Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
A couple of weeks ago, we received an interesting request from a new company to us. It was from Rita Müller, the COO of ICAN Cycling. ICAN is located in Shenzhen, China. They sell carbon bicycles, frames, components and wheels. Rita asked if we’d like to test and review their new superlight tubeless-ready carbon Aero 40 clincher wheelset (rim brake model – they also make a disc model).
We’re well aware of the Chinese carbon cycling products available at budget prices on eBay.com and other online sources. Only anecdotally, though. We haven’t personally purchased or ridden anything from these online sellers since you usually can’t even tell what you’re buying. So, at first, we weren’t certain how to respond to ICAN’s request.
Convincing Specs
But, then in a follow-up email, Rita wrote,
“ICAN Cycling have spent time perfecting our aero range of products. It has taken time as we have had to test products, set up international warehouses, and made sure that our pricing is affordable and our quality is high. We feel that everyone should be able to benefit from the progress made in modern aero designs.”
“We want to change the way the market looks at Chinese product and let them see that we can lead the way as well as the bigger brands. That is why we have secured UCI certification for our products. It is our mark that we want to rise above the brands that only want to live through eBay or Ali Express.”
Those comments were exactly the kind of things we hoped to hear. UCI approval means ICAN had to submit their wheels and pass testing by the governing body of pro cycling. Plus, unlike those Chinese carbon sellers on eBay, ICAN has a professional website showing a full range of products with all the technical details.
Chatting with ICAN
To try out their online customer service, I used their chat feature – intentionally doing so when it was the middle of the night in China. Chat features can be really bad in my experience. Often you never get a reply or if you do, they can’t answer your question – especially with technical queries.
While it did take until working hours in China to receive a reply from the ICAN chatter, they did answer my question (I asked how much the rim alone weighs? Answer: 408 grams). I then asked whether they used thread locker on the spokes, to which they almost immediately replied “no.”
Quality Carbon and Components
The final details that convinced us to accept their wheels for review were the quality of the construction and their affordable prices. ICAN’s Aero 40 tubeless-ready carbon clincher rims are made of Toray T700 and 800 carbon, some the most revered carbon available.
The 40mm tall rims have a modern 25mm exterior width at the braking surfaces and swell to 27mm at the widest point, which helps cheat the wind. And, they’re built with some of the top spokes available Sapim’s CX-Rays, while ICAN uses their own R01 hubs.
The pair sells for $640 – very impressive for an aero carbon clincher tubeless-ready wheelset. And, they’re not exaggerating when they call their hoops super light. The pair weighs just 1,314 grams.
Plus, carbon-compatible brake pads, quick releases and rim strips are included. To service riders around the globe, ICAN has warehouses in California, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and Japan. The wheels have a 2-year free warranty.
The wheelset they sent us was shipped from China. What follows is a 10 minute video of the unboxing and first look. The specifications for the wheels are below.
It’s not easy to build high-quality carbon aero road wheels. I’m looking forward to more carefully inspecting the wheels for things such as even spoke tension, spoke wind-up, ease of tubeless and standard tire installation – and of course how they perform and withstand the punishing pavement we have here in Northern California.
In a future Tech Talk, I’ll let you know how it goes, so please stay tuned.
ICAN CYCLING AERO 40 WHEELSET SPECIFICATIONS
PRICE: $640 (pair)
RIM MATERIAL: Toray T700/800 Carbon with heat-resistant 3K Twill braking surfaces
SIZE: 700c
TYPE: Tubeless-ready, rim-brake, carbon clinchers
RIM WIDTH
*Internal : 18.35mm
*External at braking surfaces: 25mm
*External at widest point: 27mm
WEIGHT (claimed)
*Rim only: 408 grams (+/- 15g)
*Pair: 1,314 grams (+/- 20g)
*Front: 568 grams (+/- 10g)
*Rear: 746 grams (+/- 10g)
SPOKES
Sapim CX-Ray with aluminum nipples
*Front: 18 spokes
*Rear: 24 spokes
HUBS
ICAN Cycling R01 straight-pull
CASSETTE COMPATIBILITY
Shimano 10/11-speed
RIDER WEIGHT LIMIT: 220 Pounds / 100 Kg
OTHER
2-year free warranty
UCI Approved
Carbon-compatible brake pads, quick releases and rim strips are included
Ride total: 9,282
In response to emailed questions, I’m adding a couple of details that I didn’t mention in the story or video.
The reader asked how serviceable the cassette body is and also wondered what brand and model of truing stand is shown in the video.
