Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Drive 6 gravel wheels are a one piece carbon design with 6 solid spokes. They look incredible, but are they too stiff for off-road use?
*DRIVE 6 GRAVEL WHEELS*
*15% off with code TRACE15 at checkout*
elite-wheels.com/product/gravel-six-s-spoke-bike-wheels
(I get a small commision for every wheelset sold via this link)
Elitewheels are the company behind the ‘Drive’ series of wheelsets. They have been in business since 2013, and are well known for producing some great value carbon wheels. A few years ago, I bought one of the cheapest wheelsets they produced on AliExpress, and I am still using the wheels to this day (full review below):
youtu.be/qyQmlEzVvmU
In the last few years they have begun to embrace the slightly more premium end of the carbon wheel market, hence their Drive series. I’ve already checked out a set of their Drive 50D wheels on my carbon road bike, and although there was an issue with the hub design, this was updated, and the wheels are REALLY really nice (full review def worth a watch below):
youtu.be/amZVEl8li1I
So I was SUPER excited to check out their Drive 6 gravel wheels, but if I am being completely honest, I was mainly attracted to them because they look so freaking awesome. Once I got them, I started to realise that as a solid one piece carbon wheel, they had the potential to be incredibly stiff. Great for on road use, but off road this could be a problem…
Going into this I was pretty sure that the squishiness of the large diameter gravel tyres will have had FAR more bearing on ride quality, but I needed to check. So in this review, I will be testing them back to back with a standard set of steel spoked gravel wheels, to see if I can actually tell any difference.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Start
00:45 – Intro
02:46 – Construction and Overview
04:49 – Cost & Weight
06:06 – Ride Quality & Stiffness
08:23 – Stiffness Testing
10:47 – Conclusion
Wheel Stiffness References:
http://www.killasgarage.bike/uncategorized/how-much-does-a-bicycle-wheel-deflect-vertically-not-much/
astounding.org.uk/ian/wheel/patterns.html
rouesartisanales.com/article-23159755.html
sheldonbrown.com/rinard/wheel_index.html
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - go2dev.co.uk
About Trace Velo:
I love cycling, and I love getting pro cycling kit for less. If it’s cheap, from China, and made of carbon fibre, I’m interested!
Instagram: instagram.com/tracevelo
Email: tracevelouk@gmail.com
Please note:
With the exception of Elitewheels and ICAN, products demonstrated in this video have been purchased by me, and I have no affiliation to any of the sellers or vendors shown.
In addition, I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!
The Drive 6 gravel wheels are a one piece carbon design with 6 solid spokes. They look incredible, but are they too stiff for off-road use?
*DRIVE 6 GRAVEL WHEELS*
*15% off with code TRACE15 at checkout*
elite-wheels.com/product/gravel-six-s-spoke-bike-wheels
(I get a small commision for every wheelset sold via this link)
Elitewheels are the company behind the ‘Drive’ series of wheelsets. They have been in business since 2013, and are well known for producing some great value carbon wheels. A few years ago, I bought one of the cheapest wheelsets they produced on AliExpress, and I am still using the wheels to this day (full review below):
youtu.be/qyQmlEzVvmU
In the last few years they have begun to embrace the slightly more premium end of the carbon wheel market, hence their Drive series. I’ve already checked out a set of their Drive 50D wheels on my carbon road bike, and although there was an issue with the hub design, this was updated, and the wheels are REALLY really nice (full review def worth a watch below):
youtu.be/amZVEl8li1I
So I was SUPER excited to check out their Drive 6 gravel wheels, but if I am being completely honest, I was mainly attracted to them because they look so freaking awesome. Once I got them, I started to realise that as a solid one piece carbon wheel, they had the potential to be incredibly stiff. Great for on road use, but off road this could be a problem…
Going into this I was pretty sure that the squishiness of the large diameter gravel tyres will have had FAR more bearing on ride quality, but I needed to check. So in this review, I will be testing them back to back with a standard set of steel spoked gravel wheels, to see if I can actually tell any difference.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Start
00:45 – Intro
02:46 – Construction and Overview
04:49 – Cost & Weight
06:06 – Ride Quality & Stiffness
08:23 – Stiffness Testing
10:47 – Conclusion
Wheel Stiffness References:
http://www.killasgarage.bike/uncategorized/how-much-does-a-bicycle-wheel-deflect-vertically-not-much/
astounding.org.uk/ian/wheel/patterns.html
rouesartisanales.com/article-23159755.html
sheldonbrown.com/rinard/wheel_index.html
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - go2dev.co.uk
About Trace Velo:
I love cycling, and I love getting pro cycling kit for less. If it’s cheap, from China, and made of carbon fibre, I’m interested!
Instagram: instagram.com/tracevelo
Email: tracevelouk@gmail.com
Please note:
With the exception of Elitewheels and ICAN, products demonstrated in this video have been purchased by me, and I have no affiliation to any of the sellers or vendors shown.
In addition, I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!
