ROL Race SL review

Well, I decided to treat myself to a new set of wheels. Having ridden my ROL Volants for a couple of years, I wanted to jump up the ladder and try the Race SL’s. Having talked directly to the owner, Sean, I decided these would fit me best. I’m 170lbs 6’1” and ride a 58cm Garneau Sonix 6.5SL carbon bike. I’m 41, a Cat 2 and live in Highlands Ranch, CO. I mostly do Masters 35+ open races. The training terrain here varies from some flats but mostly rollers with some nice climbs up into the canyons on the front range.

First off, ordering the wheels was a breeze. ROL’s site is easy to navigate and the wheels arrived within a couple of days.

My first test on the wheels was at our weekly training crit. It is in an office park that is a mile and a half circle, no real sharp turns and rolling hills. Once I received my wheels, I eagerly fitted them with some new 23C Conti GP 4000’s. It is plain sacrilege to put old tires on new wheels. Once pumped up to 120lbs, I was on my way. The only drawback at the crit was that we had to dodge some road construction. It made for some interesting riding. The weather was a little windy but not too crazy.

Since my initial trial run on the wheels, I have used them in a couple of races that were a little too windy for me to use my Mavic Cosmic Carbones. In both instances I was totally please with how well the wheels felt and how they performed. They are snappy and get up to speed quickly.

Overall they are noticeably stiffer than my old Volants and Mavic Ksyriums. The 30mm rim was just enough to hold some speed without being compromised by the crosswinds. They are definitely light enough to be considered at race wheel at 1550 grams but sturdy enough for everyday training.

The largest deciding factor in me purchasing a second set of ROL’s was the customer service. It is not everyday that you can speak to the owner of the company about their product. Sean is knowledgeable and extremely helpful. I’m sure that if I have any problems with these wheels, he will be readily available to make them right.

Happy Racing,

Scott