Up-Vine Pro+ Review: When You Don’t Know What to Expect…

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At Eurobike 2023 after which in 2024, I met representatives of the Chinese language wheel model Up-Vine. They requested me if I might be considering reviewing their wheels. As all the time, I assured them that I might be glad to however to not count on a constructive verdict if there was something improper with the wheels. They agreed and despatched me the wheels just a few weeks later. So, on this Up-Vine Professional+ overview, I share my expertise and the way they examine with different Chinese language options.

My Professional+ wheels scoring at a look:Crosswind Stability 5/5 | Stiffness 5/5 | Using Consolation 4/5 | Pace Upkeep 5/5 | Tire On 2/5 | Trueness 5/5 | Spoke Rigidity 5/5 | Dishing 5/5 | Worth 2/5 | OVERALL 4.2/5More about this street wheels scoring.

What Is Up-Vine?

Up-Vine is a Chinese language model that I first met at Eurobike 2023. That they had each carbon and Kevlar spoked wheels on show there. They’ve been manufacturing wheels since 2016. They began with aluminum wheels and hubs however then regularly shifted their focus to creating carbon wheels. Additionally they declare to have their very own manufacturing unit, however I feel it’s extra probably that they outsource manufacturing to a 3rd get together like many different Chinese language manufacturers.

What I do like although is the truth that they ship a spoke rigidity chart with each wheel. The utmost lateral and radial deviation is about at 0.15mm. Have their wheels handed my QC? You will note later on this article.

Up-Vine Professional+ Foremost Options

Here’s a fast abstract of the options and specs of the Up-Vine Professional+ wheels.

First Impressions and Unboxing

The unboxing expertise of the Up-Vine wheels was one of many extra premium ones. The wheels got here in a protecting field not coated with customary duct tape. As a substitute, they used adhesive, so there was no want for a knife. Every wheel was then packed exactly in its personal field.

I additionally appreciated that every wheel had a tag with info (though in Chinese language) and details about the stress of every spoke. That is the primary time I’ve seen this with Chinese language wheels, and I respect it. If there was a signature of, for instance, the worker who constructed them, it will add an much more private dimension. The bundle additionally included a trendy field with tubeless valves and tire levers.

In-Home Assessments

Lateral and Radial Trueness

I checked each wheels’ lateral and radial trueness on a truing stand. Whereas the rear wheel was excellent, the entrance wheel was barely off in a single place. This deviation was smaller than 0.5mm, although.

Spoke Rigidity

The spoke rigidity was mainly excellent. This implies no spoke was outdoors the 5% common rigidity. I’m not saying that every spoke had the identical rigidity, however they had been inside 3%! That is the perfect end result I’ve ever recorded. See the next charts for more information.

Rim Centering (Dishing)

The dishing (how well-centered the hub is) ended nicely. Solely the rear wheel had a tiny hole between the pin and the tip cap. However that is simply me being choosy.

A Look Inside

The interior rim construction seemed clear and was with out wrinkles or epoxy leftovers. Once more, these rims belong among the many greatest ones I’ve seen.

The Issue of Placing the Tire On

Professional+ wheels are tubeless-ready and include preinstalled tubeless rim tape. So, as all the time, I attempted to place my model new Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tires on. Placing the tire on the entrance wheel required tire levers, as I couldn’t put it on with out them, irrespective of how exhausting I attempted. Alternatively, I might seat it utilizing an everyday ground pump.

However my expertise with the rear wheel was completely different. I put the tire on with extra effort, however seating it on an everyday ground pump was unattainable. Then I attempted utilizing the compressor, however no luck. This shocked me as a result of the compressor pressured to eight bar with a large nozzle and valve core eliminated is mainly foolproof. However not this time.

I attempted including a sealant, but it surely didn’t assist. Ultimately, I took the tire off, cleaned the rim and the tire, and after just a few extra tries, the tire lastly seated. This was the primary time I struggled a lot with seating the tire. The air merely saved escaping. I don’t know if this was a difficulty with the tire (it was model new) or the rim design.

