HADRON Classic 485 Rim Brake

Gweneal Touchais tested the HADRON Classic 485 disc brake wheels over the last few months and compared them to the Ultimate wheels. Read the in-depth review at TRIMAX Magazine online. Available in French only. 

Verdict:

• Price-killer (-500 Euro compared to Ultimate)
• Top aerodynamics (+0.5 Watt compared to Ultimate)
• Same exact rims as the Ultimate wheels
• Same quality as the Ultimate wheels
• Slightly heavier than the Ultimate wheels due to a slightly bigger hub
• Great lateral stiffness which leads to a smooth response and stability
• Perfect all-round wheel set

"Top level performance at a mid level price" says VeloNews after testing the HADRON Classic 485 disc brake wheel set. Summary of the review:

• Good amount of lateral stiffness
• High-quality DT Swiss hubs 
• Wheels excel during moderate winds at yaw, during hard sprint efforts and punchy climbs
• Hassle free to set up tubeless
• Pro level performance at an attainable price

Read entire review here at velonews.com.

Jan Gathmann from rennrad-news.de tested our HADRON Classic 485 set and wrote an extensive review on his website. Read the entire review.  

Summary: 

+ Lateral stiffness 
+ Reliable aerodynamics know-how of manufacturer
+ High manufacturing quality
+ Hub quality and spare parts service
+ Optimised rim width for popular tyre sizes
+ Very good braking performance
+ Price/performance ratio

Klaus Görgen from Rund-ums-Rad tested the HADRON Classic 485 set. The entire review can be read here. 

Summary of the test: 

• Very stable in heavy cross winds
• Great braking performance 
• Nice stiffness
• Great and really fun riding experience! (note: After the test Klaus called us to order a set of HADRON Classic 485)

The editors of bikeboard.at tested the 2019 HADRON Classic 485 set and wrote a detailed product review. What they liked most about the wheels:

+ top aerodynamics, really fast

+ high quality rim, spokes, hub, free hub and bearings 

+ braking performance 

+ tubeless-ready 

Verdict: Reliable all-round wheelset for training and racing!

Read about the detailed test and review at bikeboard.at

Triathlete Buyer's Guide 2019 with the Hottest New Gear!

Swiss Side HADRON Classic 485 

THE DRAW: PRICE-POINT KILLER

"Swiss Side - a brand most well-known for sitting underneath Germany's Patrick Lange during both of his record-setting Kona wins - has created a budget wheel in the Hadron Classic 485 with ride quality that outshines even more expensive wheelsets. These 48.5mm-deep rims may not have a wide rim track (25mm) like most of the other wheels in this category, but the surprisingly well-built DT Swiss hubs ride very smoothly, giving a good middle ground between compliance over bumps and lateral stiffness for punching over hills. These are perfect wheels for anyone looking for a training and racing combo without breaking the bank. Here, value is king."

SWISS SIDE HADRON CLASSIC 485 £1,127 ||| $1,295 / WHEELSET

Using aerodynamic and engineering techniques borrowed from Formula 1, the Hadron Classic 485 rims are paired with durable DT Swiss 370 hubs to create a hard-wearing wheel that is both fast and stable in crosswinds. In comparison to a standard road wheel, Swiss Side say the aero advantages of the semi-deep, tubelessready all-round wheels could be worth up to 45 seconds over a 40km course.

Source: Procycling January 2019

tri2b.com tested the HADRON Classic 485 rim brake wheelset for over 2000km from North to South of Germany. The wheelset was tested in all kinds of different conditions. On winding roads, in wet and dry weather, over cobblestones as well as off road. Here the summary: 

+ Great braking performance in dry and wet riding conditions 

+ Amazing wheel stability in crosswinds 

+ High quality product

+ Top all-round wheelset

+ Great value for money

+ World-wide service center network 

Read the entire review at tri2b.com

Five people from ROADBIKE tested the HADRON Classic 485 wheelset for a total of 5500 km over the last 8 month. They came to an unanimous positive conclusion: The HADRON Classic Aero Wheels feel very stable and fast. It's a stiff wheelset with great steering control. 

+ Stiffness

+ Holding high speeds 

+ Great value for money 

Read the entire review at roadbike.de

"Cutting edge aero for less" is what the team at Peloton Magazine writes, after testing and reviewing the HADRON Classic 485 wheelset. Here an extract of the write-up:

"As you would expect from a company specializing in aerodynamics, Swiss Side designed the HADRON Classic 485 to be fast–but not at the expense of rideability. By focusing on stability and predictable handling in windy conditions, this wheelset allows you to stay in an aerodynamic position for longer. After all, aero wheels aren’t much good if they force you to ride in an upright position, with your body catching wind like a sail. In real world conditions, the stability is noticeable: these wheels track straight in most wind conditions you’ll encounter, even for small riders, and carve confidently through descents. Simply put, they’re a joy to ride.

Swiss Side partners with DT Swiss, using the fellow Swiss company’s revered hubs and bladed Aero Comp spokes while focusing on its own in-house rim shapes. Along with the benefits of durable, high quality components, the partnership allows Swiss Side wheels to be tuned up at DT Swiss’s extensive worldwide network of service centers. Additionally, Swiss Side’s generous crash replacement program offers 50% off the same style wheel–hopefully you’ll never need it but it’s nice to know you aren’t completely out of luck in the event of an accident.

