3T Discus C35 Team Clincher Wheelset

The middle child often has issues. Here, the 3T Discus C35 Team Wheelset’s only issue is that it’s so secure taking from its siblings, it might be too confident. It shares the hub design of the C35 Pro and a carbon-fiber rim similar to that on the C35 LTD, giving you a light disc-brake wheel (1425g for the set) with good aerodynamics and the right price.

The rim is carbon-fiber, designed for clincher tires, 24.5mm wide, 32mm deep, and offset to the left. The design is asymmetric to better balance the spoke tension on dished wheels. You know that rear wheels are dished, but once you go to disc brakes, front wheels need to be dished, too. Further, the front spokes need to be crossed due to the twisting forces at the hub from the brake.

The spoke bed is also improved by what 3T calls double-angle drilling, which means that the holes are set both for the radial and tangent angles, creating a straighter line from the hub flanges to the rim. The alloy nipples are set internally for greater rim strength and they rest on washers that add strength to the rim and make it easy to tension if you ever knock the rim out of true.

Going back to the rim, it is wide for aerodynamics. With 700c by 23-25mm tires, and you won’t want to narrower, the tire, when mounted to the rim will result in the leading and trailing edges being nearly identical. This is an aero benefit both for no-wind and crosswind situations. The greater air volume reduces rolling resistance and increases comfort for a given pressure and means you can even lower pressure and see both rolling resistance and comfort improve. Wider tires, also fit, and you can probably go as wide as your bike allows.

The double-butted aero spokes, 24 front and rear, crossed-two, lead to flanges designed for straight-pull spokes. Below the spokes is a convertible axle system. There are pinch bolts on the end caps. These can be loosened and the caps removed so you can chose between a quick-release axle and a thru-axle. This is for both front and rear hubs, with the front width the standard 100mm, swapping to either a 12 or 15mm thru-axle, and the rear width 135mm, allowing you to choose between a standard quick release or a 135x12mm or 142x12mm thru axle. All necessary end caps, axles, and quick releases are included.

The disc rotor, and you’ll need one for each hub, mounts to the hub via Centerlock-style splines.

The standard cassette body is a Shimano/SRAM-compatible 10/11-speed spline. A 9/10/11-speed Campagnolo-compatible cassette body is available as an aftermarket option. The set also comes with rim strips.

The 3T Discus C35 Team Wheelset gives you the advantage of carbon-fiber rims with a smart axle design so your disc-brake-equipped bike is ready for anything.