Sector GCA 650b Wheelset

With our DT Swiss G1800 650b wheels flattened by a car last week we ordered some new wheels that we very keen to try out anyway. These wheels are on the short list for the forwards GR20 gravel bikes that we are planning on building so we needed to get them tested.

The Sector GCA 650b Gravel wheelset arrived on Friday from our supplier. We eagerly unpacked them and were not disappointed with what we received. Build looks and feels really solid. The 10/11spd Shimano fitment freehub body is a 3 pawl design much like our Hope 20fives. The pawls look to be smaller but still offer a very satisfying freewheel click which is important for many riders. The hub body and bearings are well sealed with integrated rubber seal rings. The cream bearings are silky smooth on both wheels. The freehub is supplied with spacer washer. The rim is black with some tasteful sector logos and graphics. The wheels come with QR axle adapters for those who don’t have thru axles. We will use them on Jenny’s bike but for our Digger, thru axles were in order. The axles are 100x12mm front and 142x12mm rear. They arrived pre taped to a high standard with the valves installed. We popped on our WTB 650b x 47mm tyres with 128ml of Stans tyre sealant to complete our tubeless setup. With the Ultegra 160mm discs and XT 11-42T cassette fitted we were ready to take her out.

With only one ride per day at this strange time during COVID19, I had the pleasure of taking the Digger out on a local 30 mile Gravel loop today. A route that I pinched from a very capable local rider’s Strava account. Firstly, the route was superb, a local route that takes me up, over and around Farley Mount. Gravel really does remind me of old school mountain bike days. Days gone by but now revisited. The bike rode well, really well. The wheels are light, spin up well and hold the speed thanks to those fantastic wheel bearings. The tubeless setup was faultless. The freehub body didn’t miss a beat but let’s face it, I’d not expect that on such a short ride. Overall, performance, weight and build is superb and I am very impressed so far. We’ll keep you posted.