A premium and appreciably precious wheelset designed to perform at the highest level
Pros
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Brand pedigree
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Light and stiff all-carbon-fibre construction
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Exotic aesthetics
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Aerodynamic profiling
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Communicative feedback
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Lightweight
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Available in 32- and 47mm, tubular or clincher
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Semi-personalised decal options
Cons
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Sky-high pricing
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Corima is one of the world's most exclusive wheelmakers. The French company has been designing, manufacturing and hand-assembling carbon-fibre hoops in-house at its factory in Loriol-sur-Drôme for well over 30 years now and has put its wares to the test at the sport's highest level - adorning the frames of professional outfits Astana-Premier Tech and Delko Marseille for the past decade. Over this time the brand has garnered a formidable reputation and become an object of desire of cyclists the world over.
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Dubbed Double Torque Technology (D2T), the unique Y-shaped hub flange arrangement works by resisting both braking and pedalling forces which act in opposite directions (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The carbon-fibre wheels do well to complement the visage of any road bike: the decals can be personalised in up to 14 different colour options (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Number 12 references the number spokes that comprise each wheel system(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Our test set came wheels arrived pre-fitted with 25mm Hutchinson Pro Tour tubular tyres(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
A closer look at the unique y-shaped hub bracing of the rear-wheel assembly(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Rim architecture is constructed from lightweight TeXtreme weave and filled with foam to maximise overall strength(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Owing to the radical shift in contemporary road bike design, Corima has had to pivot and quickly adapt its ethos to cater for disc-brake actuation and tubeless tyre technology. The result? The all-new Corima MCC DX wheels. The model pictured here is the 47mm MCC DX tubular wheels which feature feathery all-carbon construction and a 19mm internal rim width.
We spent some time aboard the all-new MCC DX wheels to bring you an exclusive look into what makes them spin.
Design and aesthetics
Corima is known for its minimalist approach to industrial design and the MCC DX tubular wheels stay true to this fundamental principle. There's nothing particularly fancy here when it comes to graphic design but the simple-yet-effective use of texture and shape has created one of the most rousing visual packages of all the best road bike wheels. Even the logos and wheel designation monikers are artisanal in application - they're merely peel-off decals, further emphasising the brand's non-conformist rhetoric. The decals are offered in 14 colourway options ranging from keyline to gold.
Everything is made from carbon fibre - even the spokes which are undeniably the most intriguing design attribute, taking on a visage not too unlike that of charcoal sticks but more on them later. The rim architecture is constructed from lightweight TeXtreme weave and filled with foam to maximise overall strength and dampen road vibration.
The all-carbon rear hub design takes on a purely function over form approach, distinguishable via a Y-shaped hub flange arrangement Corima calls Double Torque Technology (D2T). What this does is essentially spread the tension across the entirety of the rim ensuring better load distribution. The front hub takes on a more traditional appearance as it won't encounter the same acceleration and braking forces as the rear assembly.
Under the microscope: the carbon-fibre spokes resemble charcoal sticks(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The spoke configuration gives the Corima wheels an amazingly clean cross-section appearance and low aerodynamic drag coefficient(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
25mm rubber might be less popular these days but in tubular application they supplied a feedback rich and communicative ride quality(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The front hub comes sans the fancy y-shaped hub flanges as it doesn’t encounter the same types of forces(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
At 61-62kg, I found using a 95/110psi front/rear tyre pressure balance yielded the best results in terms of feel and compliance(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
A closer look at the 25mm Hutchinson Pro Tour tubular tyres(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The y-shaped rear hub design was created specifically for the company's new disc-brake wheelset as there is more torque generated during braking (Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Minimalist but effective - Corima wheels are known to cause rubbernecking frenzies among cycling aficionados(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Specifications, handling and performance
As previously mentioned the spokes are the most impressive aspect of the wheel system and are fashioned entirely from carbon fibre - the result of which has helped boost visuals and reduce drag. Compared to the 2019 MCC wheel iterations, Corima says the new rim profile has culminated in a 9 per cent (front wheel) and 18 per cent (rear wheel) aerodynamic improvement. While we couldn't put these claims to the test we can attest to the front wheel's stability when encountering crosswinds. The reduced surface area and aerodynamically profiled spokes mean handling remains predictable and instils in the rider an added sense of control.
Out on the road, the step-up in feedback and responsiveness over other wheels I've tested was immediately evident. The communication and road-surface feedback is granular in feel and paints a pretty vivid picture in terms of what's happening underfoot. Of course, this is much about tyre application as it is wheel construction - the wheels arrived pre-fitted with 25mm Hutchinson Pro Tour tubular tyres. After some experimentation, I found using a 90/95psi front/rear tyre pressure balance yielded the best results in terms of feel and compliance (61.5kg rider weight).
Having spent a considerable amount of time riding tubeless tyres recently, I found the ride quality a little firm but nothing too overbearing. In fact, it's more the wheel stiffness and responsive that seem to bring things to life. However, Corima's 'Torsion Box' concept has added some compliance to the system by adding structural foam and horizontal unidirectional carbon-fibre strut bracing within the internal rim profile. This, according to Corima, enhances power transfer, wheel trueness and quells road vibrations and imperfections.
The wheels worked well in partnership with the Merida Scultura Disc 10K-E road bike. As a bike aligned more to overcoming gravity than straight-line shove, the MCC DX tubulars helped unlock some extra top-end speed while keeping it nimble through lumpy topography. Speaking of weight, the 47mm MCC DX tubular wheels tip the scales at a claimed 1,340g per set (580g front, 760g rear) - which is over 200g lighter than many of the rolling stock options we've recently tested and incredibly impressive for a 47mm-profile wheel.
The wheels come ready-to-ride out of the box complete with nifty protective bags and are compatible with Shimano/SRAM cassettes.
The wheelset is compatible with Shimano/SRAM cassettes(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
Aggressive and race-ready: the 47mm MCC DX tubular wheels changed the character of our Merida Scultura test bike, unlocking extra speed on the flats while still retaining its climbing efficiency(Image credit: Aaron Borrill)
The Corima 47mm MCC DX tubular wheels are not cheap. At $4,295/ £3,100 / €3,570, they're a seriously pricey proposition (you could buy a second bike for that money) but also an undeniably responsive set of wheels that irrefutably ramp up the communication between bike and rider.
The way they balance attributes such as stiffness, weight and rolling efficiency make them an ideal all-rounder - excelling in all conditions, cross-winds and mountainous terrain included. And while they could be used all season (for both training and racing blocks), given their precious and exotic nature they're an option we'd reserve exclusively for racing scenarios. They're hands down the best wheelset we've tested here at Cyclingnews.
Aaron was the Tech Editor Cyclingnews between July 2019 and June 2022. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he completed his BA honours at the University of Cape Town before embarking on a career in journalism. Throughout this career, Aaron has spent almost two decades writing about bikes, cars, and anything else with wheels. Prior to joining the Cyclingnews team, his experience spanned a stint as Gear & Digital editor of Bicycling magazine, as well as a time at TopCar as Associate Editor.
Now based in the UK's Surrey Hills, Aaron's life revolves around bikes. He's a competitive racer, Stravaholic, and Zwift enthusiast. He’s twice ridden the Cape Epic, completed the Haute Route Alps, and represented South Africa in the 2022 Zwift eSports World Championships.