Regarding the cassette, it is the “standard” design used on lots of wheels today. It has 3 pawls and 2 sealed bearings. The cassette body can be removed from the wheel by pulling it up with your hand carefully so you don’t drop it. It’s held tight by the suction of the seal and the press fit of the end cap. Once removed, it’s easy to clean and relube the pawls and teeth/spline inside the hub. In most cases, if you exhaust the lube in the sealed bearing, it’s best to replace the cassette body rather than trying to replace the bearing. Cassette bodies are usually affordable, too.
The truing stand in the video is a Performance Bike Spin Doctor. Here’s a link to learn more: https://www.performancebike.com/performance-truing-stand-sd-ts/p914520 As Performance has recently had some business difficulties, I’m not certain how available this stand is any more. If you want one and Performance can’t supply it, you might search eBay.com which is where back stock often appears for sale.
Thanks for the questions!
Jim Langley
Jim: There lots of riders out there who weigh in at 240+ and need an article on the lightest weight wheels that can safely accommodate their dreams of climbing.
I weigh 260 lbs, and was pretty excited about these wheels until the statement came on, “Maximum rider weight is 220 lbs.”
Do they make wheels for clydesdales like me?
I would love to see a shootout between budget wheels 1500-1650 grams and less than $250. Maybe buy 8 pairs and profile the most unusual, or most dominant wheels, in some way. I am surprised how had it is to find wheels in this price range without straight-pull spokes. I just bought a set for $150 but the actual weight is 400g more than advertised, with 20/34 normal spokes.
Thanks, Don, that’s a good idea for a buyer’s guide, but it’s beyond the scope of something I could do right now. I’m not surprised about the weight discrepancy. That’s common with wheels and why I would recommend not buying them unless you can inspect them in person at a store or maybe on a friend’s bike. A company might offer a return policy on new unused items, too, That way you could return them if not satisfied.
Appreciate your feedback!
Jim
Seems like a nice package at a good price. I wonder about braking. Is carbon safer with clinchers orbisbit better to use tubulars?
Hi Mik, I have not yet tried the ICAN wheels and their brake pads in order to feel how the braking is. But, in my experience, if the pads and rim are made for each other, the braking with carbon rims be they clincher or tubular rims, can work fine.
I have used combinations of carbon rims and carbon pads that did NOT work well at all. So, it’s important if you buy carbon wheels with carbon braking surfaces to use pads that work properly with that carbon rim. Sometimes you might have to try a few different carbon compatible brake pads to find ones that work well.
Thanks for the question,
Jim
Thanks Jim. Your points are well taken. I was thinking heat is an issue on descents (maybe I read it on RBR) vs alloy. Tubulars can run flat.
i bought a pair of ican cycling aero40 and had alot of trouble mounting tires.they wwere very tight.also my dura ace brake calipers wouldn.t open enought to clear the braking surface to my liking.i noticed in your video you didn’t get to mouinting tires or adjusting brakes.did you have these problems
Have a set of 55 tri aeros.
Sapim spokes.
28 gp5000 tubeless.
Look good.
Ride decent, wish I woulda spent the extra for better hubs.
I have about 300 miles on them. Lost a nipple on my ride today. It’s inside the rim.
I’m running tubeless with cafe velo sealant.
I’m going to have to do the labor, replace the tape, replace the sealant. So now I’m out time, money, and sense of calm.
Not happy.
Update
Shortly after I got the nipple sorted, I took the wheels to a builder because they were not quite right & the issues exceeded my abilities. He said the dish was out & the tensions were way off.
Once that was fixed, I have had zero problem with these. I have several KOMs on them. Depending on the time of year I will weigh between 165ish to 190ish lbs.
They have been in 2 accidents… one of which severely damaged the bike but the wheels seem to be in good shape after a cursory inspection (I stopped a pick up truck with my chest – 5 broken ribs & a broken sternum). That frame & these wheels will be used on an indoor trainer exclusively pending replacement of parts (fork, hoods, other bits).
My next bike is going to be a disc brake bike. I will more than likely NOT use ICAN wheels. Partially due to the finish quality of this last set… but mostly because I want Onyx hubs & if I am going to be paying a wheel builder to fix another company’s problems – I may as well pay them to build the correct from scratch.
All that said – they served me well & overall I ended up being happy with them.
I just read Jim’s post about putting on a tight tire where he pictured the ICAN Areo 40mm. His step by step instructions were perfect; I was not having any success beforehand. But let me talk about the wheels of topic. I bought a pair of ICAN Areo 40mm wheels which were delivered about 2 weeks ago. Jim’s unboxing video helped in my purchasing decision. I have put only 343 miles on them but so far … outstanding for just the $710 they cost me. Very light, good spin and roll, true out of the box and very nice looking with the decals. I’m still testing them with incresingly agressive rides (I weigh 195 lbs at 6’2″) but my confidence with them is building and I feel they will turn out to be an outstanding bargin. I diid have reason to engage with their customer service and they were very responsive and good.