UPVINE Pro+ 2 Review: Future-Proof… Except for One Catch

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The primary UPVINE Professional+ stunned me, and that’s not a sentence I hand out to each wheelset from a model barely anybody in Europe had heard of. So when UPVINE supplied me the second-generation Professional+ 2, I stated sure, principally to reply one query: What did they really change, and is the worth improve justified? Under, you’ll find out.

My Professional+ 2 wheels rating at a look:Crosswind Stability 5/5 | Stiffness 5/5 | Using Consolation 4/5 | Velocity Upkeep 5/5 | Tire On 2/5 | Trueness 5/5 | Spoke Stress 5/5 | Dishing 5/5 | Worth 1/5 | OVERALL 4.1/5More about this highway wheels scoring.

UPVINE Professional+ 2 Major Options and Specs

Right here’s a fast abstract of the options and specs of the UPVINE Professional+ 2 (examined within the 53mm depth; additionally out there in 63mm and a reasonably excessive 80mm).

A fast phrase on that spoke, as a result of it’s the entire story of this era. As a substitute of a traditional carbon spoke, the Professional+ 2 makes use of an encapsulated core: Excessive-strength PBO fibers wrapped in a carbon shell. PBO (full title poly-p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole, which I’m by no means typing once more) is the type of materials that sounds made up. 

UPVINE quotes a tensile energy of 5.8 GPa and a strength-to-weight ratio roughly ten instances that of metal. The quantity that issues most right here, although, is reduce resistance, which is supposedly greater than ten instances that of plain carbon. The purpose is security. If a spoke takes a tough hit, the PBO core acts as a backstop and stops one snapped spoke from turning a quick descent into a really dangerous afternoon. 

First Impressions and Unboxing

The unboxing was as good as I remembered from the primary Professional+ wheels. The principle distinction was that this time, each wheels have been inside one field, not two. The package deal included branded tubeless valves and ratchet grease. The wheels included a spoke pressure chart with handwritten spoke pressure measurements. Kudos! Hardly any Chinese language model bothers with such consideration to element.

In-Home Exams

Lateral and Radial Trueness

Each wheels ran comparatively true, with the entrance wheel displaying a slight deviation; the rear wheel was almost good.

Spoke Stress

On the entrance wheel, the strain was even and properly inside tolerance. The biggest deviation was solely slightly over 2% from the typical, so once more, almost good. The rear wheel was nearly as constant. Most spokes sat inside the three% restrict. There was solely a single spoke on the drive aspect 5.7% exterior the typical. It’s a lone outlier quite than a sample, with no twisted spokes or different pink flags.

Rim Centering (Dishing)

The hubs sat dead-center within the dishing check, with no hole between the pin and the tip cap. Perfection.

A Look Inside

The edges have been principally clear, with tiny bits of epoxy remnants, as you’ll be able to see within the photos beneath. 

Issue of Placing the Tire On and Off

After which there’s the tire. Becoming my Tufo Comtura 4 TR 28mm onto these was comparatively straightforward, and I didn’t want tire levers. Nevertheless, to seat them, I wanted a tire compressor. Since I first used these wheels with Continental Grand Prix 4000 S TR 32mm, I can inform you that these have been tremendous straightforward to mount and seat with a flooring pump. This isn’t a shock to me as a result of these tires are wider.

Using Expertise

Right here’s the sincere half: I went in hoping the brand new spokes would make a noticeable distinction. They don’t.

That’s not a knock, as a result of the primary Professional+ rode nice, and so do these. They’re stiff and decide up velocity shortly whenever you put energy down. They maintain velocity when you’re rolling, they usually keep secure in crosswinds, additionally because of the extensive rim width. At ~68kg, I normally really feel each gust, so meaning one thing. They sit proper within the combine with the opposite high-end Chinese language wheels I reviewed, the latest being the Particle GCX45 Hyperlight. Unsurprisingly, the Professional+ 2 are on the firm-and-stable aspect quite than the less-stiff, steel-spoked aspect.

The “magic carpet” factor UPVINE talks about from the PBO? I couldn’t really feel it. To my legs, these are agency, exact, and, like every carbon-spoked wheel, rather less forgiving than metal spokes on tough tarmac. I check with the identical tires and strain each time, and aspect by aspect with my reminiscence of the primary era, I’d wrestle to inform them aside blindfolded. The PBO core is a security story, not a ride-quality one. That’s nice, so long as you already know it getting into.

Should you break any of the spokes, you have to to attend for the substitute spokes to reach from China, as these are proprietary and fewer widespread than Vonoa’s carbon spokes.

The second fascinating know-how is the molded-spoke-hole strategy. This implies the spoke holes are fashioned throughout the molding course of quite than drilled right into a completed rim. By maintaining the carbon fibers steady and unbroken, this methodology eliminates the localized stress concentrations and heavy reinforcements typical of conventional drilled rims. The know-how includes a 3D-matched, full-contact interface between the opening and the nipple, which optimizes spoke alignment and evenly distributes masses. This leads to increased tensile energy. In the end, this engineering strategy delivers a wheel that’s concurrently lighter, stronger, straighter, and extra immune to long-term fatigue – at the least in idea.

