Purchaed at the website for $419 plus shipping.

Rol wheels a 100 mile review.

I purchased a set of Rol Volant wheels to replace my Shimano RX-100 hubed Mavic CXP 21s. The Mavics were 32 spoke 3 cross front and rear with a slightly aero profile. They did not roll well and were slow to spin up to speed. They were also very heavy, but great wheels that never needed a true.

The Rol Volants have been reviewed by scores of people with most all of the reviews coming in a 4 or higher according to Roadbikereview.com. Only one review came in with a 1 and that was due to author not wanting to replace a spoke for the second time.
The Volants are on the opposite spectrum of my first wheel set. They are lighter, spin up faster, have a more pronounced aero rim at 27mm deep, have a 20/24 spoke count and sport Pillar PSR bladed spokes. The 20 being radially laced with the hook pointing inward and the 24 rear being two cross.

My initial look at the wheel was on the website. I noticed the company statement on the left side of the page:

"At ROL Wheels, we strive to provide our customers with world-class wheels and rims at a great price, with a great attitude, at an unparalleled level of integrity and service. We aim to offer Nordstrom-like customer service and we've committed ourselves to never letting our customers down! At ROL, we're confident that we can enhance your riding experience regardless of the wheelset you choose. Get your ROL on."

I emailed them with a question many months before I purchased the wheelset. I did not receive a reply nor did I follow up with another email. I narrowed my choices to Williams or Rol. I decided on Rol due mostly to the overwhelming number of positive reviews. The plus of the review is that they were split between regular guys like me that commute and maybe do a race or two a year and the hardcore racers. I pulled the trigger.

The order screen gives you a ship date of your wheels but it does not show up in the email correspondence receipt. I email the company on April 19 and asked when the wheels were shipping. I did not receive a reply. I did receive a ship notice the next day which I mistakenly thought was the reply. The actual reply was received five days later on April 27 and two days after the wheels arrived. It reads:

"Hello XXXX, I'm terribly sorry to have missed this e-mail. I trust you've received the wheels and have had a chance to ride them."

I guarantee that Nordstrom would have known that the order was received two days prior to sending an email and would not have let a customer flounder for five days. Automated responses are good things for companies to use.

The wheels arrived on April 25 which is nice that Rol ships FedEx and that Saturday deliveries are no charged extra. The box arrived undamaged and taped well. Packing was nonexistent. The wheels were pressure fit between the sides of the box and some cardboard sheets. Cut outs top and bottom provided a cradle for the wheels to sit in. The three spokes and two 111 gram per pair levers where in their own box taped well to the inside of the box.

Initial impression of the wheels was positive. They looked good and fast like they wanted to run through the living room. The tension sounded good when you tapped lightly on the blades. The side of the box reveals the makers of the parts except for the hub. There is a model number for that but I could not find anything. The rims are Kinlin 270s with Pillar PSR spokes and I think allow nipples. The rims are taped, but with a yellow plastic wrap that looks like banding from a warehouse. It works and is probably less expensive than Velox ($#3.50 from REI). The Rol wheels moniker is a sticker.

The front hub is smooth like glass with the 20 spoke entering the flange with the J bend outward. They mount very easily and the machined brake surface is nice and not grabby with Swiss Stop black compound brake pads.

The rear hub is the deal breaker for a lot of people. The rear hub is 24 spoke 2 cross and has the same properties as the front except when it spins free, it is loud. Louder than a King hub. It doesn’t bother me in the least, but for some they may not appreciate it.

Stability is always a YMMV. I had the chance to ride the wheels in 15mph head winds and it cut through them like diamonds on glass. The only time I got scared was during a really strong cross wind when I could feel the front wheel pick up a little.

The wheels seem, for my set up, to prefer a 23 front and 25 rear. The wheels are stiff and light and this is very apparent when you run the different tires. The 23s seem to vibrate more and the 25s seem to ride smoother and darn faster. You really should not run 23s on these wheels YMMV.

The only down side to the wheels are the skewers. Personally I will say that they suck. I am used to my Mavic skewers and the Rol ones are plastic on the ends and levers. The skewers are so bad that you really have to get a crank on it to make sure that it has purchase. How much crank you say well I have about 1/8” of skewer sticking out of the DS so that the NDS lever can sandwich down. I thought I had the QR locked down and when I stood at a stop light to start going again the QR gave way and I ended up on my ass in traffic. I learned that testrider.com got the QR review right and from then on I keep the thing cranked until I can get better QRs.

I have only ridden 100 miles in these over the pothole, manhole, and bump strewn pavement that is the Portland-Roubaix. One stretch of the MUP is so jostling that I have to retighten my head set every three months from the vibrations. So far everything is going along like clockwork. The wheels climb hills very well seated and standing, they sprint well, and they handle downhills very well. You can feel the power transfer from the pedals to the ground.

I am pleased with them and aside from some communication issues that I hope are not harbingers of things to come.