Deda's new RS4DB lightweight wheels debut at Giro d'Italia

Eagle-eyed viewers of the Giro d'Italia might have spotted that the Bardiani CSF Faizanè team have been taking advantage of a brand new pair of lightweight wheels whenever the road points up, courtesy of the team's wheel sponsor Deda Elementi.

Deda Elementi is the specialist Italian bicycle components subsidiary brand borne out of Italian bike manufacturer Dedacciai. 30 years after it's inception, the brand is supplier to some of the best bike racers in the world, not least two time Tour de France winner, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates). 

The wheels in question are the brand new top-of-the-range RS4DB wheelset. They are handbuilt in the company's headquarters in Campagnola Cremasca, Italy, and they boast an impressive list of technological advancements. 

With the RS4DB, Deda has harnessed a host of new technologies with the wheelset's design, including a totally overhauled hub with rifling design that harnesses the Magnus effect, internal spoke nipples, variable rim wall thickness and more. They are tubeless compatible, feature a hooked bead, and are committed solely to disc brakes. The standout figure, however, is their weight. At just 1340 grams, they sit comfortably among the best in class. 

Variable thickness rims

Starting at the outside with the rims, these are 38mm deep and 26mm wide with a 19mm internal width between the beads. The beads themselves are hooked, and they are compatible with both tubeless and clincher tyres, making them a real versatile player in today's trend towards tubeless only compatibility. 

The interesting feature here is the variable wall thickness adopted in the rim's construction. At the point at which the spokes connect, the carbon fibre of the rim is reinforced to increase strength and power transfer. However, between the spokes, the carbon fibre is thinner, which allowed Deda Elementi's engineers to reduce the rim's overall weight to increase responsiveness and reduce the inertia of the wheel during acceleration. 

The sidewall of the rim is adorned by elegant 'Deda' and inverted 'RS' water-based graphics that are gloss black and can not peel away. 

Internal spokes with ABS nipples

Moving inwards to the spokes, and the RS4DB wheelset uses 24 of them front and rear for a balance of weight, stiffness and durability. These are straight-pull spokes at the hub end and are fixed internally within the rim to improve the overall aerodynamic performance of the wheels. 

However, it's the spokes' ABS nipples that really set them apart. This is a technology that integrates a perforated nylon ball to the head of the spoke to prevent unwanted unscrewing to keep the wheels true and optimally tensioned. This ensures a long life of high performance and rapid responsiveness. 

Brand new RS hubs

Finally, moving further inwards, we arrive at the new wheels' pièce de résistance; the hubs. Here, Deda Elementi has gone to town with its innovation, managing to create a system that is 20 per cent smaller, more aerodynamic and 80 grams lighter than its predecessor. 

Internally, they benefit from Deda's brand new RS technology, which comprises a double ratchet system for optimal power transmission and reduced friction. This places a small ratchet inside the freehub body and a larger ratchet inside the hub flange. The result, in addition to the improvements already covered, is a decrease in friction, better force transmission and tool-free maintenance. 

Externally, the reduced hub shell is given a rifling design that helps to improve the aerodynamic performance whilst also harnessing the Magnus effect (the same effect that forces a ball to curve in the direction of its spin when moving through the air) to create downforce - and thus stability - at higher speeds. 

Each wheelset is available with a choice of Shimano, SRAM XD-R and Campagnolo freehubs, and will come complete with rim tape installed, as well as tubeless valves, disc brake rotor lock rings and a pair of wheel bags for protection. 

If you're looking to upgrade your current wheels and want to improve the performance and style of your bike, then the Deda Elementi RS4DB is priced at £1,799.99 (US $2,400.00 / €1,950.00), and they are available to order today.