I didn’t discover any points with the hubs, even throughout a stress check involving gradual pedaling at excessive energy. The freehub physique sound is on the quieter aspect of the spectrum, particularly after making use of the included grease.

I wish to briefly talk about the tire-rim transition, which—with 28mm Tufo tires inflated to 31.9mm—is actually good in keeping with the rule 105%. The bike’s dealing with has modified, although, and for the more severe. It feels to me as if I don’t have as a lot grip, and I really feel much less assured in corners and on descents. These rims would profit from wider tires, 30 or 32. The specs of those wheels thus attest to their timeless design.

My greatest downside with these wheels is that they weren’t wind-tunnel examined (but). At this value vary, I count on information to again up any aerodynamic or velocity claims. We will now solely guess how briskly these wheels really are. Hopefully, UPVINE addresses this hole quickly.

UPVINE Professional+ 2 Options

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

UPVINE Professional+ 24.155452555153mm600g, 706g, 1306g25.5mm34.0mmWell-made and future-proof all-round wheels appropriate for higher-speed rides.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 10% OFF

Particle GCX454.355543555245mm436g, 520g, 956g25.2mm31.6mmExtremely light-weight and responsive wheels.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 10% OFF

MovingSports SL12004.035442555350mm565g, 669g, 1234g21.3mm29.0mmStiff and responsive, however not as secure in crosswinds.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF

Nepest NOVA4.155443554245/55mm567g, 691g, 1258g23.4mm29.6mmStiff, secure, and responsive, however may be too stiff for tough roads.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 8% OFF

Elitewheels DRIVE II4.255443455350mm602g, 720g, 1322g23.2mm30.7mmStiff, secure, and responsive, however may be too stiff for tough roads.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 15% OFF

YOELEO NxT SL2 C604.244553455360mm623g, 736g, 1359g23.3mm31.1mmGreat steadiness between velocity, using consolation, and stability.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 10% OFF

Farsports C54.254543554350mm602g, 726g, 1328g24.2mm30.4mmGreat steadiness between stiffness, using consolation, and stability.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 30 USD OFF

UPVINE Professional+4.255452555250mm661g, 768g, 1429g23.5mm29.1mmGreat steadiness between stiffness, using consolation, and stability.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB to get 10 % OFF

Lún HYPER 34.155353555246/54mm598g, 766g, 1364g23.2mm28.6mmBetter crosswind stability and luxury than HYPER 2023, however a lot increased value and no butterfly-weave end.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 5% OFF

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

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

Lún MEGA4.155255554146/54mm616g, 782g, 1398g20.8mm28.1mmThe stiffest wheels I examined. Very best for easy roads or racing, however they don’t seem to be comfy.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 5% OFF

Lún HYPER SE 20234.345355554346/54mm654g, 803g, 1457g21.3mm27.9mmBetter than HYPER 2020 in all facets. I imagine they supply higher worth for cash than HYPER 23.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 5% OFF

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lún HYPER 50mm4.035355444350mm650g, 779g, 1429g19mm26mmStiff, responsive, and light-weight wheels appropriate for hilly and mountainous terrain. Not too secure in crosswinds.Verify PriceUse code CYCLISTSHUB10 to get 5% OFF

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

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

My Verdict

The Professional+ 2 are well-built, stiff, quick, secure, and now with a genuinely intelligent security spoke. In addition they provide respectable weight and above-average, future-proof rim width. The catch is worth. They experience nearly identically to the cheaper first era and value $2,699, which is some huge cash to pay for a profit you need to take largely on religion.

Should you particularly need the crash-resistant spokes and future-proof specs, they could make sense. UPVINE clearly focuses on high quality over amount. For everybody in search of a greater price-value-performance ratio, there are simpler wheels to advocate.

Anyway, I hope you discover this overview useful. Should you resolve to purchase the wheels anyway, please think about using the low cost code beneath. It’s the easiest way to avoid wasting in your buy and help what I do. Thanks very a lot prematurely.

What Is UPVINE?

UPVINE is a Chinese language model I first met at Eurobike 2023. They’ve constructed wheels since 2016, beginning with aluminum rims and hubs earlier than shifting their focus to carbon. They declare their very own manufacturing facility, although, as with many Chinese language manufacturers, I think at the least some manufacturing is outsourced. What I’ve all the time appreciated is that they ship a spoke pressure chart with each wheelset, which nonetheless appears like a small miracle on this nook of the market. In addition they now provide the Italian group MBH Financial institution CSB Telecom Fort PRO Crew because it steps as much as the UCI ProTeam ranks, an affordable signal of confidence for a model nonetheless making its title within the West.

I additionally met with them on the Shanghai bike present in 2026. You’ll be able to watch the next video for more information on their wheel lineup.