These wheels offer incredible, easy to handle aerodynamics at a great price. There are trade-off’s however – wet braking, tire volume and weight. Of course, for those seeking cutting edge aero at entry level carbon prices, the Swiss Side Classic 485 is a great option."

Read entire review at pelotonmagazine.com

Niclas Bock from Pushing Limits tested the HADRON Classic 485 (rim brake) wheelset during training and competition. Here the summary of the test review on pushing-limits.de.  

+ Fast, top aerodynamic performance 

+ High quality (production through DT Swiss) 

+ Highest quality components (DT Swiss hubs and spokes)

+ Great all-round wheelset for training as well as for racing

+ Predictable and reliable braking performance in all conditions (dry and wet)

+ Developed with a deep know-how about aerodynamics (Formula 1 background)

+ Attention to details (e.g. hidden nipples) and clean engineering 

+ Great value for money

 Read entire test review on pushing-limits.de in German. 

Bicycle Network Australia tested a set of our new HADRON Classic 485 aero wheels and really wanted to keep hold of them at the end of the test! Christopher Jones, editor of BNA, completed an extremely detailed review including a short video about the test. Here a short summary:

Pros and Cons:

+ Accessible price for a great performing wheelset
+ Excellent all-rounder
+ Excellent handing and ride-feel
+ A great balance in weight, stiffness and aero performance

– Returning the wheels at the end of the review

Conclusion: "The Swiss Side HADRON Classic 485’s balance stiffness, weight and price extremely well while delivering a package that brings you into the realm of aerodynamic performance."

Read entire review at: https://www.bicycles.net.au/2018/06/review-swissside-hadron-classic-485-aerowheels-more-performance-for-everyday-cyclists/

Check out the extensive aero wheel test in RennRad's newest issue. The Swiss Side HADRON Classic 485 wheelset was included in the test and the test results are excellent!

+ Best lateral rigidity of all test wheels

+ Incredible price 

+ DT Swiss hubs 

Verdict: A stiff fullcarbon wheelset without any real weaknesses. Available at an attractive price. 

A team of RoadBIKE editors tested the Swiss Side HADRON Classic 485 Aero Wheelset over the last couple of months. They reported excellent smooth riding ability and perfect wheel stiffness (103 respectively 108 Nm/°). The RoadBIKE editors came to unanimous opinion: The wheels are highly stable which constantly leads to a lot of speed.

 Lukas Hoffmann brought the wheels to his training camp on Gran Canaria. As a mountain biker, he is a big fan of disc brake wheels. Riding on narrow snake coverd roads, he was pleasantly surprised by the great braking performance of the HADRON Classic 485 rim brake wheels. 

"Of course, you are able to brake later with a disc brake wheel, but the new Swiss Side HADRON Classic rims with Swissstop carbon brake pads, have a great braking performance,” says Hoffmann. “At any time, braking feels in control and safe, it doesn’t matter if you brake slowly or in a more aggressive manner.”

 He went on to explain that the acceleration is good, even for wheels that were made for lightweight riders, they feel a bit more agile. He also noted that the strength of the HADRON Classic 485 really shines at high-speed. "If the wheels are rolling, it feels like nothing is going to stop them. I was literally flying over the wavy coast roads of Gran Canaria. They deliver a true all-round wheel set that is amazingly fun to ride,” concluded Hoffmann. 

Read about the HADRON Classic 485 product review on RoadBIKE.

Longterm test and race tests will follow in the next weeks. Stay tuned.

Hadron 485 and 625 made it into the top 20 road bike wheels in 2017, recommended by road.cc!

Hadron wheels (named after that big circular tunnel near Geneva, of course) are available in rim depths of 48.5mm, 62.5mm and 80mm (front)/85mm (rear). All share the same fundamental construction, with aluminium rims and carbon fairings. Swiss Side says it's done an enormous amount of work to perfect the aerodynamic design of these rims, focusing on aerodynamic drag and also minimising the sensitivity to side-winds.

They've performed well in a wide variety of riding. We won't pretend that we can accurately determine the difference compared with other quality aero wheels of a similar depth, but they certainly feel like they're in the same ball-park, holding speed really well and making a rather satisfying hum in the process.

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Swiss Side Hadron 485 is is a solid and well manufactured allround wheelset for both training and racing under all wind and weather conditions.

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The edit staff at Road Cycling UK have dropped an excellent in-depth review of the Swiss Side Hadron 485 Aero Wheelset.

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The editors at TriTime tested the Swiss Side Hadron 800+ and 485 Aero Wheels and wrote an excellent review.
Die Redakteure von TriTrime hatten das Vergnügen die Swiss Side Hadron 800+ und 485 zu testen und veröffentlichten eine exzellenten Bericht .

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Tested and recommended as an excellent all-round wheel set by roadbike.de. 

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Great, light weight, affordable and recommended aero wheels. 

Verdict: Excellent aero wheelset offering a compelling combination of speed, stability and good braking. Offering arguably the best performance in this price bracket on the market today.

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Summary: Top level performance, affordable price and tons of fun riding. 

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