Using Expertise

I’ve ridden many wheels, however these are among the many greatest. I don’t know the way it’s potential, however they completely mix stiffness, using consolation, and stability. Contemplating they’ve carbon spokes, I don’t really feel like they’re too harsh on tough roads. I feel it has one thing to do with their large rim width, as my 28mm tubeless tires have an actual width of 31.1mm! For comparability, the identical tires on Lún MEGA wheels have a width of 30.1mm and 30.4mm on Superteam All-Carbon Extremely.

I lately had an attention-grabbing dialog with a pal about rim width. We agreed that 3 years in the past, it wasn’t that massive of a deal. Nonetheless, it’s a giant matter in 2024, and large rims have gotten standard, due to the more and more standard wider tires. And admittedly, I totally help this development. I don’t really feel like I’m shedding velocity, however the elevated consolation is noticeable. I plan to attempt 32mm tires on the street sooner or later. When inflated, I assume the tires will likely be 34mm. Who would have stated 5 years in the past that we’d be working such large tires?

Nonetheless, skilled groups use equally large rims/tires. I’ve observed this with the Reserve (Visma-Lease and Bike) and ENVE (Whole-Energies, Workforce UAE) bikes, for instance, once I’ve seen them in actual life. The tires on them appear to be balloons. There’s one thing to it. The added experience consolation is very noticeable on lengthy rides whenever you gained’t be so uninterested in the experience vibrations. However how do these wheels carry out in different points?

When it comes to stiffness, the Up-Vine Professional+ go superbly behind the pedal. I benefit from the fast acceleration on them as a result of it’s mainly instantaneous. I’m additionally pleased with their stability in crosswinds. They belong among the many most steady ones I’ve used. Belief me, I solely weigh round 68kg, so I discover every wind gust.

I discover them very comparable in experience traits to the Superteam All-Carbon Extremely wheels, which additionally mix nicely the three fundamental traits of fine wheels (consolation, stiffness, stability). I’ll shock you, however I would favor them to the Lún MEGA, that are $900 dearer. We merely don’t have the circumstances (tremendous easy roads) for the Lún MEGA right here. The Lún HYPER 3 really feel stiffer, but in addition much less snug.

So, have they got any weaknesses? In comparison with steel-spoked wheels, they’re nonetheless much less snug. That’s only a drawback of carbon spokes. On the similar time, some could also be delay by the upper worth in comparison with different Chinese language options. Personally, I additionally don’t just like the logos, particularly the pink accents. They don’t match with the remainder of my bike. As they are saying, it’s not the way you experience, it’s the way you look, isn’t it?

Upkeep-wise, it will also be tough, as with each carbon-spoked wheelset. The spare spokes usually are not included, however I’m certain they’ll ship you substitute ones without cost. You’ll simply have to attend for them.

The hubs use metal 17287 bearings (2 within the entrance and 4 within the rear), so shopping for substitute ones shouldn’t be a difficulty. There is just one kind, which is nice. It’s additionally stunning that they’re metal, not ceramic, as most wheels on this worth vary jumped on the ceramic bandwagon. I truthfully choose metal bearings for his or her sturdiness. For instance, the bearings on Elitewheels DRIVE began to point out indicators of damage after simply 2000-3000 km. If you’d like extra particulars on which bearings are higher, learn my comparability of metal vs. ceramic bearings.

Up-Vine Professional+ Alternate options

The next desk exhibits all of the wheels I examined. It additionally contains a number of Up-Vine Professional+ options.

