Vision Targets Wide-Tire Gravel Riding With New SC 45 SL i30 Wheelset
Vision has launched the SC 45 SL i30, a carbon gravel wheelset for a specific type of rider: one using very wide gravel tires.
Its most notable specification is the 30mm internal rim width. Vision lists the wheelset as compatible with tires from 47mm to 71mm wide. That is important because many current gravel bikes come stock with tires in the 38mm-to-45mm range. In other words, the SC 45 SL i30 is not for a typical 38mm or 40mm gravel-tire setup. It is for riders who want to begin at the wide end of the usual gravel range and go wider still.
Why use such wide tires? They can be run at lower pressures, which can reduce the sharpness of impacts from washboard, rocks and roots. The tradeoff is more tire weight and, depending on the tire and terrain, more rolling resistance on smooth pavement.
The 700c rims are 45mm deep and made of carbon. Vision lists the wheelset at 1,542 grams per pair. It uses the company’s V-600 54-tooth ratchet hub, six sealed cartridge bearings, bladed spokes and Center Lock disc-rotor mounts. Freehub choices are Shimano MS 12-speed, Shimano HG, SRAM XDR and Campagnolo N3W.
The 45mm rim depth puts this wheelset between a shallow rough-road wheel and a deep aero wheel. The rim width, however, is its defining feature. Riders should first make sure that their frames have sufficient clearance for a 47mm or wider tire.
Gravel rider Lachlan Morton, quoted in Vision’s launch material, noted that gravel equipment often gets more repeated impacts than road equipment and may be used far from help. “With the added remoteness, reliability is crucial since often these are solo or self-supported outings,” he said.
U.S. price is $1,494.
