Stealth wheels for a stealth Specialized Aethos
Specialized’s Aethos is a bit of a throwback bike—round tubes and little or no concessions to aerodynamics. But at the same time it is thoroughly modern with electronic shifting, disc brakes and a very light carbon layup.
This customer bought an Aethos Comp, which is great value for such a light frame. One area where it (and many mid-level bikes) falter is the wheelset. We were pleased to work with the client to build a sublime and stealthy set of deep dish carbon wheels that are very fast and suit the bike perfectly.
Specs
Hubs: White Industries CLD
Rims: Light Bicycle AR-56 (flyweight option)
Spokes: Sapim CX-Ray bladed
Weight: 1571 grams
Hand-Built: April, 2024
Working with Michael was a pleasure and a wonderful learning experience. He welcomed my input and agreed to work with a rim he had not built up before. Rim options for 50+ mm carbon wheels are somewhat limited and, in an effort to keep the wheel weight as low as possible, I searched till I found a 56 mm flyweight option at 430 grams. Michael could have rejected the option but was happy to check them out.
In the end he felt they were excellent quality and built a forever set of wheels that felt “just right” from the first pedal stroke. While it’s true that the parts matter—in this case trusty White Industry hubs and Sapim spokes—it’s only in the hands of a master wheel builder that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Michael Hartley is just that—a Master—and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to work with him.
We always ask permission before featuring a wheelset on the website.