Reviewed WheelsetAverageScoreCrosswind StabilityStiffness & ResponsivityRiding ComfortSpeed maintenanceTire On¹Lateral andRadial TruenessSpoke TensionRim CenteringPriceRim depthWeight (F | R | Pair)Rim Width (I | E) Be aware Purchase

YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO4.343454555450mm705g, 830g, 1535g18.5mm25.5mmAffordable and easy-to-service wheels appropriate for studios and regular efforts.Verify Worth

Lún HYPER 50mm4.035355444350mm650g, 779g, 1429g19mm26mmStiff, responsive, and light-weight wheels appropriate for hilly and mountainous terrain. Not too steady in crosswinds.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF

Elitewheels DRIVE 45mm Disc4.055343445345mm562g, 718g, 1280g21.4mm28.8mmStiff, responsive, and light-weight wheels appropriate for hilly and mountainous terrain. Not too quick on flats.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF

Farsports Ventoux S4.055453444245mm637g, 755g, 1392g19.2mm25.5mmStiff, responsive, and premium wheels appropriate for many terrains.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 30 USD OFF

YOELEO C50|50 SAT DB PRO 20224.143444545450mm705g, 830g, 1535g18.5mm25.5mmAffordable and easy-to-service wheels appropriate for studios and regular efforts however with too loud hubs.Verify Worth

Trifox WT113.842545433450mm769g, 874g, 1643g18.4mm25.1mmAffordable and cozy, however not nicely assembled.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 8 % OFF

Farsports Wave4.253455543445/50mm736g, 880g, 1616g21.0mm28.7mmAffordable, easy-to-service, unique-looking wheels appropriate for studios and regular efforts.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB50 to get 50 USD OFF

Superteam All-Carbon Extremely 20234.644555555350mm633g, 769g, 1402g21.3mm28.7mmNot overly stiff, however responsive. Secure in crosswinds and supreme for many terrains, questionable reliability.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 5% OFF

Lún HYPER SE 20234.345355554346/54mm654g, 803g, 1457g21.3mm27.9mmBetter than HYPER 2020 in all points. I imagine they supply higher worth for cash than HYPER 23.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF

Lún MEGA4.155255554146/54mm616g, 782g, 1398g20.8mm28.1mmThe stiffest wheels I examined. Excellent for easy roads or racing, however they aren’t snug.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF

Elitewheels EDGE3.843433354550mm633g, 720g, 1353g21.2mm28.9mmComfortable, light-weight however comparatively mushy in comparison with carbon-spoked wheels.Verify Worth

Elitewheels ENT3.842443444550mm828g, 950g, 1778g20.0mm28.4mmHeavy and mushy however snug and good on flats and regular efforts.Verify Worth

Lún HYPER 34.155353555246/54mm598g, 766g, 1364g23.2mm28.6mmBetter crosswind stability and luxury than HYPER 2023, however a lot greater worth and no butterfly-weave end.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 10% OFF

Up-Vine Professional+4.255452555250mm598g, 766g, 1364g23.5mm29.1mmGreat steadiness between stiffness, using consolation, and stability.Verify Worth

My scoring of the Chinese language carbon street bike wheels with a word and different technical particulars.The size for every function is 1-5 factors, the place 5 is the perfect. The ranking will be retrospectively adjusted based mostly on the comparability with different wheelsets (extra about this scoring).SCROLL HORIZONTALLY FOR MORE INFO.¹How tough it’s to place a Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm tubeless tire on and correctly seat it.

My Verdict

The Up-Vine Professional+ shocked me primarily with its well-balanced stiffness, experience consolation, and stability. Particulars like branded tubeless valves, tire levers, packaging, a spoke rigidity chart from the meeting, and wonderful construct high quality are simply the icing on the cake. However to be honest, that is precisely what I count on from wheels at this worth vary.

It’s a giant query whether or not they’ll turn out to be standard, particularly when many Chinese language options provide comparable, maybe simply barely worse dealing with traits, however at a fraction of the value. On the similar time, these wheels are hitting a worth level the place many individuals will choose Western manufacturers, which they really feel are extra snug with in case of a grievance.

Though I haven’t put 1000’s of miles on them but, so I can’t price the long-term sturdiness, all my impressions have met my expectations.

Up-Vine Wheels FAQ

The product for this overview was kindly supplied by the producer. This didn’t affect my general verdict or my opinion concerning the product. You’ll be able to be taught extra about how I method critiques right here.