luck.  Thanks.